How To Get Rid of Silverfish

Silverfish are tiny wingless insects that can inhabit dark, warm and moist areas of your home.

They are so-called because of their shiny, metallic coloring and because the way they crawl resembles the pattern of a swimming fish.

They are also called carpet sharks, fishmoths and paramites and their correct scientific name is Lepisma saccharina.

If you’ve turned on the light in your bathroom, basement or loft and seen a group of small shiny insects running for the shadows, then you probably have a silverfish infestation and are looing for advice about how to get rid of them.

But before I go into details of how to exterminate them, let’s take a little look at why these little bugs are considered pests.

Why should we get rid of silverfish?

Although they are not known to carry any disease, having a silverfish infestation can be quite scary, especially for those that have a phobia of insects.

Their diet consists mainly of carbohydrates, which means they will eat just about anything made from paper or fabric. This includes clothing, bedding, books, newspapers and cardboard boxes. They will also nibble at wallpaper and even the paste that is used to stick it to the wall.

So, if you start noticing holes in your clothes or damaged books, chances are silverfish have been eating them – in fact, they probably gained the nickname fishmoths because they leave holes in stuff similar to the damage caused by a moth.

Fortunately, because of their small size, they won’t totally destroy everything they touch but the defilement will be noticeable.

How to get rid of silverfish

The best way of getting rid of silverfish is to use your vacuum cleaner to suck up as many as you can (don’t forget to dispose of the bag immediately afterwards) and then use an aerosol insecticide to get into all the cracks and crevices that they may be hiding in.

Having silverfish inside your home often indicates that there may be a problem with dampness in the areas that the silverfish have inhabited – this is why silverfish are often spotted in bathrooms and basements (because humidity levels are usually higher in these rooms).

Reducing the moisture in these rooms by:

Fixing any broken plumbing

Providing adequate ventilation

Getting rid of rising damp and/or standing water

will help keep silverfish away. If it is difficult to ventilate a particular room adequately then you could consider purchasing a dehumidifier to reduce the water in the air.

Cleaning the walls and floors regularly is also a useful way of making your home less hospitable to silverfish and other pests.