How To Get Rid Of Silverfish

Do you find strange little holes in your books, pictures and cloth? Wondering what they are? Well the answer is that a very common house pest has been using your stuff to fill its stomach. You can also chance upon this tiny silvery horror scurrying away in the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and drawers which lie undisturbed, dark and damp. A supreme irritant amongst all, the tiny size and appetite for books and clothes make silverfish a very nasty pest. As with all the other pests, the silverfish also has some characteristics that make it very difficult to get rid of these nasty creatures. One is that they can be very stubborn and even if you win the initial battle of eradicating them, more of their ilk will return, if you still have not rectified the inviting conditions. The second is that silverfish rarely works alone. If you see one then rest assured that there are several others hiding from your gaze. So, merely squishing the one in sight will not solve the problem. You will have to take the battle to their source. That is why it is very important to find out the hiding place of the silverfish. Silverfish mostly thrives in moist place; so it would always be better to check out the areas in the house that are damp, while searching for the source. Some of the silverfish hotspots are piles of books and papers, places near sinks and bathrooms, attics, cracks and crevices and generally any area where the humidity is high. If you don’t want your books, pictures and clothes to be just memories, then you should take steps to eliminate the tiny pests. The tips on getting rid of silverfish will help you to do just that. Read below to know more.

Tips On Getting Rid Of Silverfish

You should start working on reducing the moisture level in all those areas of the house infested by silverfish. Also, keep those places free from clutter. Fix anything that leaks and fill all the crevices in the house. You can reduce the moisture by installing a humidifier in the house and filling the cracks using a silicone caulk.
Another way to reduce the humidity of the house is to deploy diatomaceous earth. You can also spread the diatomaceous earth in book shelves and attics and other areas that are infested by the silverfish.
Now you should remove the food source of the silverfish. Silverfish consumes anything that is starchy, so it can include the glue in book bindings to tapestries to synthetic fabrics. It would be better if you keep such things away and bring them once you have eliminated the pests.
If you find any small item like a book infested with silverfish, then seal the book in a plastic bag with some diatomaceous earth. Next keep the bag in the freezer for three days.
An excellent silverfish repellent is the cucumber peel. Using a knife, peel several cucumbers and place the peels in all the areas where the silverfish thrives. This will drive the silverfish away. You may have to put the peels for several days. Keep changing the peels once they dry out to effectively drive out the silverfish.
In cracks, crevices, inside walls and crawlspaces you can apply insecticides to eliminate silverfish.
Roach traps which are used to capture cockroaches can be used to trap silverfish as well. These special traps can be brought from any hardware stores. Buy this immediately if the pest problem is getting out of hand.
You can also build an effective trap. Take a glass jar and clean it properly. Cover the outside of the jar with the mask tape and place it in the area affected by silverfish. The silverfish will climb up the jar and fall inside, but it won’t be able to come out as there is no masking tape inside.

Silverfish is a pest that can totally destroy many types of household items. How to get rid of silverfish will help you to eradicate this menace.

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