Silverfish

SILVERFISH IDENTIFICATION

True to their name, silverfish have metallic silver scales and wiggle like swimming fish as they sprint across floors. Their flat, carrot-shaped bodies measure about 3/4 inch long when mature. Immature silverfish look like adults, only smaller.

Also known as "bristletails," silverfish have three long, tail-like structures to complement two long antennae on their heads. Firebrats, a close relative, look the same, except they're mottled brown. Both pests often seek out moisture in homes during extended dry seasons. Once inside your home, they can live indoors for many years.

SIGNS OF SILVERFISH

Silverfish hide during daylight and come out at night, so you rarely see them. If you do, it's often in the early morning near a bathroom or kitchen sink drain. When disturbed, silverfish move quickly — a behavior that draws comparisons to cockroaches.

Silverfish are best known for destroying books by feeding on book-binding glue and paper. But they also eat fabrics, wallpaper, cereals and more. Silverfish feed by scraping, leaving scrape marks, irregular holes and excrement between book pages.

HOW TO CONTROL SILVERFISH

Effective silverfish control starts by stopping these pests before they breach your home's walls. Seal all foundation openings where silverfish might gain entry, then protect your home's perimeter. For silverfish that do get inside, use a product designed for indoor control.

Amdro brand offers options to stop silverfish outside and inside your home:

• Amdro Quick Kill Indoor/Outdoor Insect Killer Ready-To-Use kills silverfish on contact, even in hard-to-reach indoor crevices where silverfish hide. Available in quart and gallon sprayer containers, this ready-to-use insect killer keeps protecting against silverfish and other listed pests for up to 12 months, indoors or outdoors.
• Amdro Quick Kill Insect Killer for Lawn & Landscape, available in liquid ready-to-spray and concentrate formulas, works in minutes to kill silverfish by contact. Then it keeps killing these pests for up to three months. Use it to treat your lawn, landscape and foundation plantings. You can even treat your home's foundation up to a maximum height of 2 feet.
• Amdro Quick Kill Ant & Spider Killer offers a convenient approach to protecting your home's immediate perimeter. Available in a resealable shaker bag, the fast-acting formula kills silverfish by contact and keeps protecting against these pests for up to three months.
• Amdro Quick Kill Lawn Insect Killer Granules, applied with a standard lawn spreader, provides a simple, effective solution for larger lawn and landscape areas. Applied according to directions, the granules kill silverfish by contact within 24 hours and keep killing these pests for up to three months.

SILVERFISH CONTROL TIPS

Overly humid basements and minor plumbing leaks invite silverfish to enter your home and stick around. Repair plumbing leaks promptly and use dehumidifiers, if needed, to turn the tables back in your favor.

Always read product labels and follow the instructions carefully.
Amdro, Kills Ants and Amdro Quick Kill are trademarks of Central Garden & Pet Company.