How do you get rid of silverfish? My daughter has had books in storage and the boxes contain silverfish. She is moving to a new house and wants to keep the books if possible - minus the silverfish.
I have not tried this but kept the recipe on hand in case I ever needed it.
Silverfish Bait
1 cup oatmeal, ground to flour in a blender 1/2 tsp. white sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. powered boric acid
Mix all ingredients well and put a teaspoonful in a couple of shallow containers placed near hiding spots. Cover bait with crumpled pieces of paper. The silverfish will eat the bait along with the paper and then die. Keep the bait away from children and pets.
Silverfish seek out food sources that are high in starch -- particularly books, magazines, and wallpaper. They'll also munch on flour and cereal, starched clothing, and some synthetic fabrics. Reducing paper and properly storing clothes and pantry items will make your home less appetizing for them.
Hi, I am a former librarian. We always checked out classroom book sets in plastic boxes because cardboard boxes are acidic and can expedite the yellowing and aging of the books as well as attract silverfish. Plastic boxes are better, or if that is too expensive, the previous poster recommended plastic bags that are sealed inside the cardboard box. The plastic would protect the books from dampness too.
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Request: Silverfish in Books
Archived on 07/17/2007
I have silver fish in my books. What is a non-toxic method of getting rid of them?
Denice
Answers:
RE: Silverfish in Books
Infested books can be sealed in a plastic bag along with some desiccant and placed inside of the freezer for three days to kill any resident silverfish and firebrats. If your book case has become infested, consider spreading some diatomaceous earth behind the books on the shelves to keep the moisure levels down and kill any paper-eating insects that may be hiding out.
desiccant - is a substance that absorbs or adsorbs water. It is most commonly used to remove humidity that would normally degrade or even destroy products sensitive to moisture. Silica gel, calcium sulfate, montmorillonite clay, and molecular sieves are commonly used as desiccants.
(01/26/2007)
