Silverfish Extermination: 7 Easy Ways To Get Rid of Silverfish

There may be no more aptly named pest than the silverfish. These pests look like silver-colored fish about to get fileted, yet they move as fast and fluidly as a trout in a brook. And they give folks the willies. Exterminating a silverfish infestation can be just as frustrating as fly fishing, too.

In this guide, we’ll go over some background on silverfish, as well as a comprehensive list of ways to get rid of silverfish in your home.

What Are Silverfish?

Silverfish are small insects that can quickly infest a home, and they’re considered a nuisance pest. They’re called silverfish because of their metallic silver armor-like shell, and the fact that they look like fish in both shape and movement.

Silverfish are survivors to the fullest extent of the term. It’s believed that this species has been around since at least 100 million years before the dinosaurs.

What do silverfish look like?

Silverfish are small (around 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch long), with silver or pearl gray, fish-shaped bodies. They have six legs, two antennae on their heads that are as long as their bodies, and three bristle-like appendages on their rears. These bristles are also why they’re often called “bristletails.”

Silverfish are flat and move with their bodies close to the ground. However, their overall shape is similar to a tapered oval, with the head being wider than the rear.

Where do silverfish live?

Silverfish prefer dark, warm, humid environments. They commonly infest homes that provide these conditions in spaces like bathrooms, crawl spaces, basements, attics, and garages, but they can be found anywhere.

Silverfish hide and lay eggs in the cracks and crevices in these spaces, opting only to come out at night when it’s dark. They’ll hang out under baseboard trim, cabinets, gaps under tiles, and in wall voids. For this reason, it’s uncommon to run into a silverfish during the day unless the space is usually dark.

What do silverfish eat?

Lots of stuff, and that’s the trouble with silverfish: they feed on a lot of different materials. They eat starches, carbohydrates, and proteins, but they’re also one of the insect species that can digest cellulose, similar to termites and carpet beetles. This is unlike bed bugs, ticks, and mosquitoes which feed on blood, or bees which feed on nectar.

Silverfish feed on toilet paper, tissue paper, paper towels, cotton, silk, towels, linens, cardboard boxes, newspapers, and even wallpaper glue. They’ll even feed on dead insects’ bodies and pet food.

Because these pests eat cotton and other fabrics, their feeding damage is often mistaken for that of clothes moths. It can be hard to tell the difference apart, so setting some sticky traps (we’ll discuss them in a bit) can be the only way to find out.

What Things Attract Silverfish to a Home?

Knowing what attracts silverfish to a home can help not only control a silverfish population but also prevent an infestation in the first place. The following are some of the most common causes of a silverfish infestation.

Humid Environments

Silverfish like humidity. Homes that don’t use air conditioners or dehumidifiers to control their humidity levels may attract silverfish, as well as other humidity-loving insects. Whether the moisture is coming from damp basements, leaky roofs, or pipes that drip in cabinets, these items create excess moisture and increase the moisture content in homes.

Plenty of Hiding Spaces

Silverfish aren’t social creatures and they spend most of their daylight hours hiding. Rooms with plenty of hiding spots like kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and even garages can be the perfect environment for silverfish to infest. These creepy crawlies will hide in cracks in walls and floors, in stacks of newspapers, under cabinets, and in almost any other hidden areas they can find.

Plenty of Food Sources

We’ve already established that silverfish eat a variety of foods, so it makes sense that having plenty of food available will certainly attract them. Closets full of toilet paper, paper towels, cotton towels, linens, and the like are excellent food sources. But also, silverfish eat grains, cereals, breads, and cardboard boxes, which means a pantry could also be the cause of a silverfish infestation.

Sign of Silverfish Infestations

Silverfish might be hard to see, but the signs they leave behind can be all the indication a homeowner or renter needs to recognize an infestation is at hand.

1. Look for molted skins. As silverfish mature, they outgrow their existing skin and need to shed or molt them in order to keep growing. Silverfish molt up to 60 times in their lives, which can lead to quite a few molted skins around. Note: these skins can cause allergic reactions.
2. Damage clothing and paper goods. Silverfish love paper goods and clothing, chewing holes in these objects at night. Irregularly shaped holes in t-shirts, towels, paper towels, napkins, magazines, and similar materials could be a sign of silverfish activity.
3. Finding silverfish eggs in cracks and crevices. Silverfish lay their eggs in the best hiding spots, such as between tiles, under baseboards, and other tight areas. If you look in these areas and see white or yellow eggs, you might find a silverfish problem.
4. Multiple sightings of silverfish. Silverfish prefer dark places where they can hide, and they’re pretty good at it. Seeing several silverfish over a few days means you’re only seeing the lazy ones or the ones that got caught. There are likely many more to deal with.

Are Silverfish Dangerous?

Unlike some other pests, silverfish are not dangerous to humans or pets. However, they do feed on pet food, chew holes in fabrics and paper goods, and provide a general fright in the middle of the night.

Also, silverfish will attract other insects. For instance, earwigs love snacking on silverfish. While they’re beneficial in this regard, they can also infest a home.

How To Get Rid of Silverfish

The following is a comprehensive list of ways to get rid of silverfish in a home. Severe infestations may require using a combination of these methods.

1. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth can be very effective against silverfish. This powder is made from crystallized sea organisms, and when the silverfish consume or walk over the DE, it cuts them open and causes them to dehydrate. However, it’s typically safe for humans and pets.

To use DE powder, sprinkle diatomaceous earth in a thin film in areas where silverfish are commonly found. This includes under cabinets, under and in front of baseboard trim, and even on shelf boards in cabinets and closets. You can even dust around electrical outlets and light fixtures.

There is a challenge to this method, however: DE powder loses its effectiveness once it becomes wet. In high-humidity environments where silverfish are commonly found, this could mean frequent reapplication.

Also, you can use boric acid in the same way, sprinkling a powder wherever silverfish might hang out. However, understand that boric acid is not as safe as DE and should be kept away from children and pets. Dekko Silverfish Paks are layered sandwiches of boric acid and they make applying and getting them to eat this pesticide very easy.

2. Sticky Traps

Sticky bug traps can be effective against a wide range of insects, including silverfish. These traps are thick sheets of paper with a sticky substance on one side. The sticky side is impregnated with pheromones that attract bugs, and once they walk across the surface, they get stuck, dehydrate, and die.

Place traps wherever you find silverfish. Again, this could be in or under cabinets, along baseboards, in the basement, on pantry shelves, and in other common hideouts. You can even place them in a closet to ensure that the issue is a silverfish infestation and not clothes moths. Once the traps fill up or get dusty, throw them out and replace them with another.

Generally speaking, traps don’t do anything to stop silverfish or other insects from reproducing. However, they can control adult silverfish populations by picking a few off each day. They’re also one of the best methods for renters experiencing pest control issues as they’re inexpensive and don’t damage anything.

3. Reduce Humidity

Another way to get rid of silverfish is by reducing the humidity in the home. Lowing the relative humidity by installing a dehumidifier, ensuring that exhaust fans are used during bathing and cooking, and fixing any leaks will go a long way toward getting rid of lots of pests, not just silverfish.

Don’t forget to check the basement and crawl spaces. These areas are prone to being humid environments, so dehumidify or ventilate these spaces as well. It’s important to get a handle on damp areas as they can attract not only silverfish but also roaches, termites, and other insects that can do a lot of damage.

4. Reduce Clutter

Reduce the clutter in the home to limit the food sources and hiding places for bristletails. This means taking care of any stacks of cardboard or newspaper, throwing out garbage and waste, staying on top of recyclables, and general tidiness.

Make sure to regularly vacuum cracks and crevices around the baseboards, flooring, tiles, outlets, and other spaces to remove bristletail eggs and suck up any individual bugs.

5. Seal Cracks

Exterior cracks around the home are the perfect entry points for bugs of all sorts, including our friends: the bristletails. These bugs can get through extremely small cracks around windows, doors, foundations, wires, pipes, and other areas that they find. If there’s a textured surface that they can crawl up to the crack, they’ll get in.

There are a few ways to seal cracks. One is to caulk them with silicone caulk. This method is ideal for windows, doors, and similar gaps. For gaps in foundations, use a cement caulk or mix up a thin mortar mix and trowel it onto the crack. Cement caulk is easier, but mortar mix is more permanent.

6. Cedar Oil

Another method that could be ideal for homeowners who’d prefer a more all-natural route is to make a solution of water and cedar oil. Fill a spray bottle with warm water and then drop 10 drops of cedar essential oil into the bottle. Spraying silverfish directly will kill them, but spraying their pathways and areas they hang out will chase them away.

7. Use Insecticides

Insecticides are the ultimate choice in effectiveness. These chemicals affect how the bug grows or its central nervous system, killing them relatively quickly and handling an infestation in very little time.

Bifenthrin is the preferred pesticide for silverfish, but cyfluthrin, tetramethrin, and phenothrin are also effective. Apply these chemicals in the same areas that you would the DE or boric acid: along baseboards, cabinets, basements, crawl spaces, and other areas where these bugs are found.

Note: Be sure to read the directions carefully when applying pesticides. It’s important to use enough that the chemical is effective, but not so much that it comes at a risk to the rest of the ecosystem. Also, most pesticides will have warnings about when you can re-enter a treated area, so be sure to read and follow the directions.

If you’re not able to apply pesticides responsibly, it may be better to hire a professional pest control service.

8. Use a Steamer

Another option for killing silverfish in the areas in which they hide is to use a steamer. Steamers pump hot, moist air into these spaces, and most bugs (silverfish included) can’t able to survive temperatures so high (over 212 degrees). Once the steam penetrates the cracks, gaps, and spaces where silverfish live and hide their eggs, it could help reduce the population.

How To Prevent Silverfish Infestations

Rather than trying to solve this pest problem after it’s already happened, it’s often better to simply prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Minimize Clutter

The fewer places that these bugs have to hide, the less the chance of them infesting a home. If they don’t have anywhere to hide because the homeowner doesn’t keep stacks of old letters, stored boxes, newspapers, and general mess, they’ll move on to the next home.

Fix Leaks

Either bust out the pipe wrench or start Googling for a contract, because you need to fix those leaks. Leaks around shower fixtures, drains, sinks, toilets, and under cabinets can attract a slew of pests. The same can be said for leaky roofs or leaking basement slabs. Take care of these leaks to lessen the chances of pests.

Use a Dehumidifier

Control humidity in the home. High humidity levels due to showering or cooking without a vent is a good way to attract pests. You can purchase a dehumidifier from a local home improvement or department store and install it in the home. Also, using a central air conditioning unit will also pull the moisture out of the air and make it less desirable for bristletails.

Bay Leaves

Believe it or not, whole dry bay leaves are an excellent option for keeping silverfish under control. These bugs hate the smell of the leaves and will avoid it at all costs. Sprinkle them around laundry rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms where silverfish are found to chase them from the home via natural means.

Seal Foods in Airtight Containers

Seal pet foods, cereals, grains, rices, and other dry food pantry staples away in tight containers—plastic is best. This will prevent silverfish from making your food their all-day buffet food supply.

Also, keep in mind that you should be inspecting food packaging in the store before you purchase anything. Silverfish, drugstore beetles, and roaches can make their way into your home in contaminated food.

When To Call a Pest Control Specialist

If you’ve tried the methods above or simply don’t have the stomach to go after silverfish infestations, it might be a good idea to call a pest control company. These pros know exactly what to look for when finding these bugs, as well as what pesticides to use to kill them quickly and efficiently. And, best of all, pros know exactly how much pesticide to use for silverfish control without damaging the ecosystem.

If you do decide to DIY it and feel pretty comfortable in the process, you might even consider starting a pest control business of your own.

FAQs

That’s a lot of information about silverfish control, but there may still be some questions that need answering. The following are the most frequently asked questions on the topic.

What is the fastest way to get rid of silverfish?

The fastest way to get rid of silverfish is to use a bifenthrin-based spray and treat all of the areas where you might spot silverfish. As the bugs crawl across the spray, it affects their central nervous system and kills them instantly.

What causes silverfish in your house?

The main causes for silverfish in a home are high humidity, plenty of food, and a dark place to hang out and hide during the day. It’s worth noting that these conditions aren’t unique attractants to silverfish only. They can attract many other bugs to houses, as well.

Can you actually get rid of silverfish?

You can, but there needs to be a real effort made to control humidity and limit their food sources. This is on top of the insecticide used, which also needs to be handled responsibly.

What does silverfish droppings look like?

Silverfish droppings are grainy pellets, almost like black peppercorns. This is because they consume mostly cellulose, which turns into a grainier dropping than spider poop, which is mostly made from dead bugs.