Ways You Can Prevent Silverfish From Invading Your Knoxville Home
You've probably found one of these odd-looking little insects slinking around your home at least once before. As their name implies, the tapered shells of these insects are silver in color. About the size of a nickel, they move in a wriggling, fish-like manner, and do so with surprising speed. Although these commonplace pests are quite harmless to humans, their population can often grow beyond manageable numbers. An infestation will eventually wreak havoc on your books, carpets, wallpaper, and clothes while being nearly impossible to completely remove without professional help. Here's everything you need to know about how and why silverfish find their way into Knoxville homes, as well as some useful tips for keeping them out.
Why Silverfish Invade And How To Stop Them
The main factors that will attract silverfish to your residence are an abundance of food and moisture. Silverfish consume the fibers that make up glue, cloth, and paper, as well as dry foods like grains, sugar, or flour. They are also attracted to dark, damp areas such as basements, attics, and bathrooms. Look out for the signature yellow stains, feeding marks, shed scales, and tiny pepper-like feces they leave behind. Bear in mind that prevention is key, so be sure to follow these four steps to keep your property silverfish free:
- Store loose, dry foods such as grains and sugar in airtight glass containers to ensure no stray insects find their way inside for a feast.
- Move papers and old clothes out of basements or other common silverfish hangouts to deny easy access to this food source.
- Repair any leaks around your home to reduce areas of moisture, and to prevent attracting pests to your property in the first place.
- Vacuum and dust regularly in order to eliminate any other stray food sources, as well as suck up any eggs they might have laid.
That should cover the basics of silverfish prevention. However, the slippery little insects often prove more elusive than you'd hope. Should those measures fail and you sense the situation start to escalate, there are still a few more things you could try.
- Use a caulking gun to seal any potential entry points around your home.
- Declutter and clean thoroughly, focusing especially on the dark and seldom disturbed areas around the house.
- Clean up outside, removing leaves and mulch in order to deny silverfish any vantage from which to make their way inside.
- Check your ventilation, and consider investing in a dehumidifier to further deter them from invading.
If It's Already Too Late
Even if you couldn't quite manage to prevent a family of silverfish from taking up residence inside your home, there's still hope for their removal. While it can certainly be a daunting endeavor to treat the issue all on your own, the good news is that you're far from alone. For total silverfish control, contact the professionals at Urbanex. Our four-part plan begins with a comprehensive inspection of your property and ends with guaranteed protection from any future infestations. On the off chance that they do come crawling back, we'll be there with our complimentary re-treatment service ready to remedy the issue immediately.
A silverfish infestation might not mean pinches and bites, but it can and will leave your possessions in tatters and your peace of mind in ruin once it gets out of hand. Pest prevention is difficult and time-consuming work, so ultimately, the easiest and most effective means of retaking control of your house is simply to reach out for a little guidance. When you work with Urbanex, you get results!
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