Getting rid of silverfish can be a difficult task. They are nocturnal creatures that normally roam homes late at night, in search of food and water. Their flat bodies make them ideal hiders capable of squeezing into even the smallest cracks and crevices during daylight hours.

Before you decide how to get rid of silverfish in your home, you will have to confirm the enemy and its hiding spots. Silverfish and firebrats are both common in homes and look similar to each other. Both belong to the most primitive order of insects and are marked by carrot-shaped bodies and long antennae.

"The common silverfish, Lepisma saccharina, is shiny, silver or pearl gray, and about 1/2 inch long, although it can grow as long as 3/4 inch. The common firebrat, Thermobia domestica is shiny, a mottled gray or brown, and about 1/2 inch long. Adults of both species are slender, wingless, soft-bodied insects with 2 long, slender antennae... Their bodies taper gradually from front to rear to 3 long, thin, tail-like appendages. Although small nymphs (those that are less than 1/8 inch long) lack scales, both large nymphs and adults have them. If you see scales around or beneath damaged items, it is a good indication that these pests are the culprits."

To help get rid of silverfish, you should first monitor the infestation in your home, we suggest the following:

"Since silverfish are nocturnal, you usually won't see them. To detect and monitor infestations, Zeropest Australia use monitoring sticky trap stations. The insects climb into the monitoring station and can't climb back out. Place these traps or jars in corners and along edges where foraging is likely. Because these insects can travel long distances while looking for food, it can be difficult to pinpoint the infestation source."

How to Help Prevent Silverfish

Prevention is key to avoiding many infestations. The best way to control a silverfish population and limit future infestations is to develop a prevention plan.