Having 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 had a chance to try 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 that you may need to clean more often.

Like cockroaches, silverfish can last 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. Don’t forget 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:

1.  Remove unnecessary clutter such as boxes, paper stacks and laundry.
2. Keep clothes and fabric items stored away in wardrobes, drawers and closets, especially items that are not worn often. You can use mothballs as an effective silverfish deterrent in these areas.
3. Consider storing precious fabric items, or photos and books in tightly sealed bags and boxes.
4. Reducing the moisture in your home can also make it less inviting for silverfish. You can use dehumidifiers and fans and keep windows open.
5. Keep dry food, particularly those with a high sugar or starch content, tightly sealed in containers and stored in your pantry to reduce moisture.
6. Regularly inspect your home for entry points and hiding spots such as tiny cracks, crevices, gaps and holes. Seal them over with caulking.
7. Yard maintenance can also assist with reducing the number of hiding spots for silverfish outdoors. Clear away piles of vegetation, as well as decaying plants and wood.
8. Natural deterrents that give off an unpleasant smell to silverfish include cedar oil, which can be mixed with water in a spray bottle, as well as dried bay leaves, which can be scattered around your home.

With the ability to hide away and lay eggs, and a lifespan of around 6 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

Sprinkled in hard to reach areas, including wall cavities, gaps and crevices, control dust such as diatomaceous earth can deter silverfish from breeding and building nests in hard to reach places.

Fumigation

For widespread and severe outbreaks, fumigation may be necessary to destroy all nests. Our technicians are trained to take precautions and ensure that your family and pets are kept safe during this treatment.