How to get rid of Silverfish

1. A few wooden balls soaked with camphor oil and stored with your goods is effective. Other options include cinnamon sticks and cloves.
2. Cloves eradicate silverfish, they can be scattered throughout affected areas like drawers, wardrobes and linen cupboards.
3. Put food and valuable books and papers in secure containers.
4. Create a Silverfish jar trap by: covered on the outside of a jar with masking tape and with bread at the bottom of the jar. The tape provides traction for the silverfish to climb up to the mouth of the jar. If they fall into the jar they will be trapped, since they won’t be able to climb up the smooth inside surface of the jar to get out.

If  you have a Silverfish problem in your home that you would like a solution for, you can contact Knockout Pest Control by Rentokil for a pest inspection.

You can call our service team on 1300 858 140. or you can send us an email by using the Contact Form by clicking here >

Lepisma saccharina, commonly known as a silverfish or fishmoth, is a small, wingless insect in the order Thysanura. Its common name derives from the animal’s silvery light grey and blue colour, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements, while the scientific name (L. saccharina) indicates the silverfish’s diet of carbohydrates such as sugar or starches.

Silverfish are nocturnal insects typically 13–30 mm (0.5–1 in) long. Their abdomens taper at the end, giving them a fish-like appearance. The newly hatched are whitish, but develop a greyish hue and metallic shine as they get older. They have three long cerci at the tips of their abdomens, one off the end of their body, one facing left, and one facing right. They also have two small compound eyes, despite other members of Thysanura being completely eyeless, such as the family Nicoletiidae.

Like other species in Apterygota, silverfish are completely wingless. They have long antennae, and move in a wiggling motion that resembles the movement of a fish. This, coupled with their appearance and silvery scales, influences their common name. Silverfish typically live for two to eight years.

Types of Silverfish

The most common Silverfish in Australian is commonly referred to as the Acrotelsella devriesiana

Silverfish Facts

• Silverfish prefer to dwell in dark, damp areas such as, basements, attics, kitchens and bathrooms.
• Silverfish are commonly found in stored boxes in garages and sheds.
• Silverfish feed on carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches
• When silverfish run, their bodies wiggle, resembling the swimming motion of a fish.

Signs of Silverfish

Silverfish have many signs, Visit our Signs of Crawling Insects page for more information on the Signs of Silverfish here >