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Silverfish Prevention Tips & FAQ's
If you are noticing tiny, silvery insects that look like something out of a horror film in various areas of your home, you may be wondering how to get rid of them. Silverfish are a moisture pest that you will most likely see in places such as the bathroom, laundry room, humid basement or any other moist or humid place in the home.
Silverfish, which are also often referred to as fishmoths, urban silverfish, or carpet sharks are insects that resemble a teardrop shape and sometimes move in a fish-like manner. Their body is slender and flattened and though it is actually a grey/blue color, it shimmers like silver. Silverfish grow to be between 1/2 an inch to 1 inch in length. Having a silverfish infestation in Tennessee is not only disturbing because of their creepy appearance but silverfish are actually destructive creatures.
How are silverfish damaging?
Although silverfish are not directly dangerous to people or pets (they do not bite, nor do they carry diseases) silverfish are damaging to belongings. A few items that they can cause damage to are old photos, wallpaper, books, and fabrics.
Old Photos: If you have old photos stored away somewhere in a box in the attic or perhaps a closet, they may be in danger of being defaced by silverfish (literally). If this happens and photos are ruined, you may lose more than just a physical picture, you could lose the memories that those precious pictures bring to mind.
Wallpaper: Silverfish love to eat the paste off the back of wallpaper, which will cause the paper to have areas of deterioration and peel away from the wall. This, eventually, will result in needing to replace the wallpaper, or strip the paper and paint off your walls. Either way, it will be a task that costs money, time, and effort.
Books: The glue that holds books together is very attractive to silverfish. If you have any books that are valuable, they may be in danger of being ruined by silverfish.
Fabrics: Silverfish like to nibble on organic fabrics, such as cotton and silk. They are especially fond of fabrics that have food spills on them. If you have treasured items of clothing stored away, such as a wedding dress, consider sealing them tightly in plastic if you are seeing silverfish in your home.
Silverfish Prevention Tips
If you are not seeing silverfish in Tennessee yet, you may want to implement the following steps in an effort to keep them from coming in. With a little determination and hard work, it can be done.
- Remove anything that holds moisture close to your home. If you have leaf piles, weeds, or other material that holds wetness underneath it, remove it and allow the area to dry out thoroughly. If you have mulch surrounding your home, be aware that silverfish love hiding under wet mulch.
- Consider having that mulch removed and replace it with dry material, such as crushed rock. If you can't part with your mulch, consider having a pest control company put down a chemical barrier between your mulch and foundation walls.
- Check all of your screens and door sweeps and make sure they are present and in good working order. It doesn't take a very big hold for silverfish to squeeze through.
- Closely examine the outside of your foundation and outer walls for gaps, holes, or cracks and seal up any breaches you find. If you cannot afford to have things sealed up professionally, consider using a caulking gun to seal things up.
- Consider hiring a professional pest control company to do all the heavy lifting for you.
Year-round pest control with All-American
The best option for controlling silverfish and a whole host of other pests is to put in place a year-round pest control plan. All-American's pest control plans do not require an annual contract and they provide interior and exterior treatments. Year-round programs also include the guarantee that, if pests return in between service calls, we will return and retreat at no extra cost.
- The Perimeter Plus Pest Control Program provides protection from over 47 household pests and also provides spider web removal and outdoor misting treatments to provide protection against five common outdoor pests.
- The All-For-One Advantage Program provides home pest control in Tennessee plus the benefits of termite protection.
- The All-For One Complete Program provides pest control for your home and yard, as well as termite protection.
If you would like more information about any of our programs in including residential and commercial pest control services in Tennessee, or you would like to schedule service, reach out to us today. We look forward to serving you.
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