Question: The place we are renting appears to have a large amount of
silverfish. My husband and I are from New England so we are not familiar
with the nature of this pest. Do they lay eggs that can be seen? We are
going to be moving into a new home and do not want to bring these gross
bugs with us. thank you for your help!
ANSWER Silverfish can be difficult to control. They feed on starchy materials (book bindings, wallpaper paste, etc.) They can also be pantry pests and infest food packages.They prefer areas of high humidity, but they will live near their food supply.
Silverfish infestations are often localized. Controlling them starts with finding what they are using for food and a nesting site. It is sometimes necessary to do some detective work. If the silverfish have nested in boxes in a storeroom or garage, the boxes may have to be unpacked. (Sometimes in this kind of a situation, the silverfish are controlled by re-packing the stored items in new boxes and discarding the old boxes.)
Sticky traps - the ones that are used for small cockroaches - can help with silverfish control. Put the traps in the areas where you have been seeing them. Be sure that the traps are out of the reach of children and pets.
