Have you seen tiny, silver insects crawling around on the floor in your bathroom or some other humid location in your Frisco home? Have you tried to get rid of them with DIY treatments and fallen short of your goal? It happens. Sadly, it happens a lot. DIY treatments don't work well against silverfish because silverfish live mostly in dark, damp places. If you see a few in your cellar, there are likely to be hundreds inside ceiling voids where you can't see them. If you notice a few in your bathroom, they are going to be lots more in the voids under your cabinets and in your walls. You're not likely to get every silverfish in your home using topical sprays, desiccants, and sticky traps. You need to understand the problem and hit it at its core.
Why You Need To Attack The Root of The Problem
As insects go, silverfish live a long time. While many insects only live within the season of the year they hatch, a silverfish can live up to 8 years. In their 8 years of life, they can have a lot of babies in their home. If you don't change the conditions that allow silverfish to get in and survive inside your home, you will have ongoing trouble with these pests.
Keeping Silverfish Out
These insects target low entry points in your home. They are unable to chew their way through the wood, so they often use holes created by other wood-damaging pests, such as mice, rats, carpenter ants, and termites. All of these pests are drawn to chew on wood that has been damaged and softened by water. This is perfect for silverfish since they prefer to be in areas that are damp. All of these pests are like dark places because they are mostly nocturnal by nature. This is also perfect for silverfish—the darker the better. Understanding this can help you find the entry points wood-damaging pests are making and seal them up so pests can't easily get into your home. Look for holes in the:
- Soleplates. These are the horizontal timbers on top of your foundation. Their proximity to the ground makes them susceptible to water damage.
- Seals around door and window frames or in the frames themselves, particularly frames that are near the ground and in damp, shaded areas.
- Weatherstripping and door sweeps. Mice and rats can make quick work of chewing through these materials if you let them. When they do, silverfish wiggle right in.
Silverfish will take advantage of any gap or crack in your home. Here are a few ways they'll get in:
- Gaps around pipes.
- Cracks in cement walls and foundations.
- Chipped mortar.
- Unprotected weep holes.
Changing Conditions That Help Silverfish Survive
Moisture is a high priority for silverfish. Without moisture, they dry up and die. Everything you do to control moisture around your Frisco home will help to reduce silverfish populations. Here are a few tips:
- Make sure your gutters are clear of debris and that rainwater is allowed to flow down and away from your home.
- Trim tree branches to allow sunlight to dry shaded areas.
- Put spacing between plants in your landscaping to provide good airflow. This helps to dry topsoil after you water your plants or after it rains.
On the interior of your home, install fans and dehumidifiers through your home. This will help to drop the humidity level and make the climate uncomfortable for silverfish habitation. This is particularly important in basements, cellars, and bathrooms.
Added Protection
If you use the methods above and you're still seeing silverfish, it may be necessary for pest control products to be used. This is where we can help. Our team applies EPA-approved products according to strict safety guidelines. With these pest control services, we can help you get the results you're looking for without compromising the health of your family. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.