Dealing with silverfish

Silverfish are among the most ancient, primitive insects known to exist. They evolved more than 400 million years ago, but they’re considered an “urban” pest.

They love munching on carbohydrates and their favorites include:

• Cardboard
• Carpet
• Clothing
• Coffee
• Dandruff
• Glue
• Hair
• Paints
• Paper
• Photos
• Sugar
• Tapestries
• Textiles/fabrics
• Wallpaper paste

Silverfish lifespan is 2-8 years and they can live for more than a year without eating if they have water.

Close Encounters of the Silverfish Kind

Silverfish – like many creepy-crawlies – are nocturnal. They tend to thrive in dark, damp places.

“I walked into my bathroom in the middle of the night and there it was,” said one Scottsdale homeowner. “It was in the bathtub, shiny, silver, and scary-looking!”

These Jurassic bugs can damage properties and contaminate foods, but they do not transmit diseases. They don’t bite. You’d think we’d be willing to live and let live as far as these critters go, but we can’t. We don’t like them, and we don’t want to live with them.

Problems Caused by Silverfish

Possibly the biggest problem caused by silverfish is property damage. You won’t realize your collection of sweaters has been chewed to bits until you begin wearing them in the fall.

Storing stacks of papers and books are like sending invitations to silverfish. When your pile of study guides crumble at the seams there’s a good chance you had – and still have – a silverfish infestation.

Silverfish shed scales. This unseen allergen can cause breathing problems for some people.

Spiders love silverfish. If you have a silverfish infestation, you likely have a spider infestation too.

Ways to Prevent Infestations

With a few preventive measures, you may be able to avoid unwanted visits.

• Books are to be enjoyed – Share or donate piles of books sitting idle
• Keep your home’s downspouts and gutters clean
• Put a dehumidifier in dampish rooms
• Seal external cracks
• Seal leaky pipes
• Store these foods in sealed containers:
  • Cereal
  • Flour
  • Pasta
  • Pet food
  • Quinoa
  • Rice
  • Sugar
• Strategically place traps where silverfish seem to dwell. (Please note: Traps can be harmful to pets and children. Many contain boric acid, so don’t place them near food supplies.)
• Toss old magazines, newspapers

Fight Fire With Fire

Silverfish may be insect dinosaurs, so it’s logical that a fossil powder would kill them. Good Housekeeping says Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a white powder that kills silverfish. It’s what’s left of diatom (algae) fossils. You can sprinkle it around baseboards or near plumbing areas; anywhere you’ve seen these creepy crawlers.

Professional Pest Elimination

You can kill them yourself, one at a time. Or you can eliminate the infestation with Budget Brothers Termite & Pest Elimination. One treatment can quickly rid your Phoenix-area home of silverfish (and their spider friends).

You’d think living in desert-area conditions would prevent silverfish. We’ve found them in residential and commercial properties throughout Maricopa County, including:

• Anthem
• Avondale
• Buckeye
• Carefree
• Cave Creek
• Chandler
• Fountain Hills
• Gilbert
• Glendale
• Goodyear
• Litchfield Park
• Mesa
• Paradise Valley
• Phoenix
• Scottsdale
• Sun City
• Surprise
• Tempe

…and other communities.

If you’ve seen one silverfish, you haven’t seen them all. Contact Budget Brothers Termite & Pest with questions or for information about any pests you’d like to live without.