Having insects in your home can be disconcerting, to say the least. Unless you keep an ant farm, you want the ants at a safe distance from your food and in the ground rather than around your foundation, thank you very much. How much more unpleasant to discover not a tiny little pavement ant, but a one-inch creature of silvery hue that looks and moves like something that belongs in the water and not in your basement!?
This insect, the silverfish, is a pest that is common throughout New England. Silverfish enter houses for two reasons, to find moisture and to find food. That is why they are often found in more humid areas of the house, such as the basement. Cracks in a foundation are a common entry point for silverfish as they seek to escape dry summer and fall soil. Silverfish feed mostly on starchy items, such as paper, clothing, book bindings, and even wallpaper glue, making storage areas especially good places for them to settle in and multiply.
For a homeowner looking to prevent or mitigate a silverfish infestation, the two main factors to focus on are entry points and environmental control. First, a thorough inspection of your home’s foundation, doors and windows, framing, and piping will alert you to possible avenues for silverfish to gain entry. Second, reducing the level of moisture in your house will make it less of a draw for silverfish. Add dehumidifiers and fans in areas with high moisture, and take note during your inspection of any area that looks to be suffering from water damage, as this will be a huge draw for silverfish if not dealt with. Also, identifying and repairing moist or leaking pipes reduces the number of potential trouble spots.
If you already have a silverfish infestation, these measures can help, but are often inadequate to remove an already present population; that’s where we come in. With dedicated year-round pest control services, Big Blue Bug Solutions will work to evict even a stubborn infestation such as silverfish. As part of our service, we make regularly scheduled visits throughout the year, but if a problem arises in between, we’ll come back at no additional cost to you! Silverfish infestations can be tricky to completely eradicate, but with some common sense measures and the year-round assistance and devotion of Big Blue Bug Solutions, those sneaky little critters will be sent packing.