The insect known as silverfish is a very primitive insect and is even older than the cockroach. However if you have silverfish in your home you probably don’t care too much about their history, you simply want to know how to get rid of them as quickly, cheaply and simply as possible.
What you do need to know however, is what living conditions they thrive in. If you understand this fact then you’ll be better equipped in eradicating them from your home. Fist off, they absolutely love humidity. This means you will normally find them in rooms such as your bathroom, kitchen and basement where humidity can be a problem.
If you have any problems with your plumbing leaking then this could be a contributing factor to why you have a problem with silverfish in your house. This means you need to get your plumbing fixed to get rid of these leaks. You should also consider having ventilation installed and even a dehumidifier.
In addition to humidity, they also love a temperature which is between 70 and 80° F. So, ideally, you will want to heat your home to above 80° F or cool it down to below 70°F.
When silverfish need to get something to eat they can actually eat the glue from your wallpaper. This means if you have wallpaper that’s peeling away you ought to repair it or even remove it altogether. Silverfish can also eat cereals, silk, paper, starches and just about anything that is of an organic origin. So make sure you do your best to store food away tightly and clean up any spillages as quickly as possible.
Silverfish can also enter your home via a variety of different cracks in your home. So if you really want to get rid of silverfish and keep them away you need to go around your home to fill up as many cracks as you possibly can. Plaster, expanding foam or caulk can work well.
OK, so now you know what conditions they hate, now you need to know how to kill them off. Well, there are products on the market that will help you do this. The first step is to use residual insecticides that can be sprayed in areas where the insects enter your house and they can also be used in the foundations. The products are odour-free and the wettable powder (WP) from Demon WP and Cyper WP will leave a light film that you will be able to see on dark surfaces. However Cyonara 9.7 leaves no such film.
If you are still having trouble getting rid of them then you might find them hiding in insulation, boxes, light fixtures and under siding. You will therefore want to use dust or bait in these areas, just make sure the areas are hidden rather than visible. Silverfish Paks are also available and they are basically very thin packs that you hide under your carpets, in wardrobes, drawers and behind curtains. The silverfish will be attracted to the paks, eat their way through them and then die.
Hopefully you will now have the know-how to get rid of your horrible silverfish insects and keep them away for good. If you carry out these measure you will also find yourself preventing other nasties such as mold, rot and mice. Just make sure you do your research and understand what you are getting yourself in for. Don’t use products intended for outdoor use indoors and keep pets and children away from any poisons.
Most homeowners at some time will have had a wasp nest in their property. The thought of having wasps buzz about where you live is pretty scary, especially for those people who maybe have an allergy to wasp stings. Basically, there are two main types of wasp - social and solitary. It's the social variety of wasp that builds nests and these are the type that most people want rid of. Solitary wasps on the other hand are not normally a problem because they don't build nests and they have no territory to defend therefore aren't generally aggressive towards humans.
If you think you have a nest somewhere in your home then you will need to find out the location of it. You can do so by looking out for wasps entering and leaving your home. They tend to do this at dusk and at dawn. Popular locations for wasp nests is in your attic, garage, shed and chimney. Once you have located the nest you can then set about killing these pests.
If you are looking to do this yourself then you need to wait until nightfall when the wasps aren't active. You can then use a spay killer to spray where the wasps are going in and out of your property. Make sure you use plenty of spray so that the wasps are killed and ensure the spray you buy actually does kill wasps. However if you use too much you run the risk of inhaling some of it. Wearing a mask and goggles is a good idea so that you don't breathe in any of this spray as it's pretty nasty stuff. Popular brands include Raid, Spectracide, EcoSMART and Bonide.
If the wasps are underground then you can pour some kerosene or diesel into the entrance of the nest and then cover it up with a wet towel. Please don't set light to the fuel. There is no need for that because the fumes on their own will kill the wasps. Alternatively you can use a quart of insecticide into the hole or you could use half a cup of insecticide dust.
Please note that you shouldn't expect all of the wasps to be killed off in one go. You might need to repeat the process a few times to be sure that the colony is totally dead. You should also note that wasps don't use the same nest twice. So if you come across and old nest you needn't worry about it. Just remove it and leave it at that.
There's also a product on the market called a WHY trap which is a wasp trap. The wasps are lured into the trap where they die naturally. The traps use 3 different attractants to lure 20 different wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. It would be useful to have these traps outside when you are eating and getting plagued by wasps.
If you really don't like the idea of doing any of these measures to get rid of wasps then you ought to locate a local wasp exterminator who is experienced in the task of killing wasps. They have the know-how to deal with a variety of different wasps located in a variety of different places. If you get one of these companies in you will have peace of mind that the work has been carried out correctly.
