They live up to 6 years, thrive in tough environments, and have an appetite for many household items. Silverfish feed on everything from pantry staples such as grains and cereals to paper, fabric, and furniture, making your home or business the perfect haven for them to feed and breed.
Avoid falling victim to a silverfish outbreak by following our tips and tricks in this Hivemind article on silverfish control.
What questions will this article answer?
What is a silverfish?
Known for their fish-like scales, silverfish are segmented insects that grow 2-18mm in length, have antennae flat in shape with a wider head and tapered rear, and while they are often silver in colour, they can also be bronze, gold or even brown. They are usually covered in fine hairs, and have weak jaws, but strong chewing teeth.
Silverfish have long lifespans and can live for up to 6 years, with females laying up to 60 eggs at a time.
Why are there silverfish in my house?
With a reputation for surviving in tough environments, silverfish are clever at seeking discreet places to shelter and breed. Your home or business can offer them the perfect opportunity to thrive if you let them!
They are attracted to moist and humid environments, such as your kitchen, bathroom, laundry, basement, roof void, cupboards, around soft furnishings, inside windows and door frames, and behind skirting boards. You can also find them around pipes and drains.
Silverfish have an appetite for sugary, starchy or polysaccharide-rich products, so they have plenty of food sources in your home. From pantry staples such as dried grains, rice, pasta and cereals to natural or synthetic fabrics such as wool, cotton, silk and rayon, silverfish can quickly scavenge for food.
They will also eat paper-based items such as photographs and books, as well as timber and plaster. You might even notice them chewing at wood-based musical instruments and piano felt. It’s vital to know silverfish control tips and silverfish treatment methods.
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Problems caused by silverfish
A few silverfish here and there won’t usually cause too many issues. However, if this progresses to a full-blown outbreak, you may experience the following problems in your home or business:
Food contamination
Attracted to sugary and starchy food, silverfish can help themselves to your pantry items before you’ve tried them yourself.
Damage to your belongings
With an appetite for paper-based items and fabrics, silverfish can destroy household items such as books, photographs, artwork, clothing, furniture, curtains and other precious items.
Allergy/asthma triggers
Some people may develop health problems after encountering silverfish droppings and moulted outer skins.
Trouble controlling outbreaks
Given their small size, silverfish can avoid treatment by hiding and laying eggs in hard-to-reach places such as tiny holes, gaps, cracks and crevices
Messy droppings and skins
Having silverfish droppings and moulted skins scattered around your home and business means you may need to clean more often.
Signs of a silverfish outbreak
Here are some ways to tell if you have a silverfish infestation on your hands:
You notice more silverfish
Particularly at night, as they are nocturnal.
Your belongings are damaged
Although they have weak jaws, silverfish can still chew through food sources layer by layer. If you notice tears and holes in clothes, furniture and paper-based products, you could have a silverfish outbreak on your hands.
You spot droppings
Silverfish leave behind round, dark droppings that resemble peppercorns.
Shedded skins are lying around
Like many insects, silverfish grow and moult their outer skin casing throughout their lives. Look for discarded skins accumulating around your home. Often, these can break down into yellowish-coloured flakes or dust.
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How to prevent a silverfish infestation
Like cockroaches, silverfish can survive for a long time without food and can be hard to remove once their colony is established.
We recommend keeping your house clean and tidy to remove eggs and traces of starch particles that attract silverfish. Remember to dust, vacuum, sweep, and mop underneath furniture and heavy appliances, and include less frequented areas such as storage rooms. Consider steam cleaning furniture where possible.
Here are eight more tips to prevent silverfish:
- Remove unnecessary clutter such as boxes, paper stacks and laundry.
- Keep clothes and fabric items, especially those not worn often, stored away in wardrobes, drawers, and closets. Mothballs are an effective silverfish deterrent in these areas.
- Consider storing precious fabric items, photos, and books in tightly sealed bags and boxes.
- Reducing the moisture in your home can also make it less inviting for silverfish. You can use dehumidifiers and fans in damp areas and keep windows open.
- Dry foods, particularly those with a high sugar or starch content, should be stored in your pantry and tightly sealed in containers to reduce moisture.
- Regularly inspect your home for entry points, roof voids and other hiding spots. Silverfish hide in tiny cracks, crevices, gaps, and holes, which you should seal with caulking. Remember, their natural habitat is in soil and under stones in the garden.
- Yard maintenance can also help reduce the number of hiding spots for silverfish outdoors. Clear away piles of vegetation, decaying plants, and wood.
- Natural deterrents that give off an unpleasant smell to these wingless insects include cedar oil, which can be mixed with water in a spray bottle, and dried bay leaves, which can be scattered around your home.
Known for their destructive feeding habits, adult silverfish can cause a severe problem in large numbers, damaging household items such as books, photographs, or paintings
DIY silverfish removal
You can purchase indoor and outdoor pesticide sprays from hardware stores and apply these to all affected areas. This includes window sills, door frames, air vents, inside cupboards, behind and underneath furniture, fixtures and appliances. Don’t forget the air vents and gutters outside. Pay attention to tiny gaps, holes, cracks and crevices.
Adhesive silverfish traps, also available from hardware stores, can be helpful in areas of concern.
For suitable fabrics, washing in hot water and using the hottest setting in the dryer can help destroy silverfish and their eggs. Freezing delicate textiles and paper-based items in tightly sealed plastic bags will also manage silverfish.
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Professional silverfish prevention
With the ability to hide away and lay eggs, and a lifespan of around six years, silverfish can be tricky to manage. If needed, we offer ongoing pest control to ensure that your home or business stays silverfish-free for the long term.
Our technicians will always begin by conducting a thorough inspection to identify possible entry points and nesting areas.
For a targeted approach to resolve any outbreaks, Allstate uses a combination of the following proven treatment methods:
Pesticide sprays
Applied to affected areas, aerosol sprays can control silverfish outbreaks quickly.
Silverfish control dust
Control dust, such as diatomaceous earth, sprinkled in hard-to-reach areas, including wall cavities, gaps, and crevices, can deter silverfish from breeding and building nests there.
Fumigation
Fumigation may be necessary to destroy all nests during widespread and severe outbreaks. Our technicians are trained to take precautions and ensure the safety of your family and pets during this treatment.
Choose Allstate for fast and reliable silverfish removal
Seeing silverfish crawling around and damaging your belongings can be stressful and frustrating, but thankfully it’s possible to manage them fast with help from professional pest control.
At Allstate, our technicians are highly trained in silverfish behaviour and fully equipped to tackle outbreaks of all sizes in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. With 24/7 availability for urgent callouts to all suburbs of Adelaide, we’ve had experience preventing silverfish infestations for over 35 years.
We take all precautions in pest control for silverfish to keep you and your family safe with indoor treatments. We only use non-toxic products that are safe for children, pets, and the environment.
All our silverfish control services are backed by competitive warranties and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You can also use our payment plans to remove any silverfish problems around your home or business as quickly as possible.