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

Hardly anyone would like a neighborhood with harmful insects. Cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, flies or mosquitoes They bring a lot of problems and troubles to a person, depriving him of proper sleep and rest.This list may also include the silverfish - an unpleasant insect species 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

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

On the head there are faceted-type eyes capable of perceiving ultraviolet, a chewing mouth apparatus and a pair of long whiskers. In the back of the body are three filamentous outgrowths. Most often, an individual of this species has a gray-silver color, sometimes there is a yellow, green and even white scales.

Homemade thermobia

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

Common silverfish and homemade thermobia

On a note!

Homemade 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, the silverfish prefers raw places: it can be seen under a dumped tree, stone or under a layer of leaves. It does not change its habits and when entering the apartment, choosing rooms with high levels of humidity: a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Insects can also settle in crevices under the window sill or baseboards.

Ways of penetration

The silverfish can enter the apartment in the following ways:

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

Harm done

Many perceive silverfish for beings who have accidentally got into the apartment, completely unaware of how harmful they are to humans. Despite the fact that insects are not carriers of dangerous diseases, they can cause serious harm to the inhabitants of the house.

The silverfish are active 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 grander), as well as starch and bone glue. Individuals can even satisfy an unpleasant-looking hunger with a natural fiber cloth, books, magazines and newspapers. Such a love of paper products is explained by the presence of organic substances in the glue for book binding. Therefore, the presence of insects in the apartment, which are distinguished by high fecundity, is fraught with damage to both food and things.

Common Champion

On a note!

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

Breeding

Silverfish are very prolific insects. At one time, the sexually mature female is able to lay up to 200 eggs, of which, after three weeks, young offspring will appear.And given that the life expectancy of insects is at least 3 years, then the number of the population should only be guessed. Therefore, the detection of data representatives of bristletails in his apartment, requires urgent action.

What to do

The question of how to get rid of the silverfish in the bathroom and toilet, arises for everyone who suddenly witnessed an unexpected meeting with an uninvited guest. One of the main reasons for this is the violation of the indoor microclimate. Therefore, the first thing that should be done in this situation is to identify and eliminate the source of dampness in the apartment. They can be leaked plumbing fixtures, as well as insufficient ventilation of the room.

The fight against silverfish in the apartment implies the deprivation of the possibility of insects to find food, and also to multiply.

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

Methods of struggle

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

Chemicals

Pest chemicals

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

• Chlorpyrifos is a contact insecticide based on which a variety of sprays and powder products are produced. An example of this can serve as drugs of the following brands: Fumitoks, Zindan, Geth, Raptor, Baygon.
• Pyrethrin is an insecticide of contact-intestinal action, which is part of various aerosols and emulsions. These tools include Fly Killer, Varan, Triple Strike, Neo, Geth, or Tetrix.
• Diazinon is an insecticide used for the production of gels, emulsions, traps and powdered preparations.

Traps

Insect traps

The silverfish trap is another way of dealing with uninvited guests. The fixture can be purchased either in the hardware store or made by yourself.

Trap out of the can

If the silverfish was brought up in the house, you can catch it with a glass jar. The outer surface of the container is pasted over with paper or wrapped with insulating tape. Inside the tank put favorite delicacy of silverfish, which can serve as a piece of sugar, apple or starch. Attracted by the smell of bait insect necessarily want to treat them. Contribute to this rough surface of electrical tape or paper. But only here the pest will not be able to get back along the smooth inner wall of the can.

Trap from the newspaper

No less effective is the trap for scales from the newspaper. It is enough to twist it with a roll, securing the ends with rubber bands. A roll abundantly moistened with water is placed at the site of the appearance of insects and waiting for the silverfish to use it as their refuge. After that, the trap along with the "prey" should be disposed of.

Sticky trap

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

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for scales in the apartment

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

• Oils. The treatment of silverfish with a solution mixed with lavender oil or citrus will be effective. Sufficiently such a mixture to periodically wash the surface in the bathroom and toilet, and very soon there will not be insects.
• Citrus peel. It is possible to fight with silverfish with the help of a peel, rubbing it on a grater and spreading out pests in the places where it is supposed to be located.
• Spices and herbs - no less effective remedy for silverfish in an apartment or house. Pests do not like the flavor of spices. Insects will not dwell in a room where the smell of ground pepper, cinnamon or bay leaves is present. Representatives of bristletails and the aroma of herbs such as sage, peppermint or tansy are afraid.
• Cold. Low temperatures are destructive for adult individuals and for the larvae of the silverfish. Therefore, to get rid of pests, it is enough to “freeze” the room, having previously wrapped heating radiators.