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Mar 13 2012

Get Rid of Silverfish: Are SIlverfish Causes by Dampness?

category: Silverfish author:

Millions of homes have a problem with silverfish – often they live unnoticed in the foundations, under kitchen sinks or in basements – but sometimes, with more severe infestations, you may be able to notice them throughout the house – even in bedrooms and sitting rooms.  But what causes silverfish – are they indeed caused by dampness in the home?

The Main Cause of Silverfish

The main cause of silverfish is damp, humid and moist conditions in the home – these are the only conditions that silverfish can live in, and while not all damp places will attract silverfish – they are unable to live anywhere that is dry.  I have written more about silverfish – and why they can only live in damp conditions here – but the short answer is they need moisture, and without it they die.

While silverfish may not be dangerous, they do cause problems – and even without hem, damp conditions can lead to other problems such as mould and even structural damage to your home over time.

How Do They Find Damp Areas?

Even if you keep your house clean and tidy, if there are damp areas (for example caused by leaking pipes under the floor or sink) then there is a big risk that you may get silverfish at some point.  Keeping your kitchens and bathrooms clean will heal to prevent them, but it will not ensure that they never attempt to live and multiply in your home.

Two of the most common ways for silverfish to find somewhere to live in your home are:

  1. To come up through the basement or foundations – this is often a damp area too.
  2. To enter on the bottom of shoes – aside from people’s homes, silverfish live in damp areas like woodlands (especially piles of leaves and rotting wood), gardens and external buildings (e.g. outside toilets, sheds, etc.)

They will often slip in unnoticed, up through the foundations or on shoes and clothes – then, if they find the damp and humid environment they need to survive in your home, they may decide to take up residence!

It is impossible to prevent the odd silverfish from getting in this way – but if your home is dry, they will not live long and probably go completely unnoticed – without infesting your home at all.

How to Get Rid of Silverfish Naturally

The key to getting rid of silverfish in your home without having to use dangerous pesticides or poisons is simple – click here for more information about the best way to get rid of silverfish fast.

There is not one single natural way, but many – and the most effective way to stop them from coming back is to get rid of any dampness or excess moisture in your home.

There are also a lot of chemical solutions available – but bear in mind that while these should kill the silverfish that are in your home at the moment, they will not do much to prevent them – the best way to do this is with one of these recommended natural ways to get rid of and prevent silverfish from coming back.

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Feb 27 2012

How to get rid of silverfish – chemical solutions to kill pests in the home

category: Silverfish author:

There are a number of natural ways to get rid of silverfish in your home, largely focusing on making it impossible for them to survive there.  However, for some severe infestations, the fastest way to get rid of them may be to use professional exterminators or chemical products that you can buy and use yourself at home.

I would only recommend chemical treatments for severe infestations though, as thy can be expensive and some chemicals can have a negative impact you your health and that of your family.  Moreover, unless the conditions that attract silverfish and enable them to live and multiply in your home are addressed correctly, they are likely to eventually come back – so I would still recommend using a natural silverfish prevention and extermination strategy like these as well.

What methods are available?

There are two options – buy some chemical treatments from your local hardware store (or garden center, builder’s merchant, even supermarket or retailer) or hire in the professional exterminators to deal with the silverfish in your home.

The first option is cheaper, but getting rid of silverfish in this way is more complicated and hard work than it may seem, not to mention, using chemicals you must be extra careful to make sure you are protected from any side effects.  This is a potentially serious issue – these chemicals are designed to kill living creatures (in this case silverfish), so they can almost certainly have a negative effect on the health of a human.  If you choose this one be aware of two important things:

1. Make sure you get the right products that will do the job thoroughly
2. Be careful – do not cut corners where safety is concerned.

The second option is to get some professional exterminators in to thoroughly treat the whole of the affected areas.  This will be much more expensive, however, it could be much safer and more effective.  You would be surprised how difficult it can be to treat a house effectively for silverfish.

The second is often the best option, but will be more expensive.  Again do not forget that using chemical treatments is not the only way to get rid of silverfish – there are a number of highly effective natural ways to exterminate them without the risk of poisonous chemicals.  Click here for more information about these.

Do they work?

Usually yes.  Of course, if you hire professional extermination specialists, the effectiveness of their work will depend as much on their skill and capability as the method itself in theory.  But if you get some professional professionals (!) in, this is about the most effective and fastest way to get rid of silverfish in your home.

Bear in mind though that getting rid of them initially is only one part of the battle – you also need to make sure your home is permanently safe from their return too.

Are chemical treatments for silverfish ever a good idea?

With severe infestations, this can be the only method available if you need to get rid of the fast and comprehensively – for example, if you are renovating a damaged or dilapidated property that has a significant problem with silverfish.

It is effective, but expensive.  You must also make sure that the conditions in your house are not the kind that attract silverfish – if they remain the same, there is a risk they will return later.

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Feb 12 2012

How to Prevent Silverfish in Your Home

category: Silverfish author:

Silverfish are a common menace in homes throughout the world – and they can be hard to get rid of too.  There are a number of different causes of silverfish in the home, and while it is possible to get rid of them fairly quickly – even with natural methods, most people would rather prevent them from ever infesting their homes in the first place.  That is what this post is going to be all about: how to prevent silverfish from entering and infesting your home.

Silverfish are annoying, unsightly and certainly unhygienic, however, they are not know to be of serious threat to your health like some bugs can be.  Never the less, they do cause a variety of problems.  The good news is though, that in most cases it is quite simple to prevent them ever becoming a problem – or if they have been in the past, to stop them from coming back again.

There are two main things to focus on if you want to prevent silverfish from becoming a problem in your home or to prevent them from returning:

1. Keep your home dry – silverfish can only live in moist and humid conditions.

2. Hygiene - be ruthless about keeping your bathrooms and kitchen clean and tidy.

These are key – they are the most effective way to prevent silverfish from ever taking over your home.

Silverfish live in damp conditions

Silverfish can only survive in damp and humid conditions – in a dry environment they will quickly perish.  It does not matter if you bring them in on the bottom of your shoes, in a totally dry home with no damp or moist patches for them to live in, 99 times out of a hundred they will be unable to survive.  This is the most effective way to prevent them – keeping damp and moist areas out of your home at all times.

There are some very useful guides to be found here for those who have a problem with silverfish – or who simply want a complete plan of action to prevent them.

Keeping your home dry is by far the most effective way to prevent or even get rid of silverfish.

Keeping the bathroom and kitchen clean and tidy

I am sure that you already do this – however, it is an effective way to keep silverfish out of your home, so I want to talk about it anyway.

The kitchen and bathrooms are the parts of the average home that are most often affected by silverfish – usually because they are more likely to be affected by moisture or higher levels of humidity than a dining room or lounge.

An effective way of stopping an infestation before it becomes a problem is to keep surfaces and floors clean and tidy – so any silverfish that do find their way into your home are dealt with quickly.  Also, keeping things organised may help to prevent areas of your kitchen or bath room becoming damp – the environment that silverfish need to survive.

More information…

There are some very effective and comprehensive guides available online that explain exactly how to prevent and get rid of silverfish in any home.  Click here to find out more about the best silverfish extermination and prevention guides.

Please also have a look around at the other articles on this site – it is all about how to get rid of silverfish in the home.

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Feb 03 2012

What Problems do Silverfish Cause?

category: Silverfish author:

Silverfish are a common menace in the home – millions of homes around the world are afflicted by them, and there are a lot of people looking for the answer to the problem: how to get rid of silverfish once and for all.

I have written more extensively about the most effective ways to get rid of silverfish here, and if you are interested in finding a quick and natural solution then please click here to have a look at the guides that I recommend too.

But this post is more about the problems that they cause than the solutions – and that is what I want to focus on now.  A lot of people see silverfish in their homes, worry about it, but are unaware of the unpleasant side effects the nasty little bugs cause.

What Problems do Silverfish Cause in the Home?

There are a variety – and while they are not dangerous or likely to cause any severe diseases (they are dirty though) – silverfish are certainly a menace.

Damage to your home

Silverfish feed on starchy materials such as glue and paper – which means that if given the chance will eat and cause significant damage to books, papers, wallpaper - they may even find their way into sugar and coffee jars!

This can leave precious and valuable objects damaged and even affect the value of your home.

Eat your food and cereals!

As I mentioned above, silverfish live off starchy products.  They are also most common in the more damp and humid parts of your home, such as the kitchen and bathroom, which means that you will often find them going after your food products such as cereals, sugar, coffee, bread and biscuits (among other foods and products).

Not only do they like the cereal itself, but the box and even the glue that holds it together!

It would be pretty horrible to wake up and find these awful bugs in your food – but it is possible., so be careful and try to store all food in sealed containers if you know that you have a problem with silverfish in your kitchen.  Better yet, have a look at the most effective way to get rid of them here.

Silverfish have even been know to eat plants…

This is true too – although possibly not as popular as other food sources such as paper and starch.

…and Clothes?

Yes.  Silverfish damage clothes – by trying to eat them.   For many people this is the most annoying and expensive problem associated with silverfish.

Finally, Silverfish are embarrassing.

​I would hate for people to come into my home and feel as though it was dirty or infested with bugs.  That would feel awful – which is why it is very embarrassing for people to see silverfish (which many people, often incorrectly, believe to be caused by dirty and unclean conditions) in my house.

In fact, they are not attracted to dirt – but moisture and humidity.  However, a lot of people associate them with a lack of cleanliness and that can be an embarrassment.

How to Get Rid of Silverfish Naturally

There you have it – a list of the main problems that silverfish cause in the home.  Of course this list is not exhaustive, there may well be more – so feel free to add to the discussion in the comments section of the page.

If you are interested in getting rid of silverfish or preventing them naturally – I fully recommend this guide.  It is full of useful and effective methods to exterminate silverfish naturally and in less than a week – permanently.

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Jan 05 2012

Why Are Silverfish a Problem in the Home?

category: Silverfish author:

Silverfish are a common problem in the home – it is estimated that in the United States alone, there are currently more than a million households which have a problem with silverfish.  However, are silverfish actually hat much of a problem?  And if so – what do they do that is so bad?  Spread disease?  damage your home and furniture?  That is what I want to talk about i the post – however, if you are looking for a fast and effective method o get rid of silverfish quickly and permanently this article may be of more interest to you.

Do Silverfish Spread Disease?

Yes and no, actually.  Silverfish are not know to carry any particular bacteria that you should worry about – they are not like rats or mice, or many other types of vermin that you may find in the home or garden.

That said, they are not hygienic my any standards and as they come in contact with the floor and damp, moist places that are a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and germs you certainly do not want them anywhere near your food!  The problem is, one of the main areas in the home that is likely to be affected by silverfish is the kitchen.

In short – while silverfish are not known to spread any specific kind of bacteria, they are unhygienic and will spread germs in your home, so do not eat anything that they have been near.

What Problems do they Cause Then?

The main problems that silverfish cause are damage to your property and home furnishings (especially books) as well as make your home appear unclean to people who may notice them (I think this is the main concern for moat people).

Silverfish are known to eat (and destroy) anything starchy - such as paper, books, clothing, carpets and photos – as well as food such as sugar and coffee.  They really are a menace if you have a lot of books or photographs and the fact that they may target food like sugar and coffee is quite worrying too.

These are the main two problems with silverfish – but of course you must also consider the fact they they are unhygienic and live in places you would want to remain clean, such as the bathroom and especially the kitchen.

If you have or have had silverfish in your home and have experienced any other negative side effects (or positive – that would be a first!) please feel free to let me know here.  I am always interested in reader contributions to my blog.

How Can You Get Rid Of Silverfish in your Home?

There are many insecticides on the market that will provide immediate relief, but are less effective in the long term, as the conditions that attract silverfish persist. Professional bug killers are an expensive option, but for severe infestations may be necessary.  However, I have also found that there are a lot of effective natural (and largely free or at least very cheap) methods of getting rid of silverfish permanently – so that they never return.  Click here for more information about this – I have written a long article on the best all-natural silverfish killing and preventing methods here.

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Dec 28 2011

Getting Rid of Silverfish – Some Good Resources

category: Silverfish author:

I have written about the most effective ways to get rid of silverfish on this web site, however, there are a lof of other useful resources available too.  In this post I want to list some of them and explain how they may be of use.

However – if you are just here looking for ways to get rid of silverfish click here for my main post on the subject!

What are Silverfish and Where do They Come From?

Wikipedia has a comprehensive article on Silverfish here, but there are other good resources to find out about what silverfish are here and the conditions that attract them to your home here.  A website from the UK talks about the connections between silverfish and bed bugs – often homes with one may be affected by the other.

Some people on Yahoo Answers ask what causes silverfish and what they eat here.

Texas A&M University also has some useful information here.

Effective Ways to Get Rid of Silverfish

There are a lot of free resources that have information about how to get rid of silverfish – both naturally / holistically as well as with chemical insecticides.  However, in my opinion the best guides are the most reasonably priced step-by-step systems to get rid of silverfish and make sure they never return (click here for more information).

However, as for free information from around the web a good place to start would be here – a fairly comprehensive guide from Squidoo.com about getting rid of silverfish in the home.

How to Get Rid of Stuff has a good article, as does (somewhat surprisingly) the Money Saving Expert forum (UK based finance site).

These web sites are good, but are all lacking a lot of practical advice for those desperate to rid their homes of these annoying bugs.  For more information about the best guides that I would recommend click here.

More General Silverfish Related Resources

Wikipedia again…

There are many more resources available – from web sites around the world.

The most effective methods that I recommend.

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Dec 22 2011

How to Get Rid of Silverfish Quickly

category: How to get rid of silverfish author:

Lots of households suffer from an infestation of silverfish and the most commonly affected areas are those which require a high level of hygiene – such as the kitchen and bathroom.  However, do not assume that they cannot spread to other areas of the house!  Silverfish live in dam and warm areas in the home no matter where they are.

But what is the best way to get rid of silverfish?  Is is possible to be rid of them permanently within just a few days or weeks?

How to Get Rid of Silverfish Naturally

The most effective permanent cure for silverfish is to clear up any damp, moist and humid areas in your hoe (or wherever is affected by them).  The simple fact is that Silverfish cannot survive in dry conditions – so as long as your home becomes and remains dry there is no way that the Silverfish will be able to survive and multiply.

There are a number of different chemical treatments that are effective at killing silverfish in a short space of time – ranging in price from less than $10 (£6-7) right up to over $1,000!

These are probably the fastest way to kill the bugs themselves is to use a chemical treatment or insecticide (assuming you are able to get all of them – bear in mind many more will live in hard to reach places than those that you will easily be able to see).  however, this is not a permanent solution – for as long as the dam and humid conditions in your property persist, eventually (often sooner rather than later) the silverfish will return.

The only permanent solution is to make your home impossible for them to survive in – dry.

Chemical treatments as the name suggests contain poisonous ingredients that may cause harm to you and your family, while getting rid of the damp in your home is entirely natural.

So there are two choices:

Chemical Treatments

  • Fast but not always permanent
  • Can be expensive
  • Hard to kill all of the silverfish in your home with the cheaper options (professional exterminators are more effective but much more costly)
  • Chemicals may have side effects

Natural Remedies

  • Entirely natural and will not harm you or your family – no chemicals needed, no side effects
  • Permanent
  • Usually cheaper
  • Usually takes a few weeks to be effective – slower than many chemical treatments

The best on will; depend entirely on the situation in your home and what you are willing to pay – as well as weather or not you want a natural solution or not.  Even with the faster chemical treatments it is always advisable to fix the damp problem to prevent the silverfish from coming back.

Fo9r more information on how to get rid of silverfish click here.

Nov 24 2011

Are Silverfish Dangerous?

category: Silverfish author:

A lot of people who’s homes have a problem with silverfish are left wondering if they pose a danger or hazard to the structure of their homes or spread germs and disease.  If this is something that has concerned you, then I’m happy to tell you that the news is generally good – silverfish are not like wood worms or other bugs that will slowly eat away at your home, nor are they responsible for spreading any serious illnesses.  however, like most bugs they are certainly not clean and hygienic and as they live in areas like the kitchen or bathroom, this is a potentially serious issue to consider – mainly how to prevent them getting into your food!

Silverfish are caused by a range of different factors and can be easy to get rid of permanently, however,

Another issue that concerns many people trying to get rid of silverfish is the effect that chemicals and pesticides used in the extermination (there are other more natural and safe methods though) can have on your family.  This is noth something I could comment on as I am not aware what chemicals you may be using – however, I would always prefer to use a natrual extermination method and know many to be very effective.

For more information about how to get rid of silverfish click here.

Nov 14 2011

Effective Ways to Kill Silverfish

category: How to get rid of silverfish author:

They are a common problem in damp areas of the home, such as the kitchen an bathroom, but a lot of people are left wondering how to kill silverfish – and stop them from coming back.  Sprays and chemicals are effective, especially in the short term, but as long as the damp or moist areas that attract silverfish to your home remain, they will almost certainly come back.

Where do silverfish come from?

Silverfish are attracted to moist, damp, warm and humid areas – wherever these conditions exist together you will at some point almost certainly find silverfish.  Indeed, they are unable to survive in dry or cold environments, which ultimately is the key to getting rid of them.

They can enter your house completely unnoticed on the bottom of a shoe or on clothes – their natural habitat is in woodland areas and among leaves on the floor – but can also come into a home through the foundations, especially if the damp area they are attracted to is caused by excess water or flooding outside.

For most people it will be impossible to stop any silverfish from entering their house at some point, but if there are no damp and warm areas they will not survive or breed.  To prevent an infestation or to kill the silverfish in your home the best thing to do is change the conditions to an environment that they cannot survive in.

What is the most effective way to kill silverfish?

The best way to both prevent and kill silverfish in your home is to get rid of any damp areas – almost as soon as you do this any silverfish lining in the area will die.

This is much easier than it may sound – if you are looking to prevent an infestation or to kill the silverfish already in your home, I would recommend this guide.

There are of course, other methods, such as using chemical sprays or even in serious cases calling in a silverfish exterminator (this is only really necessary in the most extreme cases), however, if you want to get rid of silverfish naturally and without using any potentially harmful chemicals this is the best and most complete guide available.

Click here to download it now – or find out more.

It’s fast and in my experience almost always effective – it’s also completely natural and unlike most insecticides and chemical treatments, this guide shows you how to stop silverfish from coming back.  It is also very simple to follow – so simple, you’ll wish you had thought of it sooner!

Nov 02 2011

Silverfish Extermination – Is It Worth The Money?

category: How to get rid of silverfish author:

A lot of people desperate to get rid of a silverfish infestation in their home turn to expensive silverfish extermination services – but are they really worth the money, or are there other ways to get rid of silverfish that are cheaper, just as fast and that do not involve harmful chemicals being used in your home?  The answer is very often yes.

Professional silverfish exterminators are probably the only way to get rid of the most severe infestations of the bugs – where they are present in almost every room in large numbers, however, with most cases in the home it is possible to get

Advantages of Silverfish Extermination Services?

Getting professionals in to solve your silverfish problem may be expensive but the advantages are that its’ quick, you don’t have to do anything yourself and it virtually always works (at least in the short term – see below for problems with underlying causes of silverfish infestations).

If you decide to call in the professionals – make sure that they guarantee their work for at least a year, as it can get very expensive if you have to keep calling them in.

Disadvantages?

Of course the people who work to get rid of silverfish are skilled and have all of the tools they need to exterminate the bugs – but often this does not treat the underlying cause of an infestation; which is usually too much moisture in your home or persistent damp patches.  Without treating the causes of an infestation, it will likely only be a matter of time before the silverfish return.

Probably the biggest disadvantage for some people is the use of dangerous chemicals in the extermination process, which could adversely effect you and your family.

It is also much more expensive than treating the problem naturally by yourself – if this option appeals to you I would recommend this guide to getting rid of silverfish permanently.  Click here for more information.

The Best Solution

The best solution to an infestation of silverfish depends how severe it is and what the causes are.  If there are silverfish throughout your home destroying all your possessions, the best thing to do is probably to hire an exterminator – fast.

If, however, you have seen silverfish in your kitchen or bathroom that may be caused by damp or excess moisture (or you are not sure of the cause and want to find out more about what can cause silverfish as well as get rid of them) I would recommend one of these guides to getting rid of silverfish permanently – without needing any harmful chemicals or spending lots of money.

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