What Problems do Silverfish Cause?
Silverfish are a common menace in the home – millions of homes around the world are afflicted by them, and there are a lot of people looking for the answer to the problem: how to get rid of silverfish once and for all.
I have written more extensively about the most effective ways to get rid of silverfish here, and if you are interested in finding a quick and natural solution then please click here to have a look at the guides that I recommend too.
But this post is more about the problems that they cause than the solutions – and that is what I want to focus on now. A lot of people see silverfish in their homes, worry about it, but are unaware of the unpleasant side effects the nasty little bugs cause.
What Problems do Silverfish Cause in the Home?
There is a variety – and while they are not dangerous or likely to cause any severe diseases (they are dirty though) – silverfish are certainly a menace.
Damage to your home
Silverfish feed on starchy materials such as glue and paper – which means that if given the chance will eat and cause significant damage to books, papers, wallpaper – they may even find their way into sugar and coffee jars!
This can leave precious and valuable objects damaged and even affect the value of your home.
Eat your food and cereals!
As I mentioned above, silverfish live off starchy products. They are also most common in the more damp and humid parts of your home, such as the kitchen and bathroom, which means that you will often find them going after your food products such as cereals, sugar, coffee, bread, and biscuits (among other foods and products).
Not only do they like the cereal itself, but the box and even the glue that holds it together!
It would be pretty horrible to wake up and find these awful bugs in your food – but it is possible., so be careful and try to store all food in sealed containers if you know that you have a problem with silverfish in your kitchen. Better yet, have a look at the most effective way to get rid of them here.
Silverfish have even been know to eat plants…
This is true too – although possibly not as popular as other food sources such as paper and starch.
and Clothes?
Yes. Silverfish damage clothes – by trying to eat them. For many people, this is the most annoying and expensive problem associated with silverfish.
Finally, Silverfish are embarrassing.
I would hate for people to come into my home and feel as though it was dirty or infested with bugs. That would feel awful – which is why it is very embarrassing for people to see silverfish (which many people, often incorrectly, believe to be caused by dirty and unclean conditions) in my house.
In fact, they are not attracted to dirt – but moisture and humidity. However, a lot of people associate them with a lack of cleanliness and that can be an embarrassment.
Silverfish are a common menace in homes throughout the world – and they can be hard to get rid of too. There are a number of different causes of silverfish in the home, and while it is possible to get rid of them fairly quickly – even with natural methods, most people would rather prevent them from ever infesting their homes in the first place. That is what this post is going to be all about: how to prevent silverfish from entering and infesting your home.
Silverfish are annoying, unsightly, and certainly unhygienic, however, they are not known to be of serious threat to your health like some bugs can be. Nevertheless, they do cause a variety of problems. The good news is though, that in most cases it is quite simple to prevent them ever becoming a problem – or if they have been in the past, to stop them from coming back again.
There are two main things to focus on if you want to prevent silverfish from becoming a problem in your home or to prevent them from returning:
- Keep your home dry – silverfish can only live in moist and humid conditions.
- Hygiene – be ruthless about keeping your bathrooms and kitchen clean and tidy.
These are key – they are the most effective way to prevent silverfish from ever taking over your home.
Silverfish live in damp conditions
Silverfish can only survive in damp and humid conditions – in a dry environment they will quickly perish. It does not matter if you bring them in on the bottom of your shoes, in a totally dry home with no damp or moist patches for them to live in, 99 times out of a hundred they will be unable to survive. This is the most effective way to prevent them – keeping damp and moist areas out of your home at all times.
There are some very useful guides to be found here for those who have a problem with silverfish – or who simply want a complete plan of action to prevent them.
Keeping your home dry is by far the most effective way to prevent or even get rid of silverfish.
Keeping the bathroom and kitchen clean and tidy
I am sure that you already do this – however, it is an effective way to keep silverfish out of your home, so I want to talk about it anyway.
The kitchen and bathrooms are the parts of the average home that are most often affected by silverfish – usually because they are more likely to be affected by moisture or higher levels of humidity than a dining room or lounge.
An effective way of stopping an infestation before it becomes a problem is to keep surfaces and floors clean and tidy – so any silverfish that do find their way into your home is dealt with quickly. Also, keeping things organized may help to prevent areas of your kitchen or bathroom from becoming damp – the environment that silverfish need to survive.
How to get rid of silverfish naturally?
A question we would love to be answered especially if these insects have become our household’s number one pests, maximizing damage in our houses. This can be terrible indeed.
Most often, we want a quick answer on how to get rid of silverfish naturally since they can become really damaging and we may no longer do anything to save any of our possessions because of their domination. However, it is very important that we take a careful and safe procedure in learning the best way of getting rid of these household pests. And with this, there is a need for us to know how to get rid of silverfish naturally.
Below is a safe process that may help you learn how to get rid of silverfish naturally.
- Get rid of excess moisture in your home, as silverfish are attracted to water and humidity. Fix any leaky pipes and invest in a dehumidifier.
- Take precautions that you would with other bugs. Keep your place clean and the floor free of old food or crumbs. Silverfish can eat numerous materials, such as paper, crumbs, mold, cotton, silk and linen. Also, caulk and fill holes, cracks and edges in your walls and foundation. This will help seal up their entry points.
- Use whole cloves to deter silverfish, as they hate cloves. Place cloves in areas where you see frequent silverfish; cracks and holes; or back corners and shelves that you feel they might be hiding in. Eventually the silverfish will give up because the smell of cloves will be everywhere.
- Keep an eye out for where you see silverfish. This will help you place the cloves in the exact places they frequent, and drive them out more quickly.
There are various ways of getting rid of silverfish that are introduced in the market today but it is always best to be safe at all times which is why a natural process is most preferable in most cases. Also, bear in mind that prevention is always better than cure. So as much as you can, prevent these silverfish from causing your house any damage.
