Silverfish: causes and helpful home remedies
What are silverfish?
Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina = "sugar guest") are silver-colored insects with six legs and five antennae. Silverfish are about one centimeter tall. you are photophobia, nocturnal and love humid-warm climate, Due to high room temperature and high humidity, they prefer to stay in kitchens, bathrooms and basements.
Their hiding places are Put, loose wallpaper and any scratch, Especially the silverfish feed on starchy substances, but also among others of synthetic fibers, cotton, dander, paper, House dust mites, molds and dead insects, Even if they are not pests, we do not like the silverfish in our home.
Causes of a silverfish attack
- House dust mites, molds, hair and dander in the apartment are the perfect food supply for silverfish.
- At a room temperature from 20-30 degrees Celsius and a high one humidity from 80 to 90 percent Silverfish feel particularly well.
- The one or other silverfish gets through too broken pipes or leaky joints into the flat.
Fight silverfish
Although silverfish are not dangerous or harmful, we do not want the little insects to be in our books, between our food and in joint stings, always surprising us. Before we hire an exterminator, we can take remedial action ourselves. These home remedies help against the silverfish infestation:
- A true all-rounder among home remedies: baking powder, Mix with a little sugar and use as bait.
- Affected rooms with a small bowl full lemon, vinegar or lavender to fill. These odors Do not like the silverfish at all.
- sticky traps help against the silverfish. Place a paper with honey on the floor overnight. The next morning, dispose of the trap and the insects. Or you get Kleiden from the drugstore.
- Another silverfish trap: potatoes, They are also a good bait to fight the silverfish. Place a sliced potato on an open plastic bag at night and the fish can be left in the bag the next day.
Prevent silverfish
- In order to give the silverfish no feel-good climate, you should ventilate regularly. What you have to pay attention to, you will learn here: Ventilate properly.
- The heat in the apartment should be properly regulated. That's why heating is important.
- Eliminate retreats by securing loose wallpaper and closing all cracks in floors and joints.
- Do not leave food open.
- Remove hair in the bathroom regularly.
- Flush outlets regularly.
- Treat mildew (which home remedies help, you can find out here: cleaning joints).
You finally want to crack down on silverfish? The three most effective tips, you see in the video above!
Which animals also like to hide behind pictures, beds, wallpaper and cracks are bed bugs. So you get rid of them: recognize and fight bed bugs. More budget tips can be found on our Pinterest pin board.
Videotipp: This is how you get rid of fruit flies
