There are many reasons you may be having trouble keeping silverfish out of your Aiken home. But if you're seeing silverfish inside, we'd be willing to bet that you have a moisture problem. There is a strong connection between silverfish and moisture problems. Let's take a quick look at how this works.
Protecting Your Home From Moisture
Are you aware of how important it is to prevent moisture and dampness? When surfaces become damp, fungus, algae, mold, and other issues can arise. If wood-damaging fungus attaches to your home, it can begin a process of wood decay. This will attract the attention of wood-destroying pests, such as carpenter ants, termites, wood-boring beetles, mice, rats, and more. These pests often attack wood that is rotting in dark, hidden places because many of these pests are nocturnal. Hidden places are also shaded places that tend to stay damp because the sun can dry the moisture. If dampness occurs underneath your deck, patio, porch, stairs, or some other external structure, you should make a point to check these locations for wood rot.
Okay. How does a moisture problem relate to silverfish?
The silverfish you're finding inside your Aiken home had to have found a way into your home. Silverfish don't chew tunnels in wood. They have to find a path into your home. They could have slipped past a gap in your weatherstripping or squeezed under a door with a damaged door sweep. They could have gotten in through a crack in your foundation wall or a gap around a window frame. There are many ways they could have gotten in. But it is more likely that they took advantage of a hole in a piece of damp wood. Why? Because silverfish are attracted to damp wood. When wood rot begins, and wood-damaging pests start to do damage, silverfish are often the next problem. But silverfish are a more obvious problem. You might want to thank them for grossing you out. Termites, carpenter ants, wood borers, and other insects that damage wood, don't crawl around on your bathroom floor where you can see them and mice and rats stay hidden as much as possible.
Protecting Your Property From Silverfish
While silverfish don't damage the wood of your home, they'll be destructive to your belongings. Silverfish damage clothing, drapes, wallpaper, documents, photos, and more. They are most likely to do damage to items that are in a humid environment. You can resist silverfish by altering the conditions in your home to make your home dry.
- Install dehumidifiers in your basement or boiler room.
- Install fans to vent moisture.
- Use the fan in your bathroom when taking a bath or shower.
- If you have a jetted tub, keep in mind that leaving the water in the tub between uses will increase pest activity, including silverfish activity.
- Alter conditions around your home that make silverfish come near, such as dampness caused by clogged gutters, tall vegetation, dense vegetation, leaf litter, etc.
- Do an inspection of your exterior and seal any gaps, cracks or holes you find.
- Inspect your doors and windows and address any entry points.
Silverfish Pest Control
Once you've done what you can do, or even before you've done what you can do, consider contacting Aiken Pest Control to address a silverfish infestation. These gross little insects are a warning sign that you shouldn't take lightly. Your home might be infested with wood-destroying pests. Our team of licensed pest professionals uses advanced methods and products to identify and address pests. Let us help you protect your investment from pest damage, and get rid of silverfish at the same time. Connect with us today. We're here to help.