How to Get Rid of Silverfish and Centipedes: An Overview
The smaller the pest, the harder it is to get rid of from your home. While it might be tempting to put off dealing with your bug problem, you’re not doing anyone a favor by delaying.
You’ll need to get rid of silverfish and invasive pests quickly, as some can live for a surprisingly long time. In fact, silverfish can live for between two and eight years – which is probably a lot longer than you want to put up with them.
Controlling invasive pests and learning how to get rid of silverfish is something to sort out early. Here are some tips on how to get started, although there are no guarantees that it will rid you of all your pest problems.
Why Are Silverfish, Centipedes, and Other Pests Dangerous?
Named for their silver color and fish-like shape and movements, silverfish can be identified by the three long tail-like appendages on their rear ends. They can usually be found in moist or humid areas, like bathrooms, basements, or attics.
They are usually shy of humans and will aid in dark corners or behind baseboards. This means they can go unnoticed for long periods of time, allowing them to grow in number and do damage to your home without you spotting them.
While silverfish are harmless to humans, they can destroy personal items in your home like books, wallpaper, carpets, or even your clothes with their droppings. If you find them in your kitchen or in a food space, they will also tuck into foodstuffs like pasta and oats.
Other small invaders like centipedes will also hide in dark spaces, meaning infestations can grow rapidly. While centipedes might help if you have a silverfish problem as they eat these smaller bugs, they can also cause havoc to your home if left unattended.
Centipedes also aren’t harmful to human health but can damage furnishings and other items around the home. Plus, having bugs crawling around your home is not a good look for anyone. That’s why having a home pest inspection done is a good idea.
How to Get Rid of Silverfish and Other Pesky Invaders
The first step to getting rid of any pests is identifying what you’re dealing with. Different pests will be attracted to different conditions and respond to different types of pest control.
Here’s a look at what pest control tips will work to get rid of silverfish and other different types of home invaders.
Reduce Moisture in the Home
The easiest form of pest control is to prevent invaders in the first place. As noted above, silverfish – as well as other types of tiny pests – are attracted to moisture. That’s why it’s important to reduce or ideally eliminate all points of moisture in your home to help get rid of silverfish.
Be particularly careful in basements, garages, and crawlspaces, as these areas are usually prime spots for moisture to build up. Act quickly if you have problems like leaky pipes or clogged drains to avoid water build-up in undesirable spots.
In rooms where there tends to be a lot of moisture, you can try installing a dehumidifier. This will maintain a safe level of moisture in the air.
Get Rid of Nearby Debris
Another preventative measure you can take to get rid of silverfish is regularly removing debris around the home’s exterior. Centipedes and flies love to make their homes in materials like wet leaves, grass clippings, and beneath paving stones.
Staying on top of trimming your line, jet washing any paved areas, and removing your garden waste will eliminate these breeding grounds that can encourage pests to relocate inside your home.
Clean Nooks and Crannies Regularly
Small pests will enter the home through any cracks in your home’s exterior, looking for food, water, and shelter. Making your home as inhospitable to them as possible is one way to ensure they won’t survive long.
By regularly cleaning out the corners of your home and removing moisture, you can get rid of silverfish, and other unwelcome bugs will die out within a few weeks.
You should also make an effort to seal up any cracks in your windows or utility pipes, especially if they are near where you often see bugs appearing. Materials like caulk can be helpful in sealing up any openings, but you may also need to repair damaged windows, doors, or mortar if you’ve got more serious damage.
Avoid Bright Lighting
Another way to get rid of silverfish is to try and prevent pests from being attracted to your home in the first place by switching up your lights. Moths stink bugs, and weevils are attracted to bright lights, so changing any outdoor lights to yellow bulbs or sodium vapor lamps can reduce their activity around your home.
In the evening, close your blinds and curtains to prevent your interior light from seeping outside and attracting bugs and insects. This is an especially important tip for winter when the long dark nights offer insects very little other light sources to seek out.
When in Doubt, Vacuum
When you spot an infestation, a temporary but speedy removal tactic is using a vacuum. However, if you do this, be sure to take the vacuum bag outside to dispose of it immediately. Otherwise, the insects’ odor can attract even more pests to the area.
Get Professional Help
While these tips will help reduce the likelihood of silverfish and centipedes, there is no guaranteed way to get rid of silverfish. Sometimes, you need a professional job to ensure your pests are fully exterminated.
If you need to get rid of silverfish or any other pests in your home in North Carolina, you can get a free pest inspection from Pest Management Systems today. Plus, we’re always ready to answer any questions you might have at any stage of the process.
