Most people wouldn’t know what to call the skinny brown bugs that they find in an old box of books or in the cupboard making their way through a bag of flour. Luckily, we do. These unwelcome guests are called silverfish or firebrats on occasion, and they are, for the most part, just annoying. A silverfish infestation can become serious if the population is large enough and the infestation persists for New York exterminators to take care of the problem before any significant damage is done.
But, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So here are some tips to avoid silverfish problems:
- Store books and fabrics in plastic, sealed containers
- Clean closets, attics, basements, and other storage areas routinely
- Vacuum carpets regularly
- Check boxes or parcels that come into your home for signs of silverfish or firebrats
- Reduce the humidity in storage areas and repair any plumbing issues
Basic cleaning and home maintenance should be enough to keep a silverfish infestation from happening in the main areas of your home. It’s the areas that go unused for long periods of time that pose the potential for a problem—a musty attic or a leaky basement, for example.
Typically, you will need to have a professional remediate the problem if you have a silverfish infestation, then you’ll need to take these steps to prevent a recurrence. Depending on the way your space is used, you may want to consider routine pest control treatments—for example, if you keep a lot of old books or operate a home office and store paperwork.
