How to Get Rid of Silverfish Fast Using Home Remedies

Also known as fish moths, these tiny insects are known for their light-grey body color and their fish-like movement. They are a nuisance pest as they will eat and damage starch or protein-based materials at home, including clothing, other fabric-based materials, books, and wallpaper. It’s in your best interest to get rid of silverfish as soon as possible before their population grow in masses. Here are our top tips on getting rid of the fish moths using home remedies.

1. Get Rid of the Dampness and Humidity

Silverfish bugs thrive in humid, damp conditions. They also prefer the dark so that’s why you are more likely to come across them in places like the bathroom and basement. Before you do anything else, it’s important to make your house as unattractive as possible to the silverfish bugs by getting rid of as moisture as possible. This may mean turning on the dehumidifier regularly or checking all bathroom and kitchen pipes and making sure there is no leak.

In addition to the pipes, it’s also a good idea to check the appliances. There could be small leaks occurring from the fridge, dishwasher, or the washing machine.

2. Clear Out the Clutter

The next preparation step to getting rid of silverfish is to clear out as much clutter as possible. Over the years, you may have started to accumulated a lot of clothes you no longer wear or have some old books, magazines, or cardboard-based materials stacked together not to be touched ever again. This is a good time to start clearing the clutter away. Donate or sell any household items in good condition, while discarding the rest.

3. Use Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth Powder

The above two steps take away the two key sources that tend to attract silverfish bugs in houses. Now it’s time for you to go into offense. We suggest grabbing a bag of food-grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkling a fine layer of it on surfaces where the bugs are commonly sighted. One note of caution for pet owners. Food-grade diatomaceous earth isn’t toxic but you will want to keep your dogs or cats away from it as breathing in a large amount of it may cause respiratory irritations.

4. Place Sticky Traps Around the House

Sticky traps are affordable and practical solutions for getting rid of silverfish. Find a sticky trap (suggest going for a non-toxic one) and place them all over the area where the bugs are found. This may work better than food-grade diatomaceous earth in bathrooms because the effects of the powder may diminish over time in damp conditions.

Combined the above remedies together and you should soon start to see the silverfish population in the house diminish. Silverfish bugs are very common household pests so it’s unlikely that you will be able to get rid of them forever but at least you will be comforted to know that they can be controlled with natural remedies and prevention methods.