Have you seen silverfish lurking in your wardrobes lately? You may have a Silverfish Infestation.
Have you noticed damage to paper or lightweight fabrics and other posessions in your home?
No matter how harmless silverfishes are to humans, having that sort of infestation can be very damaging to your personal effects. While some pests are commonly found anywhere where their food source can be found, silverfish usually thrive in spaces that are humid and moist. They commonly frequent areas such as attics, bathrooms, and basements where their living conditions are nurtured. These pests usually stay away from sight and so do the damage they cause. So what can you do to prevent them from damaging your property?
Lower humidity
Silverfish will always look towards going to areas that are moist and humid. Because these conditions are favorable to them, it’s up to the property owner to make sure that these conditions are not met. To do this, you may use a dehumidifier in areas such as the bathroom, damp basements, and anywhere that has leaky pipes such as tin he laundry. Keeping the window open to keep the space well-ventilated is also a good option if dehumidifiers are not readily available.
Fix moisture issues
Moisture is another aspect that can make your property an attractive prospect for silverfish. So controlling the moisture is key, you want to keep the air as dry as possible. This includes wet leaves, damp bathroom tiles, leaky pipes, and other aspects subject to moisture. For silverfish infestation in bathrooms, another effective trick is to install an exhaust fan that can help dry out any moisture that’s in the air, walls, and floor or your bathroom.
Seal cracks and crevices
Silverfish are very small, so it can be tricky to get rid of them when they’re so fast and can fit in any small crack or opening on the walls and ceilings. To make matters worse, the condition of humidity and moisture may be so favorable to them that they might reproduce and lay eggs of baby silverfish inside those cracks as well. So because these silverfish are quite shy when it comes to humans or pets, you can easily seal any cracks or crevices that they might be crawling and hiding into. Seal any cracks as soon as you can.
Keep floor areas clean by vacuuming regularly
Silverfish are easier to remove when you make conditions unlivable and their entrance and exit routes unpassable. You also need to keep your house tidy so they won’t find sustenance to live on. After all, pests don’t stay in areas where food is scarce. Do this by vacuuming regularly to make sure that food crumbs are not settled in areas where they might pass through. You might even suck up any silverfish eggs without knowing it!
Remove used dry papers and cardboard materials from your property
While silverfish also thrive on food crumbs, their main source of sustenance are paper products such as wallpapers, letters from the mail, and old cardboard boxes lying around areas that suit their favored conditions of humidity and moisture. While it might be difficult for you to get rid of important paperwork, storing them well can make a big difference. Make your storage areas airtight and unreachable. If you’re willing to take the extra step, you may even scan your important documents instead so you won’t have any paperwork lying around for them to feed on. It also makes complete sense to throw out boxes whether they’re damp or not. Keep the contents of those boxes in special sturdy plastic tubs instead.
Seek help for a silverfish infestation
Specialists know silverfish from the tips of their heads to the antenna-like structures on their tail. So ,while it’s easy for anyone to say that silverfish infestations are preventable, some infestations might be too difficult for non-professionals to handle. If you’ve tried everything and these pests can seem to go away, then it’s probably time to give professional exterminators a call to get rid of silverfish before they get rid of your important paper items and documents completely.
Do you have a silverfish infestation that’s causing you trouble? Good thing there’s always a silver lining! Contact Picton Pest Control today and let our professional pest control experts do the inspections and long-term silverfish treatments for you!