Silverfish

[icelollycraving]

Has anyone managed to eradicate them? I have a spray which worked well when I first saw them. I’m seeing them in different rooms now. Home is not damp, it’s a newish build. I saw them first in the ensuite but have now spotted them in most rooms periodically.
I spray the stuff but I’m cautious about going to heavy on it as it does affect my breathing. I know they can feast on paper, dust etc.
Tips appreciated, please no horror stories!!

Also, dried foods etc are stored in glass kilner jars etc.

House spiders are quite good at eating silverfish although I'd rather have silverfish.
A few drops of cedar wood essential oil dropped onto blotting paper or similar and wedged in cupboard corners or under bathroom and kitchen sinks/ cupboards will kill them off over time.
Having said that we have silverfish and happily co-exist with them, they don't do any damage in the kitchen, they don't spread disease and I think I'm right in saying they are the oldest insect on the planet being direct descendent of some sort of anthropoid from the time of the dinosaurs!
However we've only ever had a few, if we had an infestation and / or they started doing any damage to our soft furnishings I might feel differently.

I've seen them in every house we've lived in.

I tend to ignore them uless they're in the bath at the same time I want to be in it...

unless

Well I’d rather them then lots of other pests! I’m not too freaked out but would rather they were gone if possible.

Ours disappeared with a sprinkling of diatomaceous earth and have not come back. Don’t breathe it in yourself as i think it isn’t good for lungs despite being a natural product

They are usually in damp rooms where there is water eg bathrooms and utility rooms.

You can buy a white powder especially for them to sprinkle along the skirting boards and around the base of sinks. It works but it’s messy as you have to leave it for a few days and then reapply.

We had a big problem with them a couple of years ago and the powder sorted it. I suspect they were accessing the en-suite from the attic and into the light fitting.

We used to get them in the bathroom but not now, when the bathroom was redecorated cushionfloor was used and it was sealed to the skirting with silicone. So no hiding places for silverfish, because no gaps a floor level and I’ve never seen them climbing.

I saw one half way up the wall earlier.
As op said, the first time I found them was when dropped out of the mirror which is lit up. Went for a midnight wee and put the mirror light on, out fell a couple. I’ve strayed near the mirror, around skirting boards etc. I’ve seen reports of the powder but with a cat and a child, don’t think that’s practical. I’ll definitely look though.

@icelollycraving I put up traps in the three rooms I've seen them in. I really don't like having them in the house. We're moving and i'm actually worried we could somehow take them with us

Ooh, traps? Like those sticky ones?

@icelollycraving yes but none were in there this morning. Let's wait and see.

@gemloving any luck yet? A great big one crawled across the bloody work surface in the kitchen earlier whilst I was cooking. I’d opened a drawer not used often and I think I’d disturbed him.

The only room I see them in is the bathroom in my house. I turned my child's bedroom and the playroom upside down to hunt them down but nothing and haven't seen any in there for months. The traps don't work though. I will try to put a wet wrapped up newspaper in the bath tomorrow. I let you know how it goes!

On one hand I think of they don’t hurt me as such, on the other…gross!
I’ve seen them in lots of different rooms. New build (ish) not old Victorian house for example.

@icelollycraving I know this is an old thread but did you ever get rid of them? They sound like the same type we have, found up walls and don't need damp houses to survive. Moved into ours in the summer and I just can't get rid of them! Thank you.

@SuzieB7 any luck getting rid? Could use some tips!

Using a dehumidifier made a big difference. I have mine running most of the time.

We had a full on infestation and we managed to get rid of them all by caulking all the gaps in every room. We haven't seen them in yrs