If there’s one insect you’ll have no trouble recognizing; it’s probably the silverfish. With a tear-shaped body, silver to brown coloring, and three long bristle-like appendages, silverfish aren’t hard to spot.
The good news is that silverfish aren’t known to bite or be dangerous for humans and pets. Unfortunately, they’re not as harmless for your possessions. Silverfish aren’t shy about causing property damage, and once they’ve gotten inside your home, they aren’t easy to eliminate.
For Gilbert homeowners, here’s what you need to know about preventing silverfish and what to do if you’re dealing with a silverfish problem.
Tip 1: Deal With Drainage And Moisture Issues
Perhaps the biggest silverfish attraction is moisture. Silverfish thrive in humid, moist environments with around 70 to 90% humidity. If you can reduce excess moisture or drainage issues around your home, you’ll be taking away a silverfish’s biggest incentive for sticking around.
This means dealing with faulty or leaky pipes, using proper ventilation across your home, and even installing a dehumidifier in your basement.
Tip 2: Reduce Clutter Around Your Home
Silverfish love to hide, and if you’ve got enough clutter, these critters will take advantage of it. Clutter can be problematic for two reasons: not only do old magazines, book bindings, and even newspapers provide silverfish with a potential food source, but these pests also like to lay their eggs in cluttered, warm areas too.
Regularly dealing with storage areas and not letting clutter accumulate can go a long way toward fighting off a silverfish infestation.
Tip 3: Seal Silverfish Entry-Points
Combating silverfish means making sure that new silverfish can’t get inside, and the best way to do this is by sealing off their entrances. Like a lot of pests, silverfish may use tiny cracks or openings in your home’s foundation to crawl through, so it’s important to seal these gaps.
Tip 4: Get Rid Of Debris Around Your Home
Outside of your home, silverfish enjoy spending time in dark, secluded areas – which may include rotting woodpiles, leaf piles, beneath tree bark, rocks, or other yard debris. If you’ve got debris that’s close to your home, you may want to remove it entirely or make sure it’s at least twenty feet away.
It’s also important to check boxes and debris for silverfish before you bring them inside since you can bring silverfish in accidentally.
Tip 5: Clean Up Food Particles
Silverfish may be fond of dining on newspapers, old magazines, or even your favorite books, but their diet consists of starches and protein-rich foods. If you’re leaving oats, grains, or even sugary items out, you could be luring in silverfish. Keep these items sealed and tucked away in pantries or cabinets if possible.
The Most Effective Form Of Silverfish Control In Gilbert
As far as pest infestations go, silverfish are one of the most stubborn to get rid of – but that’s where Pro Active Pest Control can come in to help. Using eco-friendly and effective treatments, we’ll not only rid your home of silverfish, but we’ll assist you in making sure these critters don’t make their way back.
If you’re noticing signs of silverfish or you’ve seen these pests around your Gilbert property, don’t wait – contact us at Pro Active Pest Control today to learn more about our silverfish control services.