Silverfish are known to damage books, silk, tapestries, and photos. The best way to prevent silverfish is to make your home unappealing to these chaotic pests. Read our guide below to learn how to keep silverfish out of your home.
Keep the Humidity Away
Silverfish love warm, humid climates. Inside the home, silverfish tend to congregate in humid areas like basements, attics, and bathrooms.
Use a powerful bathroom fan to regulate humidity in the bathroom. Have your bathroom fan on while you shower and keep it on for at least 10 minutes after your shower has ended.
Another optional step you can take is to use a dehumidifier in the basement or crawlspaces to keep humidity at bay in your home. A dehumidifier is a machine that removes excess moisture from the air of your home, creating an environment that is unappealing to silverfish. If you have had humidity problems in the home for years, investing in a dehumidifier may be a smart choice.
Keep It Air-Tight
Silverfish are attracted to sugars and starches and love to feed off natural fibers. One way to make silverfish bypass your home is to keep your dry food and unused clothing in air-tight containers. As silverfish like the dark, they naturally gravitate toward closets and pantries and will stay once they find a food source. Air-tight containers prevent silverfish from getting into your food or valuables.
Remove Old Boxes and Newspaper
Stacks of cardboard boxes and old newspapers provide ample food sources for silverfish. Recycle your old boxes and newspapers to prevent silverfish from coming into your home.
Treat the Outside of the Home
Silverfish typically enter the home through cracks and crevices from outside. Adding a barrier spray around the perimeter of your home will prevent silverfish and other pests like roaches and ants from entering the home.
To create a barrier treatment, mix an insecticide labeled for silverfish, such as Bifen IT, according to the product label. Use the ratio of product to water indicated on the label of the insecticide, and mix in a hand pump sprayer. Then, spray 3 feet up and 3 feet out around the perimeter of your home or structure. Be sure to also pay attention to areas where pests can enter your home, including:
- Around door and window frames
- Where plumbing pipes and electrical wires enter the home
- In the cracks and crevices of the foundation
Watch the video below to learn how to perform a barrier treatment.
Practice Integrated Pest Management
Integrated pest management, also known as general pest prevention, is a series of steps you can take to prevent the most common insects from entering your home, including silverfish. Steps to integrated pest management include:
- Keeping a 6-inch dry zone around the perimeter of your home, free of mulch or pine straw
- Trim branches and shrubs so that they do not touch your home
- Remove damp leaves and other debris around the foundation of your home
- Spray a general insecticide around the perimeter of your home
- Vacuum regularly to pick up food crumbs that might fall when you are cooking or eating
- Remove clutter inside to remove hiding and harboring places for pests
- Repair or replace broken vent covers
Read our general pest prevention guide and watch the video below for more information on how you can keep your home pest free.