10 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Silverfish & Prevention Tips

Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) is an insect that thrives in moist areas in your home. Although they don’t pose a threat to human health, they are annoying and leave holes everywhere they go. The good news is that there are quick and simple ways to get rid of a silverfish infestation in your home. In this article, we take a deeper look into the different ingredients available in your pantry to get rid of those nasty silverfish in your home.

What Are Silverfish?

Silverfish are small insects that do not have wings. They belong to the order Zygentoma and are named so because of their silvery gray color and fish-like movement. They are usually harmless; however, a few common silverfish species may infest homes and destroy household items. Let’s find out more about them in the next section.

Common Silverfish Species

The two common silverfish species that infest homes are Lepisma saccharina and Ctenolepisma longicaudatum. These small, wingless insects seek out damp, humid areas within homes, making bathrooms, basements, and kitchens ideal places for them to thrive. Silverfish feed on starchy materials such as paper, glue, and food crumbs, posing a threat to books, wallpaper, and pantry items.

Maintaining a dry, well-ventilated home and ensuring proper storage and cleanliness may help prevent silverfish infestation. Seal cracks, crevices, and gaps around the house to block potential entry routes. Further, store food items properly, particularly grains and starches, in airtight containers to cut off their food source.

Silverfish can create havoc in our homes. Find out how they do so in the next section.

How Do Silverfish Affect Humans?

Silverfish do not bite or cause diseases in humans, and hence, are not considered much of a threat. However, their droppings and shed skin may cause allergies, especially for people with asthma or breathing problems. They may also damage papers, clothing articles, books, food in pantries, and even wallpapers. If you notice small holes in your books or clothing, along with a yellow staining, more or less, it is a sign that your house has been infested by silverfish.

Silverfish usually reside in warm, dark, and damp places like the bathroom, sink, or garages.

Quick Tip

Try to open the doors and windows of your home and turn on fans to clear all moisture. Ventilating the rooms help keep them warm. You can also use a dehumidifier.

So what are the signs that can help you identify silverfish infestation? Find out in the next section.

Signs Of A Silverfish Infestation

• Small, silvery insects moving quickly in dark, damp areas like bathroom walls.
• Tiny holes or irregular marks on paper, books, or wallpaper.
• Yellow stains or small black droppings on infested surfaces.
• Clothes with holes, especially in closets or storage areas.
• Noticing scales or skin shed by silverfish.

If you notice silverfish infestation in your house, you may either contact pest control or try and get rid of the little beings yourself by following any of the home remedies given below.

Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Silverfish

1. Essential oils
2. Boric Acid
3. Diatomaceous Earth
4. Borax
5. Cloves
6. Cinnamon
7. Epsom Salts
8. Lemon Spray
9. Rosemary
10. Oatmeal Trap

How To Get Rid Of Silverfish Naturally

1. Essential Oils

a. Lavender Oil

You Will Need

• 1 teaspoon of lavender oil
• 1 cup of water

What You Have To Do

1. Mix a teaspoon of lavender oil in a cup of water.
2. Pour this solution into a bottle and spray it on the cracks and corners of your house prone to silverfish.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily.

Why This Works

The strong aroma of lavender oil is believed to repel silverfish and eliminate them (1).

b. Peppermint Oil

You Will Need

• 10-12 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 1 cup of water

What You Have To Do

1. Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a cup of water and mix well.
2. Pour this solution into a bottle and spray on all the probable silverfish infested areas in your home.
3. Alternatively, you can also dip a cotton ball in this solution and place it in cracks or crevices inside your home.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this daily for effective results.

Why This Works

The strong aroma of peppermint oil, like that of lavender oil, is enough to repel silverfish. In fact, most essential oils have insect-repelling properties because of their concentrated odor. Essential oils of tea tree, cinnamon, and eucalyptus are some other great options to help eradicate silverfish (2).

2. Boric Acid

You Will Need

Boric acid

What You Have To Do

1. Sprinkle a little boric acid over all the silverfish prone corners of your house.
2. Alternatively, you can mix some boric acid in water and spray it on the affected areas. This method is especially useful if you have pets in your home.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

Why This Works

Boric acid is a mineral that is poisonous to many insects. It can lead to the dehydration of insects, leading to their ultimate death. Thus, it is a great option for getting rid of silverfish as well (3),(4).

3. Diatomaceous Earth

You Will Need

Diatomaceous earth

What You Have To Do

Take some diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it over the silverfish infested areas within your home.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily.

Why This Works

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring soft sedimentary rock that is found to exhibit toxic effects on insects. Like boric acid, it can cause dehydration of insects and kill them (5),(6).

4. Borax

You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons of borax
• 2 tablespoons of sugar

What You Have To Do

1. Take two tablespoons each of borax and sugar in a container and mix well.
2. Sprinkle this mixture on the affected areas.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this once daily, preferably at night.

Why This Works

Borax is a salt of boric acid. This salt is highly toxic to insects, including silverfish, and can help you get rid of them in a matter of days (7). Mixing sugar with borax acts as a bait as silverfish cannot resist anything sugary.

5. Cloves

You Will Need

Cloves

What You Have To Do

1. Take some cloves in small bowls and place them in the corners of your house that are prone to silverfish infestation.
2. You can also put some cloves in small muslin pouches and place them inside your wardrobes and washroom cabinets to keep silverfish away.

How Often You Should Do This

You must do this every once in a while until you succeed in getting rid of all the silverfish.

Why This Works

Cloves are widely used as insect repellents because of their strong odor. The powerful aroma of cloves is due to the presence of eugenolⁱ  An aromatic oil extracted from the clove used extensively as a flavoring agent in foods and as a herbal oil. , which repels silverfish and eliminates them from your homes (8),(9).

6. Cinnamon

You Will Need

Cinnamon sticks or powder

What You Have To Do

1. Take some cinnamon sticks and place them in the cracks and crevices inside your house.
2. You can also take some powdered cinnamon in a few bowls and put them in the infested areas.

How Often You Should Do This

Replace the cinnamon every week or so before it loses its potency.

Why This Works

Cinnamon also possesses a strong aroma that is quite repulsive to insects like silverfish. Its strong aroma is due to the presence of cinnamaldehydeⁱ  A pale yellow, viscous organic compound naturally found in cinnamon, giving it its characteristic flavor and fragrance. . Cinnamon also contains many essential oils and resinous compounds that impart insect repellent properties to it (10),(11).

7. Epsom Salt

You Will Need

Epsom salt

What You Have To Do

1. Sprinkle some Epsom salt behind your wardrobe, bathroom cabinets, and all places which could be infested by silverfish.
2. You can also mix some Epsom salt with water and spray it in the cracks and around the corners of your home.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this once every evening.

Why This Works

Epsom salt can also be used as a natural insecticide (12). When insects such as silverfish ingest this salt, they will be eliminated from your homes within no time. However, there is no scientific research to back up this claim.

8. Lemon Spray

You Will Need

• 1 lemon
• Water

What You Have To Do

1. Squeeze out the juice of a lemon and mix it with a glass of water.
2. Pour this solution into a bottle and spray it over the silverfish infested areas of your house.

1. You can also place lemon peels around your home to keep silverfish at bay.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this daily, preferably at night.

Why This Works

Most insects are repelled by the smell of anything citric. This is why a vast majority of citrus oils are used for keeping insects at bay. Thus, the use of citrus fruit extracts like lemon is an excellent way to steer clear of silverfish. Lemon peels also contain limoneneⁱ  A colorless liquid that constitutes a major component in the oil of rinds of citrus fruits and has a pleasant lemon-like scent. that acts as a great insect repellent (13).

9. Rosemary

You Will Need

Fresh or dried rosemary

What You Have To Do

1. Take some fresh or dried rosemary herb and put it in small muslin sachets.
2. Place these sachets in the cracks and crevices of your home.

How Often You Should Do This

Replace the sachets with fresh ones every week or two.

Why This Works

Almost all fresh and strong aromas repel silverfish and other insects, and rosemary is no exception. While this herb may smell fresh and pleasant to us, it has the opposite effect on silverfish and can help us in getting rid of them in no time.

10. Oatmeal Trap

You Will Need

• 1/2 cup of powdered oatmeal
• A glass jar
• A broad tape

What You Have To Do

1. Take a glass jar and cover its outer surface with a tape to make it easy for the silverfish to climb up.
2. Fill the jar with the powdered oatmeal.
3. Create a couple of more such traps and place it in areas prone to silverfish.

How Often You Should Do This

Repeat this every few months whenever you face silverfish infestation.

Why This Works

A jar trap is one of the best ways to steer clear of these pesky creatures. Silverfish are easily attracted to anything starchy, like oatmeal. Once they fall inside the jar containing powdered oats, there is no way for them to climb back. So, you can easily trap all the silverfish inside multiple jars and throw them away later (14).

Quick Tip

Silverfish are more attracted to old cardboard or storage boxes. Hence, remove all such items from your home.

Marcus, a content creator, shared his experience of a silverfish infestation in his home a few years ago. He had to demolish his entire office as none of the remedies worked. He said, “In my personal experience what I found is imitating the dry place keeps them from producing. So they’re only going to reproduce if they have a moist place (i).”

If you are yet to experience a silverfish infestation or have just succeeded in getting rid of them, you are lucky. To prevent infestation in the future, you may follow the prevention tips mentioned below.

Prevention Tips

• Fix the damp spots in your homes that may be the perfect spots for silverfish to breed.
• Keep away anything that may look inviting to silverfish. Store papers, book bindings, and glues in plastic bins.
• Vacuum all the crevices and seal cracks, holes, or openings to keep silverfish out of your house and prevent them from depositing eggs.
• Use insect repellents or bug sprays in cracks and corners for further protection.

Infographic: Fast Facts About Silverfish

Silverfish are harmless tiny insects that thrive in dark and moist places. Simple ingredients like borax and essential oils can help exterminate silverfish infestation effectively. Check out the infographic below to learn some interesting facts about silverfish.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I be worried if I see one silverfish?

Yes. If you see one silverfish, it is likely that it is part of a colony of hundreds living inside your walls, ceilings, or other wet regions. A single silverfish could be the start of a more significant infestation. Considering the conditions silverfish thrive in, it could also indicate that your living situation is unsanitary.

Do moth balls repel silverfish?

Yes. Placing moth balls around where silverfish have been seen is an effective way to get rid of them. The smell of mothballs is repulsive to silverfish. However, mothballs do not kill silverfish. Instead, they deter silverfish from the areas where they are placed.

Does bleach get rid of silverfish?

Yes. Bleach kills silverfish due to its active components that rapidly dehydrate them. Even though there are many alternative ways to get rid of silverfish infestations in the home, bleaching is the fastest, simplest, and cheapest method.

Illustration: Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Silverfish & Prevention Tips

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Learn effective techniques to deal with a silverfish infestation in this comprehensive video. Say goodbye to these unwanted guests and restore peace to your home. Watch now and reclaim your space.

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. SabaBHMS, MD

   

Dr. Saba is a gold medalist with 6+ years of clinical experience. She specializes in treating both chronic and acute illnesses of all kinds. She also has three years of experience as a homeopathic editor, instructional designer, and subject matter expert.

Read full bio of Dr. Saba

Shaheen NaserHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Shaheen holds a postgraduate degree in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology from Bharathiar University. She is a Geneticist with proficiency in Biotechnology, Immunology, Medical Genetics, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Genetic Counseling.

Read full bio of Shaheen Naser

Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

Read full bio of Ravi Teja Tadimalla

Dipti SharmaBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Dipti is a health and wellness writer specializing in holistic health practices. She graduated from Maharishi Dayanand University, Haryana, and has worked closely with Ayurvedic doctors, which has given her a deep understanding of traditional remedies and their applications.

Read full bio of Dipti Sharma