How to get rid of Silverfish

Silverfish, also known as fishmoths and, scientifically, as Lepisma saccharina, are small, wingless insects that belong to the order Thysanura. A silverfish’s diet consists of matters that contain polysaccharides, such as book bindings, carpets, clothing, coffee, cotton, dandruff, dead skin cells, glue, linen, paint, paper, photos, plaster, silk, sugar, as well as different types of tapestries. Due to this, they often destroy property and contaminate food, and they are considered to be household pests. However, as far as health is concerned, silverfish are harmless, seeing as they do not transmit any diseases.

Signs of infestation

Silverfish enjoy dark, humid environments, so these are the type of spaces you should check if you suspect you might have an infestation on your hands. Since they are nocturnal, they will not be active — and, thus, you will not see them — during the day, so the best time to conduct an investigation would be at night. Keep an eye out for tiny, dark spots of excrement which look like black pepper, as well as for small skin casts, which silverfish shed. Other signs include: small, irregular holes and yellowish stains on clothing, wallpaper, cereal boxes, as well as other cardboard or fabric materials.
As is the case with most insect infestations, creating an unwelcoming environment is the best way you can prevent them, and this can most often and easily be achieved through the implementation of proper measures of sanitation. In the case of silverfish, specifically, you can:

• inspect any cardboard boxes, furniture, and construction materials before you bring them inside;
• caulk any cracks, crevices, or holes that may make potential entry points;
• reduce the humidity indoors;
• remove food ‘temptations’, such as too many books lying in disarray on floors, old piles of laundry, cardboard boxes, etc.;
• keep kitchen floors, counters, and cupboards clean, paying special attention to the points where the baseboards meet the floors;
• frequently wipe down bookcases, closet shelves, door and window frames;
• vacuum at least once a week;
• de-cluttering outdoor areas (any debris, stones, piles of wood, mulch, etc.) in order to remove hiding places close to your home is also a good idea.

Traps for Silverfish control:

Pheromone traps are other natural repellents that you can use. These are traps which attract and kill the moths with a sticky substance they cannot escape once they touch.

Earwigs, house centipedes, and spiders are known to be predators of silverfish, but you cannot rely on other pests doing the job for you. The best ways to get rid of silverfish is by using natural or chemical methods, together with the preventive measures that can help you avoid a further infestation.
One of the easiest, most natural ways of removing silverfish is by trapping them. You can do this by using homemade traps, like the ones presented below:

• glass trap: using a tall glass or a mason jar, wrap the entire outside of the container with masking tape, before placing a piece of bread inside as bait and setting it in the area where you suspect or you have seen silverfish gathering; attracted by the bread, they will crawl into the container, but, because the glass itself is too slippery, they will not be able to climb back out.
• newspaper trap: roll up a newspaper, secure the ends with an elastic, and moisten it with tap water, before setting it in silverfish-infested areas; tempted by the prospect of food and a cozy environment, silverfish will quickly move inside the newspaper, meaning that you can simply pick it up and dispose of it outside, at a safe distance from the house, or you can burn even it.

Pre-made traps are also available in stores, and you can use basically any type of sticky or glue trap, ensuring to bait the silverfish with bread or other snacks for added efficiency. In order to keep them away from your cabinets, besides catching them with traps, you can repel them with essential oils or cedar shavings. Silverfish hate the smell of cinnamon, lavender, cedar, citrus, and basil. By filling a spray bottle with a mixture of water and one of these essential oils, you can use it to spray baseboards, areas beneath the bathroom and kitchen sinks, and other areas in the house that have high humidity. To keep the insects away from clothes, store them with sachets of dried lavender or tuck cinnamon sticks into drawers. Placing whole cloves in areas where silverfish are likely to be found can also help, as the smell will deter them away.

You can also use diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it in the areas where you have seen or you believe that silverfish may be hiding, as well as in cabinets, along baseboards, etc., where they might be mingling at night, ensuring you wear protective equipment (such as masks) to avoid the powder from irritating your lungs. The dust will puncture the exoskeletons of the tiny insects and will cause them death by dehydration, without posing any danger to children or pets. In the morning, vacuum the powder, along with the dead silverfish, and dispose of the contents of the bag or container.
Boric acid is another substance that kills insects, as well as eggs, but you should be more careful with it, since it is more toxic; wear protective equipment and be sure to keep children and pets away from the treated areas.

Chemical methods of control

Silverfish can also be very easily killed by toxins such as permethrin or deltamethrin, which kill them on contact, so simply buying an aerosol insecticide that contains any of these two ingredients will be an effective solution to your problem. Once again, be careful when handling it, keep children and pets away, and do not apply it in your kitchen or near any other food sources.
The most common chemical silverfish exterminator is liquid pyrethrin. Spray it into the cracks around baseboards, doors and windows. This method will kill adult silverfish but won’t kill the eggs.

Be sure to target:

• Boxes and file cabinets
• Insulation
• Baseboards
• Behind appliances
• Cabinet tops
• Light fixtures
• Behind electrical outlets
• Behind siding and within walls
• Holes where water pipes enter walls

Spraying concentrated insecticides for Silverfish control:

Concentrated insecticides are the most common used products in fighting insect infestations. They provide the safety that any insect coming into contact with the treated surfaces dies shortly.

Residual insecticide can be applied to the area where silverfish are normally seen. Whether it’s through liquid sprays or through the application of dusts, the perimeter where silverfish are normally encountered should be immediately treated, at the first sign of infestation.
Baits can also be used to attract silverfish and other insects as well. They get attracted by the substances used, eat them, and they die. Baits are usually used together with traps, as they work best in this combination.

Sprayers used for Silverfish control:

The equipment needed for a professional Pest Control Operator depends on the type of pest the treatment is made against, and if the treated surface is indoors or outdoors. Sprayers help in applying products meant to reach difficult places, as well as guaranteeing an economic control of the treatment application.

Foggers for Silverfish control:

Cold foggers use cold spraying methods, which in most cases is using a high air pressure to spray out the fogging liquid into tiny particles. they are also known as ULV fogger, and as opposed to thermal foggers, they do not use heat to vaporize the fogging liquid.

Addressing a silverfish infestation quickly is the key to its efficient removal. These insects reproduce very fast and can become much more intrusive and much more of a nuisance than people believe. Although you may have to repeat many of these actions a couple of times, patience and persistence will pay off, and you will soon be rid of silverfish. Be sure to also employ the methods mentioned above, regarding how to prevent such infestation; otherwise, you run the risk of another population of silverfish simply waltzing in and replacing the one you have only just removed. For further details on how you can do this, you can apply the methods presented in our article describing ways in which to ‘Prevent infestation with Silverfish’.