Silverfish in an apartment: how dangerous is it and how to get rid of it?

The comfort of living in an apartment can be disturbed by various insects. It is noteworthy that they appear quite unexpectedly and at the wrong time, but at the same time, getting rid of unwanted inhabitants in a home is always quite difficult. This article will talk about silverfish and methods of combating them.

Silverfish - who is it?

The silverfish is a small insect that lives in residential buildings. The second name of the pest is “sugar” silverfish. The following are characteristic of silverfish:

• Small sizes. The insect's body has an oblong shape, its length on average is about twelve millimeters.
• The food source is starch, so insects prefer to live in residential buildings.
• Insects have amazing endurance and fertility. On average, they can go without food for about ten months.
• In fact, silverfish are harmless to humans. They do not carry disease and do not bite. There is not much harm from silverfish; the problem is more about aesthetics. There are also few pleasant sensations from the appearance of such neighbors. Coming across a large silverfish in the bathroom or kitchen is an unpleasant experience.

Reasons for appearing in the apartment

Before you understand how to deal with unwanted insects, you need to understand why they might appear in a living space.

• The reason for the appearance of insects may be comfortable conditions for them in your apartment. This is high humidity, darkness and heat.The bathroom fits the description perfectly; owners often notice unpleasant neighbors there.
• Often insects enter the home from outside. They can come from neighbors through pipes, or crawl in from the street through an open window. However, they will reproduce and live only if they find suitable conditions for themselves.
• You can easily bring insects with you. Thanks to their small size, they fit safely into bags, packages, pockets, etc.

How to get rid of silverfish

Effective control of insects can be carried out in various ways. The choice of method depends on the convenience and characteristics of the situation.

There are two most effective types of homemade traps for catching silverfish:

• In the first option, take a jar with a capacity of about a liter. The outside should be wrapped with electrical tape or masking tape, this is done so that insects can easily climb inside along the surface. There is bait inside, it could be a piece of sugar from their bread. The point is that pests will not be able to get back through the smooth walls of the jar.
• A newspaper or a stack of paper is rolled up and moistened with water. In this form, it is placed overnight in places where insects accumulate. During the night, the silverfish will penetrate the newspaper, and all that remains is to take it outside, or, even better, burn it.

You can also effectively use absolutely harmless insect repellents:

• Boric acid. The product is not harmless. It is dangerous if inhaled by both humans and pets. But at the same time, spraying problem areas with boric acid kills absolutely all insects.It should only be used using personal protective equipment.
• Dialomite powder. It’s not the most common remedy; it’s safe to say that many have never heard of it. This substance is also called mountain flour; it is made from rock. The product is harmless to humans and animals. The peculiarity is that the particles have sharp edges, therefore, after the particles are absorbed, the insects are injured from the inside.
• Citrus zest. Its smell is extremely unpleasant for silverfish, and they themselves will leave the place saturated with this aroma. The method, although long, is very effective and absolutely harmless, of course, provided that the person is not allergic to citrus fruits.
• Surviving unwanted guests from the kitchen is also quite simple; for this, absolutely harmless spices are used, such as cinnamon, cloves, and essential oils. Using this method is completely safe for stored products, but very effective.

Prevention

The best option would be to exclude the appearance of insects in the apartment, and not to fight them. You should carefully monitor the humidity in the room.

• It is necessary to maintain the ventilation system in working condition; from time to time it would be a good idea to check its serviceability. If the hood has become noticeably worse at drawing air, you should clean the grille and ventilation to the extent possible. This is best done with a vacuum cleaner. If the result is not achieved, then the most reasonable solution to the problem would be to contact a specialized service that deals with ventilation maintenance.
• A special dehumidifier, which is used to reduce indoor humidity, has some effect. It is placed in the bathroom, because... This is where problems most often arise.
• Using the air conditioner in heating mode helps dry the air in the living room.
• Constantly maintain order, periodically carry out large-scale general cleaning. Special attention should be paid to hard-to-reach corners. Additionally, it is necessary to dry the rugs; the space must not be cluttered. When cleaning, be sure to move furniture away and use a vacuum cleaner.
• To prevent the reappearance of insects, it is necessary to eliminate all cracks and crevices where insects can lay eggs. We are talking about those places where light does not penetrate well. Particular attention should be paid to places that are located in the kitchen, bathroom, and basement.
• Get rid of everything that can serve as food for silverfish. We are talking about bread crumbs and other food debris on the floor; it is not advisable to leave stacks of books and newspapers on the floor. Even cardboard boxes provide food for silverfish. It is advisable to periodically clean the cabinets for dust and unnecessary items. Don't forget about cleaning your kitchen cabinets.
• Repairs will give excellent results. Although this is an extreme measure. After the renovation, we can say with confidence that insects will leave the living space due to the constant change of environment. Provided order is maintained, they will not return there soon.

In fact, sugar silverfish are harmless insects, but few people will be pleased with such a neighborhood.To effectively resolve this issue, it will be necessary to start the fight in a timely manner. This is what plays an important role, because silverfish reproduce at a rapid pace. Non-interference in the situation will lead to more and more of them.