The Control of Silverfish
Sep. 18th, 2007 08:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mishalakI have seen one tiny, immature silverfish on one of my books. Undoubtedly where there is one there will be more, though the infestation is not advanced. Therefore I am have investigated book safe pest control options.
1. Vacuuming the books regularly will help, though not hugely. So I need a canister type vacuum in addition to the light use upright I already have.
2. Desiccants are effective against them or to keep them from moving into an area so I will get either some silica gel pesticidal dust or possibly some Drione, silica gel with a relatively safe (for humans and dogs) neurotoxin called pyrethrum. I'll also use some in the bathroom in the cupboards and other crack type spaces that might harbor the beasties. But mainly I'll use it behind the bookcases and possibly in a little space I'll create behind the books.
3. Glue traps (a.k.a. glue boards, sticky boards, and capture traps) might work just as well placed carefully behind the books in such a way that my books do not get stuck.
4. When storing my books from now on I might consider plastic boxes filled with inert gas or repellents such as menthol crystals, eucalyptus leaves, or Bois d'Arc tree (Maclura pomifera) also called the Osage orange. With any of these repellent options I will put the things in a tube with a screen or cotton ball stuck in the end.
5. If after a few months I can still find any silverfish I will consider conventional residual sprays. I've read that an encapsulated or wettable powder formulation would work best applied as perimeter sprays to the baseboards under which silverfish hide. This would probably mean, in my case, moving bookcases more than the baseboards. They can also be directed into cracks and crevices and pipe voids.
6. An extreme measure I might think about is gently heating my books to a temperature that will kill the beasties. Unfortunately this takes about 45-65C over at six days. Source: "A Review of Published Temperatures for the Control of Pest Insects in Museums," in Collection Forum, 8(2), 1992, pp. 41-67, by Tom Strang.
Keeping them cold is not better option since they need to be frozen to -15C (about 4 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 72 hours. My freezer will barely do this, but this technique cannot be used on leather bound books. Though if I do I will put them in nearly airless bags before freezing.
I've read that boric acid is ineffective against silverfish and besides it would probably damage the books if they come in contact.
I may be getting a bit ahead of myself. My books show no signs of silverfish damage. But I did see one small one. I suspect the number of insects is very small right now and will continue to be small as this room is dry and not particularly warm.
1. Vacuuming the books regularly will help, though not hugely. So I need a canister type vacuum in addition to the light use upright I already have.
2. Desiccants are effective against them or to keep them from moving into an area so I will get either some silica gel pesticidal dust or possibly some Drione, silica gel with a relatively safe (for humans and dogs) neurotoxin called pyrethrum. I'll also use some in the bathroom in the cupboards and other crack type spaces that might harbor the beasties. But mainly I'll use it behind the bookcases and possibly in a little space I'll create behind the books.
3. Glue traps (a.k.a. glue boards, sticky boards, and capture traps) might work just as well placed carefully behind the books in such a way that my books do not get stuck.
4. When storing my books from now on I might consider plastic boxes filled with inert gas or repellents such as menthol crystals, eucalyptus leaves, or Bois d'Arc tree (Maclura pomifera) also called the Osage orange. With any of these repellent options I will put the things in a tube with a screen or cotton ball stuck in the end.
5. If after a few months I can still find any silverfish I will consider conventional residual sprays. I've read that an encapsulated or wettable powder formulation would work best applied as perimeter sprays to the baseboards under which silverfish hide. This would probably mean, in my case, moving bookcases more than the baseboards. They can also be directed into cracks and crevices and pipe voids.
6. An extreme measure I might think about is gently heating my books to a temperature that will kill the beasties. Unfortunately this takes about 45-65C over at six days. Source: "A Review of Published Temperatures for the Control of Pest Insects in Museums," in Collection Forum, 8(2), 1992, pp. 41-67, by Tom Strang.
Keeping them cold is not better option since they need to be frozen to -15C (about 4 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 72 hours. My freezer will barely do this, but this technique cannot be used on leather bound books. Though if I do I will put them in nearly airless bags before freezing.
I've read that boric acid is ineffective against silverfish and besides it would probably damage the books if they come in contact.
I may be getting a bit ahead of myself. My books show no signs of silverfish damage. But I did see one small one. I suspect the number of insects is very small right now and will continue to be small as this room is dry and not particularly warm.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-19 03:41 am (UTC)Last time I had to deal with a slight infestation, we used a combo of Drione Dust and bait packs.
Don't forget to check the rest of your residence, too. Silverfish like attics, basements, and rooms that are wallpapered. (Glue? Yummy!)
Good luck!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-19 04:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-19 04:22 am (UTC)