Silverfish

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woodburn

Member
Oct 26, 2007
221
Long Island, New York
Just wondering if anyone has advice on how to get rid of silverfish. Have been seeing them around the house for a couple of years. I have tried boric acid in all the nooks and crannies. I have young children and vowed never to spray chemicals in the house, but I caved. Starting about 6 weeks ago, I sprayed Ortho Home Defense Max where we see them. I did repeat treatments every two weeks. I also put silverfish packs around. http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/dekko-silverfish-packs-p-204.html We still see the damn things! I tried a few extermination companies, but they say they'll spray and there's no guarantee. They are very expensive too. Is there anything else I can do?
 
Don't they like humid places, like bathrooms, basements? Have you tried a dehumifier/vent? The boric acid is supposed to dry the shell, causing their death, I've read the same use of Boric acid as a Flea preventer/killer for the fleas that can infest cats..

There are some dessicants that you can buy to hang that isn't powered like a dehumidifier as well. don't know how effective that is for silverfish but I find a rare silverfish in the bathroom usually...

Jay
 
Boric Acid is hydroscopic, which is a fancy way of saying it absorbs water... which makes it quit working.

The best way to get rid of silverfish is to fix the moisture issue. Try a fan evacuating the moisture first. If that doesn't work you can try a dehumidifier.

Matt
 
Thanks for the replies. If you already have an existing problem, will reducing moisture do anything? Won't they still breed? Also, what about using something like Diatomaceous Earth? Is that more effective than boric acid?
 
By reducing the dampness of the environment you make your basement a less hospitable place to live. They will move to a better place, like your neighbors basement.

Matt
 
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