Silverfish Extermination

Silverfish are just 1.2 inch long, and has a long, slender, flat body. They have a silvery color on their upper body and a broad frontal part that tapers towards the end. Silverfish infestation can be found anywhere around the house but they love to hang out in damp and moderate temperature places like basements, laundry rooms, etc.

Silverfish bugs need dark environment, with a good supply of starchy foods or molds. They are a pest as they can feed on wallpapers, clothes, books, papers, even some types of dust. They have three stage life cycle that is called gradual metamorphosis. They are active at night or in dark places throughout the building structure. They damage book bindings, clothes made of cotton, linen and silk. They leave a yellowish stain on clothes. To prevent the extensive damage they cause around the house, many people look for silverfish extermination methods. The following are a few ways that will help answer the common question, how to get rid of silverfish.

How to Get Rid of Silverfish

Silverfish, also known as fishmoth is a wingless insect that looks like a fish. They cannot be controlled by just moisture reduction around the house. You need to take care of all the leaks in your house and cover the cracks with silicone caulk. Silverfish cannot survive in dry environment and will soon die.

You can easily find their hiding places as they are always near food. They love starch, sugar and protein foods. Thus, they may be somewhere near starched clothes, wallpaper glue, silk, cereals, even synthetic fibers and papers. You can see irregular holes and scrapping on wallpapers as the silverfish ma be trying to eat the glue. Or you may find yellow stains on your clothes. For silverfish elimination, you need to try the following methods.

Silverfish Elimination Baits
You need to place some baits near areas of suspected silverfish infestation. You need a bowl, index cards, flour and water. You need to pour a cup of water in a bowl and add some flour to make a paste. The paste should be very thin in consistency and using a brush, apply it to both sides of the index cards. When the cards are dry, place them in areas you suspect of having silverfish infestations. You will observe irregular scrapping on the cards that shows the silverfish have fed on them after a week. This will help you determine whether the area is having silverfish infestation.

Silverfish Elimination Trap
You can carry out successful silverfish elimination by taking canning jars and scrubbing them sparkling clean. Then you need to apply masking tape on the outside that makes it easy for the silverfish to climb. You can keep moist cotton or starchy food in the jar as bait. The silverfish will climb into the jar and get trapped as they will not be able to climb out the smooth walls.

Cockroach Trap
You can use sticky roach traps for silverfish elimination. You need to place the roach traps in places of silverfish infestation and see the silvery creatures getting trapped.

Silverfish Book Infestation
If your books are on the verge of getting ruined due to silverfish infestation, you need to wrap them in a plastic bag or Zipper storage bags and add some desiccant to it. Then, place the books in the freezer for three days. The temperature and lack of air will help in silverfish extermination.

You need to cover all the cracks in the house that allow these creatures to hide. You can even call a professional exterminator for help. I hope these tips on how to get rid of silverfish proves useful.