Silverfish are one of the most common household pests. Lepisma saccharine, their scientific name, have their natural habitat in the bathroom, where there is low light and humidity. However, they can appear in any other corner of the house, such as in the kitchen or inside cabinets.
Although the visit of these insects is unwelcome, you should know that they are completely harmless as they do not cause bites. And, their diet is usually based on silicone, paper, cardboard, or starchy foods.
Silverfish are silvery-gray in color, measure average about 10 millimetres long, have an elongated and angled body, no wings, and long antennae. Their speed and rejection of light mean that they hide very well. Also, they are pests that reproduce very easily, so it is advisable to attack them as soon as possible.
What Are Silverfish Bugs?
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Silverfish are very recognizable insects that we are very accustomed to. It is common to have seen them in areas of our business, office, or homes, such as the kitchen, bathroom, or basement. They prefer dark environments with high humidity. Although they may seem harmless, they are capable of causing big problems in homes and businesses since they attack anything containing starch or cellulose.
This insect has a length of approximately 12 millimetres. Their body shape is torpedo-shaped, and they have three long bristles at the end of their abdomen and two long antennae. They are wingless and, as their name suggests, have a silvery-gray color.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Silverfish In Bathroom
To prevent their appearance in the home, the best thing you can do is to avoid water filtrations, cover well the cracks that can appear, or clean thoroughly. But if the problem is that you already have them at home, do not despair, here we bring you a series of home remedies to eliminate silverfish.
Boric acid
This product is the best weapon you can find against silverfish or any other pest you may have at home. Boric acid can be bought in drugstores, pharmacies, and even in some supermarkets. To eliminate silverfish with this product, you will only have to spread it in the corners of the bathroom floor or in the corners where these insects appear. It is best to do it with caution (mask and gloves) and not let household pets or children get close to it. Its effect is not immediate, so you will not notice how these insects disappear until a few days later.
Lavender
Lavender is a natural repellent for these annoying insects. You can apply a couple of drops of lavender essential oil in the corners where the silverfish appear or mix it with water in a spray bottle and spray it in larger areas. Citrus oils such as lemon or orange can also be used in the same way to scare silverfish away.
The jar trap
In addition to scaring away or eliminating silverfish directly, another option is to leave a trap for them overnight and get rid of them in the morning. One of the best known is the homemade jar trap. Wrap the outside of a jar with masking tape. Then leave oat flakes inside – silverfish love the starch in these cereals! At night the insects will climb inside the jar thanks to the masking tape, but they won’t escape because the glass inside will make them slip.
Cedar shavings
Another way to kill silverfish is to place cedar shavings and leaves around the house. This tree gives off a pleasant smell to people, but silverfish hate it. Place the shavings in small bags in the corners where these bugs appear or inside the closets.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the best repellents against silverfish. This spice also has the advantage that it can be found in powdered form, placed around the house in bags, or directly in the sticks, to be kept in closets or other places.
How to Prevent Silverfish in Your Bathroom
Many guides can help us prevent the silverfish naturally but never eliminate them; there will always be there even if we do not see them.
- The first thing is to verify that the house does not have any humidity problems or leaks.
- Clean the floor well often to remove food debris, threads of clothes, and remains of our dead skin (lint and so on).
- Seal all the cracks or holes between the Nicholas, in the corners, in the door frames, in the ceiling lights, etc.
- To cover the cracks, you will have to use cement and not silicone, which would be like feeding them.
- To kill the silverfish is very difficult. Experts recommend spraying them with ethyl alcohol and also in the nest if we can find it (it will always be in a dark and humid place).
In any case, a chemical pesticide (diluted in water) spread around the corners of the house (especially behind the bathroom toilets and under the wood) can kill almost all of them. It can also be worth the boric acid, a white powder (harmless to people) that we will spread in corners, nooks, and crannies. After a few days, and as a preventive measure, we can place bags with a desiccant (of the silica gel type). It will absorb the humidity creating a habitat that will prevent the silverfish.
