Silverfish

[Mike Hartigan]

They're ba-a-a-a-a-a-ck! We've been without these things since November. They reappeared a couple weeks ago when we had a warm spell, so I'm assuming that they're coming from the attic - probably through the recessed lights above the whirlpool that they seem to favor. I've got a couple pounds of boric acid for this purpose, but how do I get it into their space? I'd like to avoid climbing up into the attic, particularly because I'm afraid of my reaction if I lift the insulation and suddenly see a million of them scurrying for cover. They're harmless, but in large numbers, they're really, really creepy!

[Nancy Young]

"Mike Hartigan" wrote

Silverfish love a moist environment. I knew that much so I googled and this site has some interesting information. For one thing it says to put the bait in the light fixture. I guess it would be easy enough to get into there.

nancy

[Lar]

You won't be able to properly apply the BA dust evenly in the attic. There is a boric acid bait from Dekko that is easy to use and would be able to place where needed. Also placing a Prozap Pest Strip in the attic above the main area of activity works wonders.

Lar

[Larry Caldwell]

My 100% concrete and masonry college dorm was infested with silverfish. Word was they ate the glue in the binding of books.

[Eigenvector]

Silverfish are like cockroaches - they eat the refuse we leave behind. But yes they also eat glue, paper, and anything loosely associated with carbohydrates and starches. They drink the water we don't mop up - like the stuff around the sink.

Keep a nice and tidy house, seal up the grains, flours, and other starches and they'll eventually migrate back outside where they normally live. I consider silverfish more of an indication that your house needs to be cleaned than anything else. They're extremely common and utterly harmless - except that they attract or support predators like centipedes and spiders.

[Just Joshin]

They have to work to get their food, if you find you have many, cut off their food supply. So, I've been told.

tom @

[gntry]

[Edge]

Once silverfish make their way to the attic it will be nearly impossible to get rid of them. They have plenty of food, a nice insulation blanket to keep them warm and protect them from chemical attack , and can reproduce faster than you can kill them.

I spotted some silverfish in my second floor bedroom a couple years ago. Turns out that the source of these bugs were from the outside. A small opening in the sill plate allowed them to enter into the basement. There it seems they followed the electrical conduit drill openings upward and exited out the baseboard on the second floor. Plugging the opening in the basement stopped them. I believe that the silverfish were living in the wood mulch around the house. I also believe that they might have come in the mulch bags I bought earlier that month. It is also probably not a good idea to store mulch bags in the garage before using them. Store them outside.

If you can't kill them all, you have to contain them. Its a dirty job, but go to the attic and find every hole that allow them to get into your living quarters. Conduit drill outs seem to be especially good pathways for them. Fill these openings with caulk, foam, or just fiberglass insulation. You can also, in addition, sprinkle boric acid powder around these openings.

[Lar]

Impossible to seal off EVERY light fixture, especially can lighting, electrical plates, plumbing penetrations and baseboards in the home. Gas water heater closets will have a ventilation cut through the ceiling into the attic itself.

Lar

[Just Joshin]

In NE Pa. I've not seen any in my basement, but the two upstairs baths have had their occasional visitor.

I have a 5 year old, and if I don't vacuum often, I get every type of creepy crawly in my house.

tom