Silverfish is a tiny bug which is also known as Lepismasaccharina. These bugs are mainly carrot-shaped, wingless, and brownish in color and have silver scales on their body. They can also be identified by their teardrop shape. Their growth from eggs to full grown adult generally has no visible change. Though silverfish bite is not harmful, they are pretty annoying and very hard to get rid of once your house has been infested with them. Though harmless, they are definitely not pleasant to have around yourself.
After cockroaches, silverfish might be the worst creatures you and your house can be cursed with. These bugs can generally be identified by their upraised and long bristles at the end of their body. The silverfish is not harmful but they are super creepy and can be the cause of an unhygienic and unsanitary environment in your house. They can surprisingly live for a year without food.
Nature of silverfish
These little scurry buggers generally prefer humid, cool and dark places. They move very quickly; it almost looks like they are slithering. They can be seen in places with moisture, such as underground store, lofts, laundry rooms, bathroom, and even kitchen. Though they don’t transmit any disease, they are not really pleasurable having them roaming around your house or jumping out from under a wet towel. They are not known to cause any kind of extensive and widespread damage to you house. They generally thrive in crevices and cracks that humans can’t normally access and hence they are difficult to identify.
Habits of silverfish
Silverfishes generally eat food items like cereals, flour, vegetables and sugar. They also feed on things made from paper, shampoo, cellulose, clothes, cardboard boxes, wallboard and wallpaper. They sometimes also feed on starchy resources, dead cells and books.
Reproduction
These bugs reproduce very quickly which might be one of the reasons why they are difficult to eradicate once your house is infested by them. The female silverfishes can lay up to twenty eggs a day. The number varied from species to species. The reason why they thrive in humid places is because the eggs mature in the presence of moisture. The silverfish eggs are super small; they are barely visible to the naked human eye, making them quite difficult to spot.
Identifying a silverfish infestation
There are several home remedies that you can try to get rid of a silverfish infestation from your house. But first, you need to identify the kind of silverfish you are infested with. These silverfish bugs are very secretive, hence it is generally difficult to identify their infestation. There is also a possibility of their infestation going unnoticed for a long period of time. They generally shy away from dry and light spaces. Spotting one silverfish in your bathroom or a sink might be a sign of an infestation. They tend to build their nests next to any food supply suitable to them. These bugs reproduce very quickly, hence by the time the infestation is identified, they could have grown exponentially, making it all the more difficult to get rid of them.
Home remedies to get rid of silverfish naturally
There are several ways to control of these bugs:
1. Boric acid
Boric acid is known to kill insects and bugs by starving them. This is a poisonous mineral that is available naturally. By using boric acid, you can drive these little buggers out of your home. All you need to do is identify the places where the infestation has taken place and sprinkle some boric acid in those places. Once these pests eat it, they will take it back to their colony and then will die. Be cautious if you have kids and pets in your house. In that case, make a diluted concoction of boric acid and water and then spray it on the infested places. Try not to inhale boric acid as it is harmful for lungs. Boric acid is an inexpensive, simple and readily available household cleaner that can help remove you of all pests. Boric acid will not only kill the silverfishes, they will help kill their eggs as well, preventing any further infestation.
2. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is mainly used to kill the silverfishes by making them thirst. They die of dehydration. This substance is used to kill all kinds of creepy crawly insects. Ground up and fossilised material is used to make this substance. This fossilised material is generally the remains of one class of algae called diatoms. The individual grains of Diatomaceous Earth has sharp edges which is generally the reason for the death of these pests. Fortunately, Diatomaceous Earth doesn’t let any harm occur to humans and their pets.
How to use Diatomaceous Earth to kill silverfish:
Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth in the places where you know the infestation is or might be, like along baseboards, beneath the bathtub, crevices and cracks of cabinets, in your sink and gutter etc. Do this before you go to bed. The next morning, vacuum the places where you sprinkled this substance and with the dead silverfishes will be caught, which you can then throw out. Make sure to not inhale this substance as it can affect your lungs. Wear a mask while carrying out this activity. Repeat this activity for many nights in a row for it to work effectively.
3. Cedar shavings
Cedar oil is most commonly used as an insecticide. Cedar shavings generally smell real nice. You will love having that fragrance around in your home. But silverfishes are extremely repelled by their smell, which is a win-win situation for you. You can use the cedar shavings and keep them on the silverfish infested places. Cedar shavings are known to make a mess as any wood shaving would do; it is wise to use them in areas where you don’t mind it getting a bit messy like the basement, or outdoor areas. You need to vacuum these cedar shavings every week and replace them. Another method that you can go for is to mix cedar oil with water and spraying this mix onto the silverfish infested cracks and crevices or the places where these pests frequent, in order to keep them away forever.
4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is known for its gentle and pleasing fragrance. But fortunately these irritating little pests cannot tolerate their smell, and thus keeps them at bay. One method is to put cinnamon sticks in the infested areas such as study room, bathroom, kitchen cabinets, drawers etc. You can also opt to make sachets of cinnamon and put them in these places. Cinnamon also works as cedar shavings and help keep this fish moths at bay with their smell. Once these critters realise the presence of cinnamon, they will leave you and your house alone.
5. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits act as a very excellent and effective home remedy for silverfish. These nocturnal pests get repelled by citrus fruits. You can use orange and lemon peels to keep them at bay. Keep the fruit peels in the places which you think are infested and this will drive these pests away from your house. You need to remember to keep changing the fruit peels after some time. Alternatively, you can also make a mix by mixing lemon juice with water, pour the mix on a spray bottle, shake it properly and spray it aggressively on the infested areas. You can spray it in your bathroom, in your sink and gutters and cracks and crevices where there might be a possibility of silverfish infestation.
6. Naphthalene balls
Naphthalene balls have been in use since forever. This is the most common tactic to drive away bugs and pests and stop them from ruining your clothes. Why are naphthalene balls said to be such good bug repellent? The answer to this is that their smell is intolerable to the bugs and pests and hence repels them away. You can place them in your bookstore, closet, wardrobe and even packing bags and suitcases. Once they take in the pungent smell of these naphthalene balls, they die. You can also opt to place 3-4 naphthalene balls in dark humid areas where these bugs normally infest like sinks and cracks on the baseboard.
7. Cucumber peelings
Cucumber peelings are one of the best ways to remove of silverfish. They work in the same way as cedar shavings and cinnamon does. These help in stopping these bugs from entering your house and making it their home. Cucumber smell is hated and not tolerated by these pests. All you need to do is peel the cucumber and place the peels on the places where they might usually enter your house from. Or you can simply place these peels in the places where you generally spot them, like the kitchen cabinets, basement and bathroom. Do remember to keep replacing the peels till the time you have gotten rid of the silverfish infestation permanently.
8. Cloves
Cloves are known to contain Eugenol which is widely used as an insecticide to get rid of bugs and household pests such as silverfish. They work in the same way as cedar shavings, cucumber peelings, citrus fruits and naphthalene balls. You can get rid of these pests naturally by using a whole clove. It is very easy to use this remedy. All that you have to do is place one whole clove in the places which are usually infested such as floorboard cracks and crevices, dark and damp places, holes and gutters etc. The smell of the clove will repel these pests and they will scurry away from your house and will never dare to come back.
9. Table salt
This is another very easily available home remedy that you can use to get rid of silverfish naturally. It has a very simple way of working. The silverfish bugs usually are unable to resist the salt and gradually they die of dehydration. It might take a while to kill these bugs with this home remedy but it is known to be very effective in doing so. Salt is a punitive substance and it reacts when these bugs consume it. All you need to do is sprinkle some salt on these pests and watch them die. You can also sprinkle salt in your bathroom sink and other areas with moisture and humid and keep them away from those places. You can also use Epsom salt instead of table salt.
10. Mixture of water and flour
Mix flour and water in a bowl. Make a thick paste. Take some cards and coat both sides of the card with this paste, and then keep it to dry. Once it has completely dried, place this card on the places where the bugs are normally seen wandering or if you have identified their habitat then place it there. You can place these cards near pipes or cracks. Keep repeating this remedy until you have completely gotten rid of them.