If you have a silverfish infestation, you may already be pulling out your hair as you try to figure out how to get rid of it. Silverfish are not like other insects: they are hardy and fast and require a different strategy to be exterminated. In this article, I’ll share with you three key tips you need to know to get rid of a silverfish infestation.
Tip 1 – These guys are different!
Silverfish do not have one large queen mother insect that produces all the young. With the ants, you can feed them poison and they will return to the heart of the nest where others will also die. With silverfish, this strategy will not work.
Silverfish don’t live around a queen, they only live where they can. They generally live in dark, humid areas. If you have any leaky pipes (no matter how small the leak is), this is a prime spot to set up camp for a silverfish.
You should check for leaks and blockages and cracks and crevices that you find because this is where the silverfish come from.
Tip 2 – Cut Out Your Food Source
Like all pests, if you take away their food sources, they will usually die or go in search of nutrition elsewhere.
So what do silverfish eat? Silverfish live on carbohydrates. Unfortunately, they can survive for up to a year without food! This makes it especially important to keep food sources away from them.
Carbohydrates are basically sugars and starches. Silverfish will eat paper, cardboard, clothing, spilled sticks, etc. All documents must be locked up and kept out of sight. Clothes should be kept secure in a closet or drawers.
If you don’t do these things, you will find your documents full of holes and your clothes full of disgusting yellow stains. Don’t risk it!
Tip 3: change the environment
Silverfish need food and moisture to live. To get rid of a silverfish infestation, you must get rid of both.
Start by using a vacuum cleaner in your home. Silverfish will even eat the hairs that fell off your head! So you need to be vigilant and make sure there are no hairs or crumbs on your floor.
Also, silverfish love wet conditions. If you live in humid conditions and are not leaking, then you may want to invest in a dehumidifier or at least run your air conditioner a little more often. This can make a big difference to your existing problems.