How to get rid of silverfish at home

Many people living in the apartment, had to face in the bathroom with an unexpected guest - silverfish. Acquaintance with this unpleasant living creature causes a burning desire to get rid of it as soon as possible. How this can be done - consider below.

Silverfish - what is she

The main features by which the scales can be distinguished include the following:

• body color often silver, less often has a yellowish or greenish tint;
• torso length 0.8 - 2 cm;
• there are long antennae on the back and front of the body;
• many little paws.

A favorite habitat is a warm microclimate of a bathroom and a bathroom. The insect feeds on starch, sugar, organic waste, its dead counterparts.

This species is very prolific and hardy. A silverfish can do without food for up to 10 months. The female can lay up to 70 eggs.When such insects are detected, measures should be taken immediately to destroy them.

Causes of the appearance of silverfish

Attracts insects of this family of darkness and moisture. The silverfish simply loves not regular and not very thorough cleaning of the room, so its appearance is a signal that the sanitary condition of the bathroom or bathroom leaves much to be desired.

Neighborhood with them can be avoided by conducting regular general cleaning of the bathroom and solving the problem of good ventilation.

Important! Champions are bred in conditions when the humidity in the apartment exceeds 70%. It is enough to lower this indicator to 30%, and uninvited guests will leave the house.

Such an insect enters the human's dwelling without difficulty: through ventilation holes, cracks near the entrance door, cracks in the floor. You can get such an unpleasant neighbor by bringing him home with purchases or boxes that were previously in the basements. As soon as the silverfish finds itself in new conditions, it quickly hides under a bathtub, sink, or other dark and damp places.

Harm that can be done by scales

For humans, this representative of the fauna is completely safe. Insects do not bite and can not be called a peddler of diseases. But the things in the apartment they can cause significant damage.

1. Eating substances containing sugar and starch, silverfish everywhere will find their own food - in a book binding, wallpaper glue, plaster, etc. If there is expensive literature or pictures in the house, it is they who may suffer from the actions of the wingless insect.
2. Cotton products (clothing, bedding), as well as silk and synthetic fiber can also be damaged by silverfish.
3. They can cause significant harm to wallpaper, carpeting and even food.

How to get rid of silverfish

Disinfection. To get rid of uninvited guests it is enough to apply with the application to the appropriate services. However, you can disinfect the room yourself. For this you will need:

• Copper sulfate;
• Any reasonably strong insect spray;
• Cleaner containing chlorine;
• Hair dryer, you can fan.

To begin with, it is necessary to ensure the reach of all the corners and hard-to-reach places of the room, perhaps something from the furniture will have to be carried out for a while.After that, all surfaces are thoroughly treated with chlorine-containing composition, the pipes and the bottom of the sink are no exception. After drying means, it is necessary to carry out repeated processing of all sites, but only already copper sulphate.

Places of possible accumulation of moisture must be dried with a hairdryer or fan. A great way to destroy the silverfish is to warm the room to a temperature of +350 or higher. This can be done with a portable fireplace or heater. If you install such a device in the bathroom and leave it overnight, then the uninvited insects will forever leave these places.

As soon as the room dries well, you should use insect spray. It is recommended to buy a strong and toxic remedy, as compositions based on herbal ingredients in the fight against silverfish are unlikely to help.

It is advisable to use aerosols once a week for the 1st month to fix the result. Usually after 2-3 weeks the insects disappear, but the treatment should be repeated for prevention.

Homemade poison. 4 parts of boric acid powder is mixed with 1 part of chalk, previously crushed.The mixture is scattered in the places chosen by silverfish. The powder is left for 7-8 days. It is recommended to repeat such procedure in a month. By that time, the young hatch out of eggs, from which it is necessary to get rid of them in time.

Glass traps. You will need a glass liter jar, which outside should be wrapped with tape. The bait in the form of a piece of bread or sugar is put on the very bottom. This device must be installed at night in places where silverfish are the most common. The smell of food will force insects to climb into the jar, from which they can no longer get out. In the morning they should be destroyed in any way possible.

Trap from the newspaper. The dampened newspaper should be twisted into a tube, and the edges should be tied with a rubber band. At bedtime, such a trap should be placed in the bathroom, bathroom and in the kitchen. At night, silverfish will surely bite into a newspaper, because here they have food and comfortable surroundings. In the morning, this roll of paper should be burned without unwrapping. Such devices will have to be put repeatedly until you manage to completely get rid of insects.

Shopping traps. If you are engaged in making devices for catching silverfish there is neither time nor desire, then you can buy ready-made in the store. Sticky traps or “mooling” motels can be a great help in the fight against these insects. The best bait is bread and other products from starch.

Repellent spray. You can purchase a spray containing liquid pyrethrin. Such a composition can kill silverfish if sprayed in insect habitats. However, the drug itself is very toxic, so you can not use it next to the products or in places accessible to children and pets.

Citrus or lavender spray. In addition to the fact that any of these smells scares silverfish, such means are harmless to humans. Acquired in a pharmacy lemon and lavender essential oil is diluted with water and poured into the sprayer. Spray is sprayed in places where you do not want to see insects.

Fragrant spices. Sachets of cinnamon, sage, bay leaves are able to expel silverfish from the kitchen, because the insect avoids harsh aromas.

Preventive measures

After an unequal fight with silverfish, in which you managed to win, you really don't want to,so that these insects reappear. Avoiding their return will succeed if you follow certain rules:

1. Constantly wipe the dust. Try to monitor the parameters of humidity, to avoid moisture. If possible, do not store wet things in the bathroom, leave the door ajar. From time to time it is necessary to carry out the drying of the room.
2. It is necessary to close up all the cracks and cracks in which insects lay eggs. For this fit putty.
3. Prevent condensation on the floor and walls. Be sure to air the apartment or house, preferably twice a day. If it is cold weather outside, then the doors and windows in the room should be left open for a long time, allowing cold air to fill the apartment. A temperature of less than 100 kills not only adult insects, but also their eggs.
4. Once a week to carry out general cleaning. At the same time carefully clean the bathroom, bathroom, pay special attention to hard-to-reach places.
5. It is advisable to deprive the insect food source. Food should be stored in sealed packages. Cardboard boxes should be removed on the shelves, do not leave them on the floor.
6. Clothing that nobody uses is recommended to be stored in polyethylene bags.
7. Timely carry out minor repairs, including pasting wallpaper, the elimination of leaks in pipes, etc.
8. Make sure that paper products in the apartment are not stored in places with high humidity.

The appearance of any insect in the house causes a feeling of discomfort. Despite the fact that the silverfish is perfectly safe for a person, there is hardly anyone willing to put up with the neighborhood of an unpleasant lodger. It is important to remember that timely reaction will prevent the rapid reproduction of these insects and will help get rid of them quickly and for a long time.