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You are here: Home / Natural Pest Control / How To Get Rid Of Silverfish For Good

How To Get Rid Of Silverfish For Good

By Jennifer Updated: October 31, 2019. First published: March 25, 2015. This post may contain affiliate links. 6 Comments  

Three views of a silverfish - front view and two side views

Silverfish. No, not a fish that is silver. The other kind. The insect variety. I bet you want to know how to get rid of silverfish for good.

Annoying little critters that scamper out of the pages of your favorite book, giving you a bit of a scare. They also like warm places such as beds, ovens, clothes dryers, and fireplaces.

They live on dry starchy “pantry” foods as well as certain glues (most commonly the ones used in book bindings). While they are harmless, they certainly are annoying, especially in large numbers.

We haven’t dealt with an infestation and I really don’t mind the occasional visitor. Usually once my cat spies the silverfish, the problem is solved. However, I do know a lot of people who battle these critters and would like to find a natural solution to rid their homes of them.

A silverfish on the side of a paperback book

Guess what? I happen to know a few natural ways to get rid of silverfish for good.

Silverfish greatly dislike rosemary. In fact, they detest it. So grab a bunch of dried rosemary and make some little bundles to put around the house in places they tend to frequent. Those silverfish will haul rump to get away from it. Logically, you do not want to place the rosemary near any doors that lead outside your house. You want the silverfish to have an exit route.

Cucumber peels can also be placed around the home to deter silverfish. Silverfish loath the odor of the peels and will turn tail and run.

If you do NOT have pet or small children in the home, boric acid is a fabulous silverfish slayer. Once it touches the silverfish’s skin, it pretty much kills them. And if they eat it, good bye for good!

If you have pets and small children, the alternative to boric acid is diatomaceous earth. While it is extremely abrasive to the delicate exoskeleton of the silverfish, it can take a day or two to kill them. It works. It just takes a bit more time than boric acid.

If you are not keen on the above ideas, there are some ways to “trap” silverfish. Of course once you trap them, they eventually will die from lack of food.

Get a tall glass jar (like a quart-sized mason jar) and wrap the outside with masking tape. Place a piece of bread or another starchy food inside and leave it where you see silverfish the most often. They will climb inside to get the food but then get stuck and not be able to climb out the slippery glass inside.

Alternatively, you can just buy these sticky traps and put them along your baseboards.

Do you have silverfish in your house? What have you tried to control and prevent them?

Be sure to check out all my other great natural pest control posts as well. I will teach you how to get rid of ants, keep mosquitoes at bay, stop slugs from nibbling your garden, keep moths out of your pantry and closets, prevent a spider invasion, kiss cockroaches goodbye, and more!

 

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Filed Under: Natural Pest Control
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About The Author

Jennifer, author of Hybrid Rasta Mama, is a former government recruiter turned work-at-home mama to a daughter brought earthside in early 2009. She is passionate about and writes about holistic health and wellness, natural/green living, toxic mold awareness, and the benefits of coconut oil. She frequently shares allergy friendly recipes on her site as well as DIY herbal remedies, DIY natural body care, and natural cleaning recipes.

Jennifer graduated with honors with a Bachelor's Degree in Ethnic Studies. In January 2019 she became a certified mold and moisture intrusion inspector. She has completed coursework in the naturopathic series offered by the Avicenna Institute and accredited through the Board of Natural Medicine Certification Council.

Jennifer is a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors as well as the International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness.

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Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with your health care provider. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking any medication, please consult your physician. Nothing you read here should be relied upon to determine dietary changes, a medical diagnosis or courses of treatment.

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Comments

  1. Jeremy says

    March 25, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Fantastic guide and it’s very reliable sources article. It’s very helpful and useful about this Natural Pest Control For Silverfish. Glad to read this. Thanks for sharing this article. Great post!

    Reply
  2. Laila Keirstead says

    March 31, 2015 at 1:26 PM

    I have always wondered what kind of bug those were. I noticed a couple of these running around when I was mopping the floors and was a little scared because they looked a little like cockroaches. I will have to try some of these remedies to get rid of them because I don’t need another pest problem in the house.

    Reply
  3. bryan flake says

    August 5, 2015 at 11:14 AM

    Thanks for sharing the information about Silverfish being attracted to the glue in book bindings. Now I know why several of my books are ruined. I typically don’t find these pests anywhere else, except the wall that the bookshelves are on. Is there anywhere else that I should check just in case?

    Reply
  4. Steve says

    December 9, 2015 at 3:04 AM

    That looks to be a helpful technique of natural pest control against silverfish. Do share some natural tips for bed bug control.

    Reply
  5. Joanne says

    December 17, 2020 at 5:56 PM

    I tried the jar traps with masking tape and bits of bread. Had two jars for three months, never caught one silverfish. Cats did a better job.

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      December 26, 2020 at 7:04 PM

      Well I like that the cats attempted to help!

      Reply

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