You walk into your kitchen at night to grab a snack… and you encounter a bunch of strange-looking, silvery insects in your pantry. What are these bugs? Do they bite? Will they spread disease?
First, the good news: Unlike roaches, silverfish are not known to spread diseases. They also won’t bite you. So you could consider them relatively harmless, from a safety standpoint at least.
Now for the bad news: Silverfish can be incredibly destructive to your personal property. Their diet mostly consists of sugars and carbohydrates, so they are drawn to items that are starchy. That’s why you will often find them lurking in your kitchen. But silverfish also get confused, and will chew into cardboard, papers, and other similar items. They might stick to invading boxed items in your pantry, or they might spread out and discover books, important documents, photo albums, and more.
So, if you discover a horde of silverfish in one area of your home, you want to take quick action to eradicate them. As an emergency remedy, you can place bay leaves or cinnamon sticks in areas where you want to repel silverfish. Herbs and spices won’t kill them, but can discourage them from moving into certain areas while you take action elsewhere.
Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around your pantry and other places where you’ve discovered silverfish can address the problem. They dry up and die when they come into contact with this substance.
However, if you have a more extensive silverfish infestation, you might not be able to eradicate them this way. Silverfish can be particularly stubborn and hardy. After all, they’re one of the oldest species in the world, dating all the way back to prehistoric times! If you discover silverfish in your home and prefer to take action immediately, call us to schedule a professional pest control consultation. We know how to find silverfish hiding in your home, and can take action quickly to get rid of them for good.