Silverfish Damage - The Damage Done and Solid Advice on How to Get Rid of Silverfish Critters
Silverfish damage may not be as significant as that caused by other pets such as termites, for example, but it is still a major pain for anyone who has a silverfish infestation in their house. In this article, I'll describe the typical signs of silverfish damage, link this to their diet and finally tell you how you can prevent such damage from being done to your house by silverfish ever again.
Typical Signs Of Silverfish Damage
The most common signs of silverfish damage are holes in wallpaper and books or any other type of paper. Silverfish have also been known to eat through cardboard boxes.
Another common sign of silverfish damage are holes in clothes, regardless of what they are made from. They will even eat through carpets and tapestries.
Other than this, silverfish do not normally leave much behind in the way of damage. They feed only once per year so, although unsightly and "creepy" to some, they do not actually leave behind much in the way of a mess or damage.
The Diet Of Silverfish
Silverfish live on carbohydrates. Their full latin name is "Lepisma saccharina". The last word indicates that they survive on carbohydrates. They especially like starchy carbohydrates so this is why they often eat through wallpaper that is peeling back because they get to feast on both paper and glue. This is also why silverfish love book bindings.
How To Prevent Future Silverfish Damage
The best way to get rid of silverfish is to first starve them and secondly trap them.
You can starve them by keeping your house neat and tidy. Fix any wallpaper that may be peeled back. Keep any books and documents out of sight. Clean up food and drink spills as soon as possible.
You also need to use your vacuum cleaner regularly because silverfish also eat hair and skin/scalp flakes. You lose around 100 hairs a day anyway and if you don't sweep them up then they can feed an entire silverfish family for years.
Secondly, you need to trap and/or kill them. This means using traps (bought or homemade) and powder (boric acid or botanical).
There are further things you can do to prevent future silverfish damage but keeping clean and going after the survivors is a good base strategy to start with.
Typical Signs Of Silverfish Damage
The most common signs of silverfish damage are holes in wallpaper and books or any other type of paper. Silverfish have also been known to eat through cardboard boxes.
Another common sign of silverfish damage are holes in clothes, regardless of what they are made from. They will even eat through carpets and tapestries.
Other than this, silverfish do not normally leave much behind in the way of damage. They feed only once per year so, although unsightly and "creepy" to some, they do not actually leave behind much in the way of a mess or damage.
The Diet Of Silverfish
Silverfish live on carbohydrates. Their full latin name is "Lepisma saccharina". The last word indicates that they survive on carbohydrates. They especially like starchy carbohydrates so this is why they often eat through wallpaper that is peeling back because they get to feast on both paper and glue. This is also why silverfish love book bindings.
How To Prevent Future Silverfish Damage
The best way to get rid of silverfish is to first starve them and secondly trap them.
You can starve them by keeping your house neat and tidy. Fix any wallpaper that may be peeled back. Keep any books and documents out of sight. Clean up food and drink spills as soon as possible.
You also need to use your vacuum cleaner regularly because silverfish also eat hair and skin/scalp flakes. You lose around 100 hairs a day anyway and if you don't sweep them up then they can feed an entire silverfish family for years.
Secondly, you need to trap and/or kill them. This means using traps (bought or homemade) and powder (boric acid or botanical).
There are further things you can do to prevent future silverfish damage but keeping clean and going after the survivors is a good base strategy to start with.
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