Described as “creepy little silvery nightmare creatures” by Fantastic Pest Control, they might give you a scare during the night.
While categorically “harmless”, it doesn’t mean you want to be sharing your home with the insects, nor your bath or shower.
Silverfish love to live in moist, humid places, the pest control company made clear, which is why you are likely to find them in the bathroom.
Plus, they like to invade people’s homes as there tends to be an abundance of food sources (they eat lots of things!) and a lack of predators.
According to pest control experts at Rentokil, silverfish like to eat hair, paper, glue, fabric, and even leather.
The speedy insects love to hide in dark, damp crevices and are great at hiding in plain sight.
Fantastic Pest Control revealed “a few methods” to get rid of silverfish, including non-toxic solutions.
“Just like most insects, silverfish cannot stand the smell of lemon and lavender,” Fantastic Pest Control pointed out.
This means a lemon, which is a common kitchen ingredient to have, could be helpful in deterring silverfish from the bathroom.
By making lemon water, for example, you can spray the scent around the bathroom. For a more effective repellent, it’s best to dilute citrus oil.
“Buy a bottle of either lavender oil or citrus oil and dilute it in a larger bottle of water,” Fantastic Pest Control advised.
“Shake the bottle well and spray this mixture around places that are likely to attract silverfish, such as under sinks, in cupboards, and the edges of rooms.”
The best part about this method is that it’s “non-toxic” but, for the most effective results, a combination of pest removal processes is required.
Another way to help eradicate silverfish from your home is to make your home less appealing to the creatures.
Steps to be taken include using a dehumidifier, storing foods such as cereal, pasta and sugar in airtight containers, removing any clutter, and filling up any holes or cracks in the wall with caulk.
It’s also helpful to keep the house warm, around 26C or above, to help drive moisture out of the air.
One of the best solutions to eradicating silverfish, however, is to use powder diatomaceous earth which will kill the pests.
