How to deal with silverfish in an apartment: TOP 10 poisons and means why they are harmful to humans

The oldest and one of the most common insects, the silverfish, although it poses no danger to either humans or animals, remains an undesirable neighbor in the home. If you spot silverfish in your home, don't expect it to be a "one-time event."

Remedies for silverfish are discussed in the following chapters:

1. Powdered poisons
2. Demon Wp - Envelope
3. Safer Brand 5168 Diatomaceous Earth
4. Dekko Silverfish Packs
5. Boric Acid Roach & Ant Killer
6. Insecticidal sprays
7. Cozmic CS
8. CB-80 Contact Aerosol
9. Silverfish traps
10. Trapper Insect Trap
11. Trapper Max Glue
12. Detia

Of course, it can enter a room by accident (with purchases, in boxes, through open doors, ventilation shafts), but, possessing a high degree of vitality and fertility, the insect will quickly expand its “diaspora” and fill a house or apartment with its fellows.

What do insects look like and why do they start living in our apartments?

The silverfish is a wingless insect belonging to the Bristletail family. She is particularly nimble. The pest is active at night; when the lights are turned on, it tries to hide as quickly as possible.

The body is oblong, length ranges from 0.8 mm to 1.9 cm, depending on the stage of development. Color varies depending on the variety.

Silver silverfish, also called sugar silverfish, often live in apartments.

The width of the body near the head of the insect is wider than at the base of the tail. There are long whiskers on the body: 2 on the head and 3 on the end of the body. There are many legs along the body, which allows the pest to move quickly.

Insects prefer to settle in warm places with high air humidity.

You can meet them in the kitchen, bathroom, basement, library. They feed not only on food, but also on paper, book bindings, mold, wallpaper paste, old photographs, etc. They spoil food and things, leaving their excrement and scales everywhere.

A large number of such uninvited guests can lead the family archive to paper trash. You can notice traces of their presence by the characteristic perforations on the paper: when they eat it, they leave holes.

Where do silverfish come from in the house, how do they get into the apartment:

• from a travel bag (after visiting a hotel or other public place),
• with newly acquired items that were stored in a warehouse with high humidity,
• with books from the library,
• through ventilation shafts,
• with vegetables stored in the basement,
• through the cracks in the wall,
• with building materials,
• through cracks in the floor.

What is silverfish?

The body of the insect is flattened, tapering towards the end. The top is covered with silver scales. From them the insect, whose length is about 1 centimeter, got its name. 3 pairs of legs of the sugar silverfish are short, and the antennae and 3 threads growing in the tail are long. Unpleasant creatures are active at night. They move very quickly.

There is another type of insect - the domestic silverfish (thermobia). It differs from its sugar relative in grey-brown color. She likes high air temperatures (20 - 50 degrees), while the sugar silverfish prefers temperatures of 20 - 25 degrees. Therefore, thermobia often settle near boiler rooms, in steam tunnels, and in the kitchen. Both species live in the greenhouse and the bathroom, and their diet is the same.

In winter, the pest hibernates and can exist without food for up to 10 months. The insect's clutch contains 70 oval eggs. The larvae develop within 23–40 days.

Important: if you do not get rid of silverfish urgently, a colony of pests may form within a month.

Recommendations for disinfection in the apartment

It is recommended to react to the appearance of uninvited guests immediately, without expecting mass spread. Both chemicals and folk remedies are suitable for killing insects in a room/apartment.

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You need to start processing after following a number of recommendations:

1. It is first recommended to do a wet cleaning of the apartment , thoroughly wash all secluded places using cleaning liquids with the addition of chlorine. Wait until the treated surfaces dry.
2. Remove children and pets from the premises and cover the aquariums with film.
3. Prepare special clothing , a respirator and rubber gloves for your own safety.
4. Pack all products in airtight bags or seal them in jars.
5. Move all objects away from their intended habitats, clear out the corners.
6. Spray the poisonous agent in all corners and surfaces.
7. Close the windows and doors of the room for 1 hour.
8. After time has passed, ventilate.
9. Do not carry out wet cleaning for 1 week, then disinfect again.
10. After waiting a week after re-treatment , wash all surfaces again and place objects in their places.

What to do after disinfection

The house should be closed for 60 - 120 minutes. Then ventilate for an hour. It is advisable not to perform wet cleaning for 1 – 2 weeks; and the surfaces you come into contact with must be wiped immediately. Clothes splashed with insecticide are washed.

Treatment of 1 room apartment

Means and methods to get rid of silverfish

To combat the pest you need to use different means. When carrying out disinfection, the poisonous liquid must be alternated, since pests get used to its action.

It is preferable to use folk remedies when the number of pests is small, and chemical preparations are recommended to be used when there is a massive accumulation of insects.

With the help of alum

To prepare the solution you will need to boil 100 ml of water. Dissolve 100 g of alum in the resulting liquid. Stir the resulting mixture until smooth.

Pour the liquid into a spray bottle and use to disinfect the room. For complete destruction, treatment should be repeated at least 2-3 times.

Using boric acid

Preparation of the product:

1. Combine boric acid with chalk in a ratio of 1:4.
2. Mix the ingredients until smooth.

Sprinkle the resulting powder generously in all corners and in places where pests are concentrated. After a week, remove the mixture along with the remains of insects.

Then re-pour the powder into all corners of the room, not forgetting the most secluded places. This will help destroy the hatched larvae from the oviposition. After 7 days, completely collect the product and carry out general cleaning using chlorine-based cleaning liquids.

Baking soda, red pepper, tobacco

To prepare this solution you will need to take 3 g of each component. Pour the mixture into 1 liter of warm water. Stir the solution and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. After the time has passed, strain the liquid and pour it into the sprayer.

Spray an even layer of the solution into suspected pest habitats. Leave for 8 hours. Afterwards, do a wet cleaning and dry the room.

Spices

You can cope with a small accumulation of pests with the help of spices. An effective combination is a mixture of cinnamon and cloves.

The mixture should be sprinkled in all corners, in the bathtub, in cabinets and on shelves. This will help repel insects and force them to leave the room.

On a note! Bay leaves, sage and garlic have a similar effect.

Cedar shavings

The smell of fresh cedar wood has a depressing effect on the pest. By scattering shavings, you can force him to leave his home.

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The wood should be changed regularly as it dries, so that the smell is constantly present in the apartment for 2 weeks.

Features of the insect

The insect's ancestors lived on earth several hundred million years ago. This is one of the most ancient species. Here are the basic details about it.

• Nutrition. The insect loves starch and sugar, which is why it is also called “sugar insect”. It feeds on everything it can find under wallpaper, in book bindings, and on clothes. Pests are not indifferent to food residues, glue, paper, and synthetic fabrics. Despite the fact that they eat a lot, they can go without food for up to ten months. This makes extermination much more difficult.
• Reproduction. The female is capable of laying from two to 20 eggs per day. After three months they are already adults and also breed.
• Penetration. Since the pest is small in size, it easily enters residential areas. It penetrates through ventilation holes, cracks in floor coverings, and door cracks. Sometimes the owners themselves bring uninvited guests with purchases or in boxes that they took from the warehouse.
• Habitat. The main reason for the appearance of insects is the presence of high levels of humidity and dampness in the house. It is in such conditions that they reproduce and live. They can be found in places where direct sunlight does not reach. They like to be under the bathtub, sink, pipeline, on window sills near flowerpots, under baseboards. Favorite places are bookshelves, wall voids, and insulation materials.

Signs of pests include damaged books, indoor crops, food, wallpaper. They also leave behind excrement that looks like black peppercorns. Waste products are quite difficult to notice, but they can periodically appear in places where flour, starch, and sugar are located. Females can lay eggs here. Insects also leave them on kitchen surfaces and dishes.

A relatively positive quality of the insect is that it does not bite. Therefore, it is safe for people and pets. It is also not a carrier of infections and diseases. It only harms food, books, wallpaper, and fabrics.

Rating of the best remedies for silverfish based on reviews from Internet users

Often, various chemical insecticide solutions are used to quickly eliminate insects. Their effectiveness is confirmed by numerous positive reviews found on the Internet.

"Karbofos"

This poisonous component is designed to quickly destroy a large number of insects that can appear in a person’s home. It has a long shelf life, can be combined with many other types of insecticides, and is affordable.

"Karbofos" has a pungent odor and is not recommended for use in rooms where children and pets are present.

With regular use, insects develop tolerance to its action; you need to alternate it with other components. Aerosol "Karbofos" should be sprayed evenly on the surface and left for 2 days. After time, wash everything off using a cleaning liquid containing chlorine.

"Raptor"

This drug is also effective in combating silverfish. The gel should be spread along cracks, crevices and ventilation hatches.

Treat pieces of cardboard with the product and place them on the floor and in secluded places. After 7 days, repeat the treatment. Do not use the product in rooms where small children and pets are present.

Liquid pyrethrin

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This solution is also effective for killing silverfish in residential areas. To do this, spray the liquid in places of mass accumulation and near cracks and crevices in the floor.

To consolidate the effect, it is recommended to repeat disinfection after 7 days. The use of liquid pyrethrin in areas where children and pets are present is also prohibited.

How to poison with mothballs

You can also get rid of the pest using naphthalene . To do this, you need to place the sachets with the product in the suspected habitats.

However, naphthalene has a specific odor, which not only eats into clothes and upholstered furniture, but is also toxic to humans.

"Diatonite"

Diatomaceous earth is a dry mixture of the shells of single-celled organisms combined with siliceous diatoms.

This is a substance whose structure consists of many small and sharp particles. Silverfish, running through this mixture, die, because the grains dig into their body. The product significantly reduces their numbers.

It is recommended to sprinkle “Diatonite” generously on the floor in an even layer and leave overnight. The procedure should be carried out wearing a mask so that when spraying particles do not enter the respiratory system.

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In the morning, sweep away the powder or vacuum it along with the remains of insects. The substance is safe for humans and pets; it does not emit any toxic fumes.

Reasons for appearance

Silverfish are very mobile and can instantly disappear from view, hiding in any crevice
. Problems directly related to household insects appearing in a city apartment are not spontaneous or accidental. Most often, insects choose for their habitat premises in which there is a comfortable microclimate for living or in which basic sanitary and hygienic requirements are violated.

In the case of silverfish, the main factor that provokes their appearance in an apartment is an increased level of air humidity and an abundance of damp and dark places. As a rule, the insect enters the living space through the ventilation system and quickly makes its home in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen.

Sometimes the appearance of representatives of the bristletail order is facilitated by the presence in the apartment of old window frames, which become damp in the off-season and have a large number of cracks.

If silverfish are infested in clothes and bookcases

In this case, it is recommended to use homemade traps to help catch insects.

You can use any of the following options:

1. Wrap the outside of the glass jar with electrical tape. Place bait in the form of sugar or starch at the bottom. Place the container in a closet, shelf or other place and leave overnight. The pest will smell it and will rise up and fall into the trap, and will not be able to get back out along the internal slippery wall.
2. Roll up the newspaper into a loose roll. Place rubber bands on both sides to prevent the paper from unrolling. Lightly moisten it with water. Lay oilcloth on the cabinet shelf and place a folded roll of newspaper on top. Leave the trap overnight. In the morning, take the roll outside and burn it.

To prevent uninvited guests from re-occupying your closet, you should use repellent seasonings:

• cloves,
• sage,
• laurel leaves,
• cinnamon.

Cabinet doors should be left open periodically to reduce humidity . Clothes should always be dried and ironed. Books should also be shaken periodically and dust removed from them.

These simple recommendations will help you get rid of silverfish in your closet, chest of drawers and bookshelves.

Possible harm

If the owners of an apartment with silverfish can be absolutely calm regarding the spread of various pathogens or infections, as well as bites - the insect is safe in this regard, then other problems associated with such a neighborhood are provided to the residents of the house:

• representatives of the bristletail order eat documents and books with enormous appetite, which provokes the appearance of fungal lesions and unattractive yellow and black spots on the pages;
• the excrement of these insects can be found almost everywhere, including kitchen counters, dishes and food;
• Thanks to active reproduction, the number of indoor pests grows at an incredible speed, which quickly causes a full-scale invasion.

Silverfish can ruin a library, wardrobe, wallpaper, leaving small holes on them that resemble perforations.
Silverfish can eat garbage waste and indoor flowers, so they can cause disease or death of ornamental vegetation.

What home methods are ineffective, what to do

The most ineffective method of control is the use of orange peel and fresh cucumbers.

These components can produce a short-term repellent effect while their smell spreads, so they need to be changed regularly, which is inconvenient.

An ambiguous method of control is also exposure to cold.

At an air temperature of -10 ˚C, adults and their larvae die, but to create these conditions in a room, you need to open the windows and balcony door wide in severe frost and wait for 1-2 hours, which is not acceptable. Such a rash decision can cause deformation of the heating pipes.

It is better to use proven insecticides, traps and folk remedies. It is worth finding a source of high humidity. By eliminating it, you can ensure that the insects themselves leave the room without the use of various drugs.

Chemical poisoning

Homemade poison is often used, which is used to get rid of other insects:

• Boric acid - you can scatter it around the perimeter or make a bait by rolling a ball from three tablespoons of acid, chicken yolk and a piece of wet paper. Poisoned balls are placed in dark and damp corners.
• Diatomite is a mineral rock, the use of which is safe for people and domestic animals, but has a detrimental effect on arthropods. They cannot avoid contact or develop immunity to it.
• Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide that acts on a wide range of parasites; it is a dangerous poison for them, as it affects the nervous system of the individual.
• Cypermethrin helps to effectively get rid of many pests, including sugarfish in the bathroom. It kills adult insects, but is useless for eggs covered with a dense chitinous shell.

How to effectively remove silverfish

Many modern and long-known methods can either save you from the invasion of parasites or turn out to be useless. Drugs that are harmless to humans and their pets have long lost their effect on the body of parasites, since they mutate over time and develop resistance. Toxic compounds that kill the entire colony along with their offspring can harm household members, domestic cats and dogs. Some methods are not always feasible (for example, freezing or abundant spraying of odorous substances).

Self-administration of drugs can end disastrously if you do not follow safety precautions, and as a result, parasites will still remain in the room. Before you begin pest control, you need to evaluate all the factors. Perhaps turning to professionals will be the most effective, fastest and safest solution.