What makes silverfish show up in some homes, but not in others? What is it about a building that draws in these pests? Well, let’s take a look at some of the mistakes people make that eventually end up attracting silverfish into their home.
The natural environment of the silverfish
Like many other pests and home invading insects, the silverfish prefers to nest in areas with high levels of moisture. This means that when outdoors, it will look for piles of leaves and other yard waste to nest inside of, especially after it rains. In fact, pretty much any material or object that can trap moisture underneath will serve as a suitable location, including rocks, wood, mulch, bushes, trees and gutters among others. When they find these prime locations on your property, they will move right in, and from there, it’s only a few steps until they enter the home.
So in order to stop a silverfish home invasion before it even begins, you can start by removing these favorable conditions from your yard. Make sure that you do not leave yard waste hanging around for too long, and that you do not keep any objects that can trap moisture near the foundation of your home.
Inside the home
One of the main mistakes you can make inside the home is to allow the moisture levels to get too high. This will usually be an issue in the bathroom, kitchen and the basement. Proper ventilation can do wonders when it comes to preventing a silverfish infestation.
You then want to remove access to as many food sources for the silverfish as possible. They prefer to eat starches in particular, and they will find these starches in the most unexpected items, including books, fabrics, pantry items, wallpapers and even photographs. Some of these are very hard to protect (such as the wallpaper), but many other items and food sources can be stored away in sealed containers.
When you combine moisture reduction with proper sealing for potential food sources and regular vacuuming, you create an environment that is not as appealing to the silverfish. Add the extra prevention measures that you put in place in your yard, and the odds of a silverfish infestation go down dramatically. However, on the off chance that the silverfish are still an issue you can contact us and we will send over a pest control specialist to remove the infestation.
