Silverfish Control
Silverfish Control In Singapore
Are They a Big Threat?
Silverfishes are not a big threat to home owners because they do not bite or spread any time of disease. However, the main concern about having silverfishes in your premise is that it can cause damages to your personal belongings, such as paper, wallpaper.
How Do They Enter My Premise?
Silverfishes often enter a premise through its foundation cracks, screens, or even gaps around doors. They are also often brought inside a home through cardboard boxes and plastic containers. They thrive in warm and moist spaces.
What Are Silverfish Insects Like?
- Colour: bluish-silver / white to brown-grey in colour
- Shape: they have a teardrop-shaped body
- Length: from 12-19 mm in length
- Tail: three long bristles on their rear
- Lifecycle: 3 stages: Egg > Nymph > Adult
- Reproduction: Female silverfishes produce one to three eggs per day, or clusters of two to twenty. They can produce eggs all year round.
Silverfish are nocturnal creatures and are very secretive in nature. It is easy for them to go undetected for a long period fo time, and thus allows for them to breed rapidly till the situation goes out of hand.
Silverfish Facts & Details
What Do They Eat?
- Paper
- Clothing, linen, silk
- Carbohydrates, such as sugars, starches, etc.
- Cellulose
- Shampoos
- Glue found in books
- Wallpaper
- Even dead insects!
- And yes even pet food!
They are also often found in unopened food packages.
Where Do They Thrive?
They prefer to gather in dark and damp areas such as a premise’s basements, attics, sometimes even in kitchens or bathrooms.
Because they are particularly attracted to paper and damp items (e.g. clothing), they can commonly be found in stored boxes in garages, rubbish area or even sheds.
How Disruptive Are Silverfish?
They May Cause Allergies
They do not spread diseases, but it is said that they can trigger certain allergies in people. Silverfishes’ molted skins and droppings are forms of allergens. Tropomyosin is a protein that is found in their exoskeletons, and it can be mixed with other types of allergens caused by other pests, thereby creating stronger and more harmful allergens for humans.
They May Attract Other Pests
It is said that their presence can attract other pests. But there is also the argument that because they tend to dwell in damp areas, naturally other pests that like damp environments will also gather with these silverfishes.
They May Cause Damage to Personal Items
As mentioned, because they are attracted to paper and clothing, they can cause a great deal of damage and cause large holes to be on your personal items.
Signs of Silverfish Infestation
- Feeding marks
- Yellow stains found on affected fabrics (they usually will not chew off the entire material)
- Damaged personal belongings
- Actual sightings of silverfishes
- They are often seen in damp environments
- Sightings of their cast skins (they molt throughout their lifetime)
- Finding irregular shaped holes in fabrics / wallpaper (they like to eat the glue in wallpaper)
Silverfish DIY Prevention & Control
Silverfish can survive in almost any environment. However, they prefer areas with high humidity (high concentration of water vapour in the air). The Nymphs develop much faster in those areas. One effective way to prevent infestation to control your premise’s humidity and ensure that it does not become damp
Control Humidity
- Keep your basements dry and use caulking
- Fix areas that have water leakages
- Open your vents in crawl spaces if applicable
- Exercise strict housekeeping rules in your home – store your food safely (as silverfishes can consume a great variety of foods)
Recommended Silverfish Control Insecticides
LambdaStar UltraCap 9.7 & Cyper WSP (odorless)
Use these two insecticides and spray along the foundation wall. The solution can last from two to three months.
Cimexa Dust & D-Fense Dust
Apply these insecticide dust to areas that can be kept dry. Both types of dusts can last till six months. Pay particular attention to insulation when applying these solutions.
Recommended Silverfish Control Baits & Traps
Intice Granular Bait & PT 221L Residual Insecticide Aerosol
Place these baits in areas that you think have silverfishes: basements, crawlspaces, etc.
These traps allow you to target hard tor reach areas where silverfishes might be hidding.
Our Silverfish Control Methods
If your silverfish infestation is getting out of hand. These DIY methods might not be as effective in getting rid of silverfishes within a short period of time. These DIY methods are effective in killing individual silverfishes, but they cannot tackle an entire population of silverfishes, and their eggs. Thus, it is suggested that you engage a professional that is able to formulate a comprehensive solution that is customised for your premise
Diagnosis To Execution To Monitoring
- Home Inspection.
- Assessment & Diagnosis.
- Eminent Pest Control is trained to help manage silverfish. We will design a unique program for your situation.
- Keeping silverfish out of your home is an ongoing process, not a one-time treatment
Solve Your Pest Issues Once And For All Today
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