Get Rid of Silverfish Naturally – Effective Home Remedies

Pest silverfish close up detail photography (Ctenolepisma longicaudata)

Explore the many tips on how to get rid of silverfish naturally using easy-to-implement home remedies. While there are many ways to achieve this objective, it is important that we all understand that not all methods need to be completed. So before you resort to acquiring professional pest control services, it may be wise to try these simple approaches in your home.

Why Should I Exterminate Silverfish?

Well, the question has been if there is any reason why silverfish have to be exterminated, especially considering the fact that they are generally harmless to people. Well, here is a message from the silverfish:

“Hello humans, I love to watch you take showers in the bathroom, and I also enjoy eating your books, files, clothes, and mounted pictures and wallpapers.”

I am sure you can’t be comfortable to be watched as you shower. Neither will your paper documents be very secure if bookshelves infested with silver bugs. This can be a big blow especially if they happen to destroy critical documents.

You can’t also stand watching them float dead in your lovely cereals and other groceries. Neither will you be pleased to be locking up all your foods in airtight containers every day to safeguard against this filthy bug?

This is your house, and you have to rule yourself, not these silly animals. That is how these little monsters can be a nuisance and the reason why you should exterminate silverfish from your surroundings as soon as notice them.

What are Silverfish attracted to?

Silverfish are attracted to starchy and sugary foods, damp fabrics and papers. They cannot stand watching these items and would pounce on them as soon as darkness sets in.

You are likely to find them in store boxes, sheds, and garages. They love feasting on glues on books, silk, linen cellulose, and dead matters.

One thing you can be sure of is that these insects are not attracted to you, and neither are they attracted to dirty places. That is why they even invade spotless and tidy places, provided they are moist and with a source of food. This insect only hangs around to nibble on starchy substances like pastes, glue, papers, dried cereals, and dead skin cells.

Good news is that- they can be eliminated by merely getting rid of these attracting items/condition from your house and living areas. Dampness can be reduced through good ventilation, vacuuming, and dehumidification.

You also need to seal off gaps and holes around water pipes, because they provide ideal hiding habitat for silverfish. Extermination of silverfish in bed and other hiding places can also be achieved using repellents.

Extermination of Silverfish in Bed using repellents

You may not easily notice silverfish infestation at first, because they will never come your way so easily. They also love dark habitats and may not be easily noticed. Instead, they hide in cracks and crevices during daylight, and because they are shy, they usually come out at night to feast.

It may be too late by the time you realize the damage they have caused in your house and to your items.

Good riddance, if you notice these unwelcome bugs in your bed, you don’t have to worry so much. There are several repellants for the extermination of silverfish in bed. Common natural and organic repellents used to get rid of silverfish fast include:

  1. Cinnamon: This is a popular nonchemical repellant for getting rid of silverfish. They will swiftly take on their heels once they sense Cinnamon smell. The procedure is very simple, cut a stick of Cinnamon and place anywhere these bugs are active- around and under your bed. You can as well use cinnamon sachet if you don’t have sticks.
  2. Citrus Sprays: Another effective silverfish repellant approach to get rid of silverfish in your bed fast. Manufactured citrus can be purchased from home improvement stores and drugs stores. You can also make a cheap one at home using a citrus tree.
  3. Lavender Oil: This is essential oil with repellant properties for silverfish and other insects like booklice and firebrats. You can make one at home by mixing a single teaspoon of lavender oil with one cup of water. Spray the solution on a regular basis around and under your bed including cracks, crevices, and holes on the bed frame. This method will keep these bugs from coming to your home.
  4. Mothballs: Placing mothballs in areas silverfish are prone to visit, and where they are as active as the old boxes, fabrics and bookshelves will prevent their attack. Mothballs smell repels silverfish and can be effectively used to get rid of these bugs from your bed.
  5. Cedar shavings: shavings or pieces of cedar are an effective repellant agent and commonly used to get rid of silverfish from your living areas. You can place cedar shaving in holes, crevices and cracked places of your bed where silverfish have been spotted.
  6. Cucumbers: Place slices of cucumber under your bed to repel these insects from your bed. Remember to replace them after a few as they dry up to get positive outcomes.
  7. Spices like sage, cloves and bay leaves may also be used as repellents to get rid of silverfish and prevent their re-entry in your home. These insects hate strong scents and will run away. Put these spices in a sachet and place them under your bed and you will not see these little monsters in your bed again.

READ: Get Rid of Bed Bugs Naturally

Reasons to Destroy Silverfish Eggs

Silverfish eggs are destroyed to prevent their reproduction- this is essential for their elimination. Silverfish have an awkward mating process rather. The male releases the sperm package on the ground for the female to pick using her rear organ.

She then inserts sperms into her body to fertilize the eggs. The female lays fertilized eggs in crevice and cracks where they cannot be easily found.

The eggs hatch in a matter of weeks and the period depends on the condition of the environment. Eggs hatch into a nymph and then grows into adult silverfish, and this is the reason why you need to destroy silverfish eggs- to prevent hatching and hence their reproduction.

By destroying the eggs, you are definitely preventing the production of new generation of silverfish.

Best Silverfish Repellents – Natural and Artificial

Best silverfish repellents, both natural and artificial are used to get rid of these insects. Even though traps are used to catch silverfish for destruction or transportation away from your home, repellents are meant to prevent them from entering your property.

Repellents are good at safeguarding some sections of your house such as books stores from silverfish invasion. Some repellents are strong, and may completely keep these insects out of your property.

The following are natural and artificial silverfish repellents:

  1. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is white powder. It is soft and less harmful on human touch and animals but works well as a repellent for silverfish.

  1. Cedar Shavings

If you have cedar trees within your home, then you have excellent repellents for silverfish. You can also obtain cedar shavings to repel silverfish from your surroundings.

The odor emitted by cedar trees and shavings naturally repels these squirming animals away from your home. By strategically placing these shavings in certain exterior areas will stop silverfish from invading your home.

Remember to replace them after 3-4 weeks as they lose power.

  1. Citrus Spray

You will find a variety of repellent sprays for stopping silverfish invasion. Common ones include pyrethrin spray that can reach crevices and cracks where silverfish hides.

However, like most other chemical insecticides, pyrethrin is poisonous and could hurt humans through prolonged exposure. Therefore, the natural citrus spray is the best option for you.

  1. Vacuuming

Vacuum cleaning your home can help control and prevent future pest attack. Although this simple tactic is often underestimated, it is capable of killing little silverfish and their eggs.  

  1. Boric Acid

Boric acid is a powdered killer for silverfish and is also used to exterminate other insects. It works much faster and is more aggressive on silverfish than DE. It kills shortly after coming in contact with insects.

  1. Others repellents – Eucalyptus, Bay leaves, Epsom salts, Cinnamon, cucumber peels and sachet mix.

Common sprays for fast Silverfish elimination – Reviews

Citrus Spray

This manufactured specifically to repel silverfish from your living areas. Naturally, Silverfish do not like citrus smell and will run away from it. No special efforts are needed to spray, rather than spraying in areas these creatures hide.

This spray is applauded for being harmless to humans and pets. Online reviews from users have a positive rating, averagely 4/5 stars implying its effectiveness in repelling this nuisance from your homes. The spray is also pocket-friendly compared to others.

Where to buy Citrus spray

This spray is found in most local home improvement stores and drugs stores. You can also order one from online stores like Walgreens and Amazon as well as the leading supermarkets such as Tesco and Wal-Mart.

Pyrethrin Spray

An insecticide spray praised for killing silverfish completely. This spray can penetrate their hiding places and can also kill silverfish eggs and larvae.

Ideally, no special skills are required in using this spray, other than simply spraying it around silverfish habitats.

The rating is very high at 5/5 stars. However, even though less harmful compared to most other pesticide sprays, pyrethrin can be harmful to your eye and lungs on prolonged exposure.

It is hence important to observe precautions when using this spray. Avoid using it on kitchen and food cupboard to prevent contamination.

Where to buy Pyrethrin spray

This spray is found in most local home improvement stores, drugs stores, and pharmacies. You can also order for one from online stores like Walgreens and Amazon, and buying from leading supermarkets such as Tesco and WalMart.

LambdaStar UltraCap

This spray is considered amazing, effective and the best multi-purpose spray ideal for perimeter and indoor treatments around your house. It is odorless, and unlike most sprays, it leaves no films on the surface.

LambdaStar UltraCap has low irritation on the user compared to most pesticides spray in the market. It is labeled for use indoors including kitchen areas as wells outdoors including livestock housing areas.

The spray has long residual protection. It is also easy to spray, no special skills needed here, rather than following instructions on the label.

Where to buy LambdaStar UltraCap

You can order this product online from doyourpestcontrol.com website for fast and free shipping to your location.

Demand CS Silverfish Spray

This product is able to kill and provide protection against silverfish attack for an extended residual time. It is also harmless to people and the environment.

Just like LambdaStar, it is recommended for both indoor and outdoor use, including kitchen and livestock housing. Irritation to the skin is low, and it is effective in all climatic environments.

The rating by users is quite high – 5/5. It also has repellent properties for Silverfish and several other insects including mosquitoes.

Where to Buy Demand CS

You can order this product online from the doyourpestcontrol.com website for fast and free shipping to your location.

References for Sprays for Silverfish

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