Common silverfish (sugar), how to get rid of in the bathroom and toilet

It is unlikely that anyone will like the neighborhood with harmful insects. Cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, flies or mosquitoes give a person a lot of problems and troubles, depriving him of full sleep and rest. This list also includes silverfish - an unpleasant kind of insect that usually settles in damp places and can cause damage to food, clothing, bedding, and paper products. How to get rid of silverfish in the apartment and what needs to be done to prevent the appearance of an insect in the housing, you will learn the answers to these and other questions from this article.

Common silverfish

Common silverfish is a fairly common insect belonging to the bristle-tailed squad. It can be recognized by the elongated body tapering towards the end, the length of which reaches 2 cm and is covered with scales. On the body there are 3 pairs of limbs ending in small claws, which allows insects to quickly move on rough surfaces.

On the head are a facet type of eye, capable of perceiving ultraviolet light, a chewing mouth apparatus and a pair of long whiskers. Three filiform outgrowths are located in the back of the body. Most often, an individual of this species has a gray-silver color, sometimes yellow, green and even white silverfish are found.

Home thermobia

In total, there are about 600 varieties of silverfish in the world, and only 10 of them can be found in the vastness of our country. Common silverfish and home thermobia penetrate into apartments more often (photo is presented below).

On a note!

Home thermobia is a smaller insect whose length does not exceed 12 mm. A characteristic feature of an individual of this species is the brown color of the body.

Habitat

In nature, silverfish prefers damp places: it can be seen under a felled tree, stone or under a layer of leaves. She does not change her habits when entering the apartment, choosing rooms with a high level of humidity: a kitchen, a bathroom or a toilet. Insects can also settle in crevices under the windowsill or baseboards.

Penetration paths

A silverfish can enter the apartment in the following ways:

• through the slots of a ventilation or sewer system;
• through cracks in panels and floors;
• through an open window or door;
• in the soil of an acquired houseplant;
• on clothes, in products, boxes or bags brought from the street to the house.

Harm

Many perceive silverfish for creatures accidentally entering the apartment, completely unaware of what they are harmful to humans. Despite the fact that insects are not carriers of dangerous diseases, they can cause serious harm to housing residents.

Silverfish show activity in the dark, leaving their shelters and going in search of food.The insect's diet includes flour and sugar (which is why the pest is referred to as sugar flake), as well as starch and bone glue. Individuals can even quench hunger of an unpleasant appearance even with natural fiber cloth, books, magazines and newspapers. Such a love for paper products is explained by the presence of organic substances in the glue for book bindings. Therefore, the presence of insects in the apartment, which are highly fertile, is fraught with damage to both products and things.

On a note!

Sugar silverfish can go without food for several months, which complicates the process of combating it.

Breeding

Silverfish are highly prolific insects. At one time, a mature female is capable of laying up to 200 eggs, of which after three weeks young offspring will appear. And given that the life span of insects is at least 3 years, the population should only be guessed at. Therefore, the discovery of these representatives of the bristles in their apartment requires urgent action.

What to do

The question of how to get rid of silverfish in the bathroom and toilet arises from everyone who suddenly witnessed an unexpected meeting with an uninvited guest. One of the main reasons for this is the violation of the microclimate in the room. Therefore, the first thing to do in this situation is to identify and eliminate the source of dampness in the apartment. It may leak plumbing fixtures, as well as insufficient ventilation of the room.

The fight against silverfish in the apartment also means depriving insects of the ability to find food, as well as reproduce.

1. It is necessary to carry out cleaning by folding the products in hermetically sealed containers, and paper and fabric products in plastic bags or tightly closing cabinets.
2. To deprive insects of cozy places for laying eggs, all cracks and cracks should be covered up.
3. It is also necessary to get rid of waste paper, especially attracting the attention of insects.

Methods of struggle

The fact that a silverfish appeared in the apartment can be indicated by small holes in clothes or a book, as well as insect excrement in the form of small black lumps. If a silverfish is found in the apartment, then the following control methods should be taken.

Chemicals

The fastest way to remove silverfish is the use of chemicals, which include the following components:

• Chlorpyrifos is a contact insecticide, on the basis of which many sprays and powder products are produced. An example of this is the drugs of the following brands: Fumitox, Zindan, Get, Raptor, Baigon.
• Pyrethrin is a contact-intestinal insecticide that is part of various aerosols and emulsions. Such funds include Fly Killer, Varan, Triple strike, Neo, Get or Tetrix.
• Diazinon is an insecticide used for the production of gels, emulsions, traps and powdered preparations.

Traps

A silverfish trap is another way to deal with uninvited guests. The device can be purchased at a hardware store or can be made independently.

Can trap

If a silverfish is wound up in the house, then you can catch it with a glass jar. The outer surface of the container is glued with paper or wrapped with insulating tape. A favorite delicacy of silverfish, which can serve as a slice of sugar, apple or starch, is placed inside the container. Attracted by the smell of the bait, the insect will definitely want to treat them. This will contribute to the rough surface of electrical tape or paper. But only now the pest will not be able to get back along the smooth inner wall of the can.

Newspaper trap

Equally effective trap for silverfish from the newspaper. It is enough to twist it with a roll, securing the ends with rubber bands.Abundantly moistened with water, a roll is placed in the place of occurrence of insects and wait for silverfish to use it as their refuge. After that, the trap along with the “prey” should be disposed of.

Sticky trap

Many craftsmen use adhesive tape to catch silverfish, placing it on a dense surface. In the middle of the structure put the bait. Such devices are effective for catching not only insects, but even rodents.

Folk remedies

The destruction of silverfish in the apartment with the help of folk remedies is the safest way to fight insects:

• Oils. Effective will be the treatment of silverfish with a solution mixed with lavender oil or citrus. It is enough to periodically wash the mixture in the bathroom and toilet with such a mixture, and very soon there will be no insects.
• Citrus zest. You can fight with silverfish using the zest, rubbing it on a grater and spreading it in the places where the pests were supposed to be.
• Spices and herbs - no less effective remedy for silverfish in an apartment or house. Pests do not like the aroma of spices. Insects will not dwell in a room where the smell of ground pepper, cinnamon or bay leaf is present. Representatives of bristles and the aroma of herbs such as sage, mint or tansy are afraid.
• Cold. Low temperatures are detrimental to adults and to silverfish larvae. Therefore, to get rid of pests, it is enough to “freeze” the room, having previously wrapped heating radiators.