Got a home library? Beware of silverfish
Before you pack up a moving truck or unpack your belongings, here's the reason you should investigate for pests
I thought I would miss my old apartment. I’d lived there for eight years. But the nightmare tenant who moved in above me and thought it was totally understandable to jog on a treadmill at 9 a.m. made me hate the place — and despise the property manager who shrugged off the circus above me as soon as this tenant burst into tears about “baby weight.” My lease was not renewed, and I was looking forward to renting a third-floor condo with no one walking above my head (even though I had to give up my L-shaped sectional sofa).
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That night, I flopped on top of the couch seats (I gave up the couch frame, not the pillows) with a bottle of water and looked around, smiling. That is, until I saw a gray flash run in the corner. I gasped, leaped on top of all three stacked couch seats like a Power Ranger and stared horrified as the mouse disappeared behind one of my bookcases.
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I hadn’t even been in this place for 24 hours. I turned on my headphones at top volume to avoid hearing any scurrying noises and sent a panicked email to my new landlord. The two movers had already left. I’d already dropped off the moving truck and waved goodbye to my co-worker/friend, who got in his own car to go home. So, it was just me. Alone. In this mouse condo.
My landlord responded immediately, apologizing and saying the condominium had not had any mice in years. She suggested that the mouse could’ve hopped into one of my moving boxes while moving from Point A to Point B. And she wasn’t totally wrong. Mice can easily squeeze into dime-sized openings, ranging from entrance doors to garages to moving boxes. And when there are stacks of them to choose from, it’s a little like walking past a grocery store’s taste-testing table when you’re already hungry. “Don’t mind if I do!”
There is one pest that I’ve managed to escape in 10 moves and three states (including two out-of-state colleges): silverfish. Interestingly, because I’m such a bookworm, I was surprised that silverfish hadn’t tortured me, my college textbooks, and boxes full of fiction and nonfiction books already.
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Recommended Read: “Skip the book wallpaper, create your own home library ~ From book nook to full library, here are 10 supplies you'll need”
Why are silverfish attracted to home libraries and bookworms?
Scientifically identified as Lepisma saccharinum, silverfish are small, wingless insects with a silvery-gray color. The “fish” part of the name comes from their fish-like movements. These nocturnal insects love hanging out in dark, damp and humid environments, primarily basements, bathrooms and bookcases.
Measuring half an inch to one inch long, they have long antennae and tapered bodies. They can live anywhere from two to eight years with a diet of wallpaper, notebook paper, glue, book bindings and clothing fabric. In other words, they’re an absolute nuisance to bookworms. This is one of the primary reasons all books and paper should be placed into airtight containers before placing them into moving boxes.
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Outside of store-bought silverfish traps, what are the other best ways to avoid these insects moving into your new home (or finding their way into your old home)? Here are a few do-it-yourself tips that you can do today.