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

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.

Preventive measures against the appearance of silverfish

• Silverfish will not settle in the bathroom if the room is constantly ventilated and ventilated, and any puddles that form on the floor are wiped off immediately.
• Old pipes become covered with condensation, and with poor ventilation, puddles form - an excellent place for insects to gather.
• Get rid of old papers and waste paper.

Book lovers! Thoroughly ventilate the room more often and monitor its microclimate, avoiding an increase in humidity.

• Seal any cracks where insects may hide. If mold appears, it should be dried and removed immediately. Read more about microwave drying of walls.
• Store food products in hermetically sealed jars, boxes, and containers.

Preventive measures for wood lice include keeping the bathroom clean and dry at all times. After taking a bath or shower, wipe the floors and walls dry, condensation accumulates there, which, together with dust, is an ideal habitat for silverfish.

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.

How dangerous is silverfish for humans?

It's hard to believe, but the pest does not pose any danger to humans. It does not bite and does not carry dangerous infections. Therefore, some people do not wonder how to get rid of it as effectively and quickly as possible. However, despite the fact that silverfish seem quite harmless, they can cause significant damage to property. In addition, the appearance of these individuals is quite unpleasant. Therefore, having seen such unpleasant neighbors, it is better not to let the situation take its course, but to take measures to destroy them.

In the kitchen, they can spoil food, leaving residues of their vital activity - skins after molting and excrement - in cereals, flour and sugar. Eating such foods is not only unpleasant and unhygienic, but also dangerous to health. The waste products of the pest in large quantities can cause allergies or poisoning.

The feeding habits of silverfish, namely their love for polysaccharides and starch-containing products, lead to the fact that interior items or wallpaper can become a source of nutrition for small insects, as a result of which they leave traces of their presence in household items - holes in things, excrement, and sometimes lay eggs .

Books, magazines, photographs, and sometimes paintings are also attacked by silverfish. Rare or collectible photographs, books, or art may be damaged. Therefore, in archives or museums where the level of humidity in the room is disturbed, silverfish are one of the most hated enemies.

Linen or things made of starched fabric can also attract unwanted guests, because there is so much tasty and satisfying food here.

Silverfish also appear in warehouses - grocery, construction, industrial, but they will not be able to damage a large number of things in the warehouse, but such warehouses can become a source of infection of houses and apartments.

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.

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.

Methods for destroying silverfish

Professional sanitization is an effective remedy for silverfish. The Dezbalt company has a whole range of modern insecticides and an impressive arsenal of special equipment, and therefore can offer its customers several methods of destroying silverfish, from local to total. Each method has its own advantages and is chosen by the master for reasons of expediency, which are dictated by the location, size of the room and the number of insects in a given area.

Classic irrigation method

– This is a local treatment of the room with the possibility of highly targeted spraying of the drug. The insecticide is in a liquid state. The advantage of this method is that it is the most delicate treatment, allowing the master to pause the spraying or redirect it at any time. The downside is that with such a narrowly targeted action, there may be places where insects, their eggs or nests can hide and survive.

Hot fog

– one of the latest innovations in the field of pest control. It works guaranteed and reliably in any cases and premises. The insecticide is in a gaseous state, and there are no barriers for it - it easily penetrates into the smallest cracks and pores of walls, furniture and all interior items. You don’t have to look for places where silverfish and their carefully hidden eggs are hidden - the fog will find them itself! This is an undeniable advantage of this method. The downside is that absolutely all things in the room will be processed.

Complex method

– To achieve maximum results, a specialist often has to combine not only processing methods, but also the drugs themselves. There are so many special cases with their own nuances and subtleties.

Barrier protection

– This is a local treatment of the room with a special gel along the perimeter of the room. This method is good not only as a way to combat silverfish in the room itself, but also as an opportunity to prevent the penetration of all types of insects from other apartments. This is a big advantage of this method.

– used in particularly difficult cases with a large number of silverfish. The advantage is that the impact on insects is doubled, as a result of which they die much faster.

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.

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.