If you keep having silverfish appear inside your home, it can lead you to wonder why they’re so hard to kill. But the problem isn’t that silverfish are impervious to your attempts to kill them. It is actually quite easy to kill silverfish. The problem is that you haven’t done what is necessary to stop your infestation. Here are a few reasons why.
1. Your Treatment Isn’t Going Deep Enough.
Have you sprayed the area you saw silverfish? Sprays are topical. They kill silverfish that pass through the area, but they don’t work their way into where those silverfish are hiding. This isn’t enough to stop your infestation. You’re just going to kill a few of those bugs with interior topical sprays.
2. Your Traps Are Only Getting Some Of Them.
Have you laid traps down to capture silverfish? There are many traps out there that catch silverfish. But they don’t get them all. These insects are inside your walls and other voids. They’ll continue to reproduce, and you’ll continue to see silverfish. Traps just aren’t enough to arrest an infestation on their own.
3. Your Natural Products Aren’t Working The Way You Think.
There are many natural things you can lay down to deter silverfish or try to eliminate them. Folks use mothballs, lavender oil, vinegar, diatomaceous earth, spices, cucumbers and more. These are time-consuming, messy, and ultimately not very effective.
4. Your Home Still Has What Silverfish Want
Silverfish stay inside homes because there are areas of high humidity and an abundance of food sources. You can reduce humidity by installing fans and dehumidifiers, and by making sure to turn on the bathroom fan after a shower or bath. But you’re not likely to remove all the silverfish food sources from your home. Silverfish eat a surprising variety of things, from hair and skin cells to wallpaper and clothing. They also feed on some of your pantry foods.
5. Your Home Has Entry Points
If you don’t seal your exterior walls, you’ll keep having silverfish problems. This is often the main reason people continue to have trouble with silverfish. Do an inspection of your exterior and use a caulking gun to seal any gaps, cracks, and holes you find. Check to make sure your door sweeps, weatherstripping, and screens are all in good working condition. Seal cracks in your foundation wall with a foundation repair kit. Fill in gaps around pipes with expanding foam.
6. You Have Too Many Silverfish Near Your Home
Even if you have an exterior that looks completely sealed, silverfish can find a way in. The more silverfish you have near your foundation walls, the more chances they will have of accidentally finding an entry point you can’t see. You can reduce silverfish by reducing conditions that promote moisture.
- Rake leaves away from your exterior. Definitely get leaves that are piled under your deck or porch.
- Clean out or repair gutters so that rainwater is able to flow down and away from your home.
- Keep your landscaping trimmed to provide good airflow.
- Consider creating a 1-foot, treatable dry zone near your foundation wall. This serves two purposes.
Detecting Silverfish
Once you’ve done the above, it can be hard to tell if you’ve successfully gotten rid of silverfish. You’ll have to wait until they appear again to know that you haven’t. One of the benefits of hiring a licensed pest management professional is that a professional uses field-tested strategies and monitoring techniques to fully eliminate silverfish and ensure that the problem has been completely corrected.
For assistance in Montgomery, Oklahoma, reach out to Montgomery Exterminating. Our licensed pest professionals know what is required to get rid of silverfish, and more than 20 other common household pests. Reach out to us. We can help.
