@Max: Get some of the Drione mentioned above and apply it with a Hand Duster to all the spaces where silverfish can enter your bathroom. They love to live in attics and wall voids and they need moisture. That means if you have routes of entry that aren’t treated with a repelling dust like Drione, they’ll keep coming. And since you can’t spray, bait or use traps in a bathroom effectively, your only weapon is to take away their ports of entry. And to accomplish this, you’ll need Drione. Links to these are above in the article.

@Kristen: There are two things that can help and one thing that can solve the problem. First, set out Silverfish Traps in any room you’ve seen activity. Second, if the problem is in one room only, set out some Niban Bait along with traps. Third, and the one treatment that can solve the problem, is to dust all routes of entry with Drione. Silverfish will not walk anywhere close to it. So if you apply some to all the entry points, you can effectively keep them out. Treatments done right can last a year or more. Links to all these products are above and there is more detailed reading on treating apartments here:

http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/silverfish.html#apartment

@David: This will vary from product to product and where you’re spraying but here’s a general guideline:
1) When spraying outside in open air spaces, people and pets can re enter as soon as the treatment dries. So if you were treating the foundation and lawn, expect it to take 1-2 hours at most to dry unless it’s very humid.
2) When treating attics, crawl spaces or wall voids with a dust or bait, people can remain in living spaces since the treatment won’t be in these areas and in theory, there should be no exposure to them.
3) Now for living spaces like the living room, bedroom or bathroom, you would want to keep people and pets out until the treatment dissipates and all surfaces are dry. Usually during the winter, this will happen in less than an hour. But again, if it’s humid and damp, odors can linger and surfaces can remain wet for extended periods of time. So if you note either of these conditions (lingering odor and/or wet surfaces), keep children and pets off and away from these areas till they dry and the odor is gone.
4) Worth noting is that when bait or traps listed above in our article are set out, there is really no wait time involved since these pose no direct hazard to people like aerosols, dusts or liquids.

Additionally, it’s important to understand (as our article points out) that when it comes to controlling a silverfish problem, it’s paramount to get them where they’re nesting. And since this is usually in attics, wall spaces and other areas besides living spaces, the need to “spray” in the living space should be minimal. This means there shouldn’t be a big need to displace people or pets for any extended length of time if you were treating properly for this pest.

For a more thorough explanation on what you need to do safety wise regarding our products, you should review our safety video’s. These do a great job explaining how to safely handle, apply and store all the products we carry. These can be seen here:

Safety Videos: http://www.bugspray.com/video/safety-videos.html

If you review our article above, you’ll learn silverfish will randomly forage into living spaces when wall voids and attic spaces become heavily infested. So it’s not likely you’ll have anything major develop in your apartment. But as long as the areas around your apartment are keeping a thriving silverfish population, some will be foraging into nearby units (like yours) on a regular basis much in the same way that you just noticed.

The good news is that if you treat the way we describe above with some Drione Dust, you can effectively keep them at bay and out of your unit altogether. As our article explains, merely spraying your apartment will not help. But applying the dust to all routes of entry will effectively put in place a line of defense over which the silverfish will not want to walk. It’s very effective and can keep them out for good. Yeah, it will require a little work to get it done but the good news is treatments will last a year or more and they will work on every pest including roaches.

Apartment Treatments: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/silverfish.html#drione-for-apartment-silverfish

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

The silverfish you’re seeing have nothing to do with any leak in the basement. As explained in our article, silverfish thrive under siding, tiles and roof decks. From there they’ll migrate into attics and ultimately into living spaces.

In your case, they’re no doubt using the electric lines or drain lines to move around the home. Mind you they’re not “inside” these conduits but rather they’re walking on the outside of the pipes and wires moving to where the pipes and wires exit in your kitchen and bathrooms. So how do you stop the invasion?

The easy fix is to dust with Drione hitting all entry points in the areas where they’re seen. Drione will stop them from entering and should keep them out. But if they’re nesting on the home and their populations keep getting bigger and bigger, I’m afraid they’ll find another way in unless you eliminate the source. So dusting the kitchen and bathrooms will stop them from appearing but it’s not likely that this alone will solve the nesting problem.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

So how do you solve the problem? This will involve more detective work but it can be done.

Now since you don’t have an angled, flat asphalt tiled roof like most homes, my guess is they’re most likely in the decking under the tar. At some point you must have had a leak or at least a route of entry (or a crack) which allowed some silverfish to enter and get on the home to nest. From there they’ve probably thrived and now they’ve reached a population level to where some are foraging out and into the home.

So if it’s at all possible, I suggest you get on the roof and dust with the Drione there as well since this will many times locate a hot spot (nest) that could be the cause for all the problems. If not the roof, my second guess would be around the gutters, where they mount to the roof and just behind them. I’ve worked on many homes that in fact had silverfish living around the gutters and once we got those nests, the activity inside ceased. Using the Drione and a Hand Duster is all we needed to do the job right and though it was a tedious job to do, well worth the effort.

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

It is entirely possible the silverfish came in with the mail. Since silverfish are both drawn to paper products and can live on the glue and cellulose alone, envelopes and mail bins are commonly found to host silverfish. This means the one you saw could have come from where the mail had been held or even before that location.

That being said, I wouldn’t sit by idly. Setting out some Silverfish Traps would be smart, easy and pose no hazard to anyone. This way if the traps start capturing silverfish, you’ll know there is a problem that needs to be treated before it gets out of hand.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

I never recommend bombing the home for several reasons. The most obvious is that very few if any pests are out in the open where total release aerosol’s spew all their product. So in the end, 99.9% of the product applied is wasted. This means you’re spending time and energy using something that won’t help. And when it comes to silverfish, this is extra true because of where they tend to hide and nest.

Now what will work is the recommended treatments listed above. And in particular, the Drione Dust. I’ve handled many silverfish problems in homes that had infested siding and roofing. And for some reason, silverfish tend to love wooden roofing so I strongly urge you to get on it and dust it with the Drione we have listed. No doubt this will take some time and effort. But getting them where they nest is critical to solving silverfish invasions. Use a hand duster to apply it and work each and every shingle by puffing 1-2 shots up under it as you move over the entire surface of your roof.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Now if you have any kind of siding like masonite or cedar shakes, you’ll need to treat under it too so there is a good chance you’ll need to treat all sides of the home as well as the roofing. This is a common nest site for silverfish and once these locations get infested, it’s just a matter of time before they start migrating inside.

As for the inside of the home; dust the attic with the Drione and use a Dustin Mizer for this application. Drione in the attic will last 6-12 months no problem and work 1000 times better than any kind of aerosol.

Dustin Mizer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/dustin-mizerdeflector

Lastly, use the Drione to treat all the switch plate electric outlet covers, light fixtures and around the air vents in any room so you will effectively prevent them from entering your living spaces. Silverfish hate Drione and will avoid it at all costs. Using it as a barrier is very effective and will no doubt help. I also suggest setting out Silverfish Traps throughout the home to help catch any that do get inside and to help monitor the local activity.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

First and foremost, make sure what you’re finding is in fact silverfish. We have many customers confuse them with German Roaches and when someone says they’re seeing “baby” silverfish, that’s a clue that in fact what you have are roaches. Also, it’s pretty rare to see baby silverfish.

To read up more on German Roaches, go here:

Roach Control: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Now if in fact you are seeing silverfish, here’s what you do.

Forget the DE. Instead, get the Drione listed above in our article and apply it to all the same places you treated with the DE dust. But the Drione should also be applied to the electric outlets, under switch plate covers, into light fixtures and basically any crack or crevice you can find that might be providing some kind of shelter.

Just so you know, Drione is at least 10 times better than DE dust. The best way to understand the difference is to compare the two. Basically Drione would be like a 12 gauge shotgun and the DE would be like a 22 pistol.

Now if you were to stand 30 feet away from a wall and were to shoot it with the pistol (DE dust), you’d make a small hole. But with the shotgun (Drione), you’d have pellets all over the place in an area that’s a lot larger. This area might be 1-2 feet wide at least. Maybe even bigger.

Well, that’s how Drione works compared to DE. Basically it covers a lot larger of an area and with the DE, you can easily miss a key location. So put the DE aside and go with the good stuff. With silverfish (and roaches), Drione is very much needed and the preferred product because it will work so much better.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Now I also suggest you go outside your apartment and treat the hallway cracks and crevices too. Next, you should spray the carpeting (the entire carpet) with the Esfenvalerate listed above. Since roaches and silverfish like to migrate and stay on the move, by treating the carpet you’ll be preventing them access via this common area.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Lastly, I suggest you set out some Silverfish Traps throughout your apartment. These will help monitor activity so you can pinpoint any activity you might be missing. I suspect there is at least one other location in your apartment which is being missed and these traps will help isolate such a location.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

Cleaning won’t help and in fact, it will only cause them to disperse and in the end, spread. To solve the problem, identifying the main nest site can really help. In most cases, they’ll be coming in from outside. Silverfish love living up under roof shingles and exterior siding. From there they’ll migrate inside. This will most likely happen during the summer so be sure to look there.

But regardless of where they’re nesting, there are two treatments that will get them one way or the other.

The first is to do extensive dusting. The Drione Dust listed above should be applied up under the roof shingles as well as around windows and any type of house siding if present. Common siding that silverfish love include masonite, aluminum and plastic. Expect to use several lbs of Drione to insure complete coverage but in my experience, taking the time to treat any house siding and roofing can go a long way in cleaning up the problem.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Drione should also be used inside any room to “keep out” silverfish that are foraging. Apply it to electric outlets, light fixtures and any route of entry you suspect they might be using.

Next, the interior rooms that are seeing silverfish should be treated along their baseboards and window frames with Phantom Aerosol. This odorless aerosol goes on “dry” so it’s ideal for use in the home. I use it along my baseboards for spider control and I have wood floors yet you cannot tell anything has been applied because it doesn’t leave any trace after being sprayed.

Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Lastly, set out some Silverfish Traps in any room with activity. They’ll help by catching any foraging around and alerting you to a problem area you may have missed.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

When a living space has a pest like roaches, silverfish, weevils, etc. and then the occupant up and moves, there is always a risk of transporting some of the unwanted guest along with their clothing, boxes, etc. To avoid this from happening, you should do as much pretreating as possible. Here’s a quick check list of ways to insure these silverfish don’t hitch a ride and infest your new home.

First, treat the open and vacant spaces where you’re moving. Use the Esfenvalerate listed above to spray down baseboards, exposed carpeting, etc. This will not only put in place a barrier that will kill any insects you bring but it will also kill off any insects currently living in the new home. And since the best time to treat any space is when it’s open and vacant, doing this before you move in would be ideal.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Second, treat any furniture, mattresses and other inanimate objects where silverfish or other pests were seen using an aerosol called Topia. This product is a federally exempt aerosol because it’s so safe and can be used on mattresses and other areas where people and pets frequent safely.

Topia: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/aerosol/topia-exempt-aerosol-17-oz

Lastly, set out some Silverfish Traps throughout the new home. These will help because they’ll help to collect any pests you have or carried with you and in doing so, alert you to the presence of a problem or potential problem. So if they start collecting silverfish, it will mean you might need to treat some more or treat somewhere you initially missed.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

Silverfish will definitely get stuck in light fixtures. As explained in our article above, they love to live in ceiling voids and from there roam into living spaces. It’s when they roam that some will get them caught in places like light fixtures so what you’re seeing is indicative of an infestation that will require void dusting with the Drione we have listed above.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

If the silverfish and other pests were living in the areas which were sprayed, seeing increased activity following a treatment would be normal and to be expected. Now in most cases this will stop happening after 1 week and if it’s still happening after 2 weeks, I’d spray as much of the home as possible again with the Esfenvalerate listed above. Since silverfish will readily live and nest on home siding and roofing, it’s important you treat the entire exterior of the home to eliminate these nest sites.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Rain and high humidity alone won’t cause them to “enter” but water in general allows them to thrive and populate. So rainfall and high humidity effectively enables them to live happier and healthier lives which in turn will cause more to be seen. But the moisture won’t drive them into the home. In fact, dry conditions are more likely to send them foraging which will lead to some getting into living areas.

Baby roaches are indeed very much like baby silverfish in how they look and how they squish.

In summary, you no doubt have a lot of insects in and around your home. I suggest you get on a regular spraying routine. I also suggest you treat every void possible with Drione Dust as this will really help. As explained above, Drione lasts 6-12 months so you won’t have to use it much but it can really help a lot. Lastly, set out some Silverfish Traps to help monitor the problem.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

First, have you compared German Roaches to what you’re seeing? I ask because they will be active all day, love human food and will live in the areas you’re describing. They love “low” places like baseboards, live in appliances and will readily focus on the rooms you mentioned.

Silverfish are definitely nocturnal only and in general, so too are roaches. But of the two, roaches are more likely to “come out” during the day way before silverfish. And they love people food. I mention this because silverfish in general have no interest in people food and they don’t “come out” to forage. They’re mostly cellulose consumers; wood, paper, insulation, etc. which is why they typically live in wall voids.

Also, silverfish only forage “out” when their populations get so big in the wall/ceiling voids that they’re “spilling” out into living spaces so they don’t generally make a habit of foraging out into any one room all the time looking for food which you describe.

I know you say you’re certain the pest you have are silverfish but I just feel I have to ask since roaches and silverfish closely resemble one another and customers commonly confuse the two. More info on roaches can be seen here including a video which will show a roach close up in case you’re not sure what they look like. As you’ll see, they’re very close in color, size, shape and overall look:

Roach Control: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control

Now if in fact you have roaches, the Roach Gel featured in the article link above will take care of them and won’t pose any kind of hazard to you or your pet – even if the pet ate some.

But if you’re 100% sure they’re silverfish, then go with the Drione, Niban and Silverfish Traps featured in our article above. A combination of all three can be used to solve any kind of silverfish problem and this can be accomplished without undue hazard to you or your pet.

You see, Drione can’t harm people or pets when used properly – even if ingested. In fact it used to have “pet application” on it’s label and I’ve used it many times on cats and dogs for flea powder. It’s fast acting (works as a dessicant) and is neutralized by water. So even if your pet “licked” some, the only thing that would happen is that the Drione would be neutralized by the cats saliva. And in cases where I’ve seen that happen, most pets stop licking it since it causes your mouth to go dry. I know cause I’ve actually eaten it. Many times. It’s a similar sensation one feels when mixing up cement or using too much baby powder in a babies diaper. It might make the pet or person sneeze but again, our internal fluids neutralize the intake making it harmless so there is really no risk when using it in wall voids, ceiling spaces, behind electric switch plate covers, around light fixtures, etc.

More importantly, if you apply it to every void in your condo, you can effectively take away insect nest sites without posing any hazard to you or your pet since the Drione will be in the wall void and not out in the open. That means there won’t be any chance for an exposure anyway if you use it correctly.

And as explained above, silverfish (and roaches) flat out hate Drione so they will avoid any place it’s been applied. That means in theory you can take away all their nests sites by dusting these voids one at a time.

Lastly, Drione used inside the home can last 6-12 months easily so the other huge benefit of using it is that treatments last so long and in any apartment/condo environment, this is important. It’s basically the only “fence” or barrier you can put in place that can effectively keep out all kinds of pests no matter what’s going on alongside, above or below your unit.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Now in the living spaces, you should definitely sprinkle Niban. And since it will work on both silverfish and roaches, whatever you have you’ll be covered. Niban uses a starch attractant – much like that found in wood products – which roaches, ants, crickets and silverfish like to eat so it will no doubt attract their attention. And if the cat should eat any, it would be a mute point since Niban can’t affect people or pets if ingested. In fact most all insect baits can’t hurt people or pets anymore by design; mammals just process Niban like any other food if some is orally consumed.

Lastly, setting out silverfish traps will no doubt help too. Besides trapping out the ones that want to actively forage, the traps will help you identify population density throughout your condo. This in turn will enable you to make sure you’re treating the right areas. In about half the cases where traps are used we find the target pests are grouped in locations above and beyond what was originally thought to be the problem areas. And once you start catching them, you’ll be able to better treat these important areas.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

Not a surprise. As explained above in our article, silverfish will thrive on many natural fibers including those routinely found in thatch. In fact, there are many types of insects that will thrive in such material and once they’re nesting in the thatch roof, it’s just a matter of time before they start migrating into the home.

To avoid that from happening, I suggest you spray the thatch with some Conquer on a regular basis. I would say that 1 gallon per 500 sq/ft of surface area will do the job. Do this every month of the year where the temperatures are 50 degrees or more on average. This will make the thatch “unlivable” by any insect pest.

Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

I also suggest you dust the “natural cavities” you mentioned with some Drione Dust. This application will last a lot longer than the spray; I expect it will last 12 months per application. And anywhere it’s applied silverfish won’t be able to live so it’s a good way to get extra protection from this pest inside the home.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Definitely silverfish! And would you mind if I posted this picture above, in our article? It’s a great closeup of this pest and I know it would be helpful to others who are not 100% of what they’re seeing.

As for your problem; you are spot on about the Drione. In fact it does work so well that in theory, it’s the only thing one should ever need. But the one limitation of Drione is that one must get it “where it matters”. And in this case, I’m certain this location is somewhere in a wall void. I can’t say which one (could be all of them) but if you’re not willing to drill some access holes to treat these areas, I don’t think you’ll be able to solve the problem.

Additionally, I’m certain the moisture you mention is a big part of the problem. You see, silverfish need moisture and many times will be drawn to any room in the house which has high humidity levels. For this reason bathrooms are a what we call “silverfish magnets”. And based on the amount of moisture you describe, I’m afraid there are many areas in your apartment which are luring silverfish and this just makes it that much more difficult to isolate which walls could be the main nest site.

So here’s what I suggest. Based on the activity level, I’m fairly sure the silverfish are nesting in at least 1 if not several wall voids. And from there they are coming out seeking moisture which appears to be abundant in your living space. This means using Niban or any spray out in the open won’t really solve the problem because if you don’t get them in the wall voids, they’ll just keep reproducing and reappearing regardless of what you do out in the open.

And with that being established, you must now decide if you’re willing to drill access holes through which the Drione can be applied or if you’re just going to endure the infestation because in the end, the only proven way to dispel of this pest is to get them where they’re nesting.

Give us a call if you need more help in deciding whether to treat or not. We should be able to offer some tips on how to do the treatment and maybe explain it better on the phone so you can tackle the job with confidence. No doubt it will involve a little bit of work but in the end, I’m certain you can knock them out if you get every area where they might be hiding.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Thanks for letting us use the photo. I’ll get it posted above in the next day.

As for the drilling; here’s the logic. First, you’re right in that drilling isn’t mentioned above. That’s because in most cases the nest is located in the attic or roof so dusting either will solve the problem without the need to make access holes. In these scenario’s, dusting entry points like electric switch plate covers, electric outlets, around air vents, inside light fixtures, etc. are all effective treatments that will stop them from entering. But treating those areas alone will only work if that’s the main nest site.

So in your case, it would seem the nest is actually in a wall void based on where you’re seeing them, how many you’re seeing, the focal point of the activity, etc. And for this reason getting direct access to the wall void would be needed to deliver the dust where it will matter the most.

This means small holes, about 1/4″, will be needed for the hand duster tube to deliver the Drione. If I was treating, I’d drill the holes inside the closet. One hole high on the wall, one low; holes will be needed between every stud. This means the holes would be concealed and if you’re lucky, this will get them where it will help the most.

Now the reason you need two holes is so when the dust is applied, it will permeate throughout the space from top to bottom. And if you treat enough wall voids, you’ll no doubt get them where they’re nesting and starting on the closet walls only makes sense for the reasons I listed above.

Unfortunately I don’t think there will be any other way of resolving the problem because if you don’t get them where they’re nesting, I’m sure there will be a never ending stream of new ones entering your living space indefinitely. So for now, I’d see about persuading the powers to be that this treatment is needed because surface spraying, traps and bait will not get rid of them. These are only good for foraging silverfish when nests are far away and the numbers being reported are small. For you, this is not the case. Clearly the numbers are significant and without getting them where it will matter, I’m afraid the infestation will linger.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Sorry for the confusion on the drilling; what I meant by drilling the holes inside the closet is that they’ll be concealed when the door to the closet is closed. And yes, it will take a lot of holes to get this area treated but remember, they only have to be 1/4″ round and there only needs to be one up high, around the ceiling, and one down low at the baseboard.

As for shipping to Canada; we can’t due to postal shipping limits. But you are perfectly “legal” to use the material in your place of residence and other locations as long as you don’t start up a pest control company and start treating commercially. To do that you’ll have to be registered, licensed, etc. Of course, by the time you get this problem resolved, you’ll be so well versed in controlling silverfish that maybe doing it for a living will be something to consider! lol

Lastly, many people in your situation will have us ship to some location here in the states and then from there get it back home so what you thought of doing is actually a common practice.

I feel baiting the attic would be wise. This would help to keep them in the attic area and control them since the Niban will no doubt attract any insect pest and cause them to feed. This in turn will lead to their demise.

Niban FG: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/niban-fg-3-lb

But I would also dust any entry way to rooms with activity with Drione Dust. Yes, it’s more costly compared to using Niban alone. But Drione is so repellent to silverfish that any entry way dusted would become unusable by silverfish and other pests. This would no doubt keep the treated room silverfish free and in turn, get the Niban to work that much better.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

The Drione should be applied to any light fixtures, electric outlets, switch plate covers and to the exterior of the any duct work that vents into any room where they’re seen. Most of these areas can be treated from the living space but the duct work’s exterior is best treated by lightly dusting it while in the attic space. This insures you’ll get around it thoroughly without getting any inside the duct.

In summary, combining the Niban with the Drione will be the way to go because the Drione will force the silverfish to stay in the attic and this in turn will cause them to feed on the Niban for sure. Good luck!

You definitely have a problem that needs to be treated. For now, I suggest you read our article above. This will educate you on silverfish and explain where they like to nest, how to treat for them and what the best products are to use. Once you learn more about silverfish and the proper treatment methods, you’ll be able to decide if you want to treat the problem yourself or hire a service company to do the work for you.

Now the one thing you’ll learn from our article is that silverfish will generally nest in the attic, wall spaces and other voids around your living areas. You’ll also learn they enter living spaces most commonly during the winter months seeking warmth.

And based on our knowledge of silverfish, you’ll no doubt have to do some treating with Drione Dust. Basically if you dust every entry way into your rooms, you can keep them out. Common entry points include light fixtures, electric outlets, switch plate covers, around vents, around windows, around crown molding and basically any point that leads to the attic or wall void. Dust every space like this you can find with small amounts of Drione and silverfish won’t be able to use these entry ways. This treatment alone can usually reduce if not eliminate all activity inside the living spaces if you do it thoroughly enough.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Now as effective as Drione is at keeping them out, it won’t get them where they’re nesting. So if you want to get to the crux of the problem, you’ll need to treat your attic.

And to treat the attic space, you’ll either have to dust with Drione or bait it with Niban.

In general, using Drione to keep them out of your living spaces and then Niban in the attic is very effective. This is true because silverfish love Niban and once they feed, they’ll die. And when the two products are used like this, you can usually keep the silverfish contained to the attic area with the Drione in place which in turn increases the chances of them finding Niban. And once they find the Niban, they’ll eat some and die.

Niban FG: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/niban-fg-3-lb

Lastly, setting out some Silverfish Traps in your living spaces can also help reduce the current level of activity. These traps will help to alert you to problem areas besides your bed as well. And once you learn of any other problem areas, you can focus your treatments there to get faster and more complete results.

Silverfish Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/silverfish-traps-6-pk

Silverfish (and other insects) cannot live inside the vent work. The air flow in this environment alone (either hot or cold) would dehydrate them and this condition makes it uninhabitable by 99% of all insects including silverfish. That being said, they could very well be coming “out of the vent”. How? Let me explain.

So if you remove the screws that hold the vent cover in place, you’ll find the duct work below is merely attached to the vent cover and the cover essentially holds the duct in place. But there will be gaps between the air duct and the flooring/subflooring. These gaps are where the silverfish (and other insects) will pass and in turn, “come out of the vent”.

Now where they’re traveling from is really the key to solving the problem. So to stop them from entering through these locations, you’ll need to first loosen all the vent covers. Next, you’ll want to dust “sideways” around the space that surrounds the opening. This in turn will enable the Drione to drift “away” from the hole in the flooring.

Lastly, you’ll want to lightly dust the air ducts exterior shell (not inside). Silverfish and other insects will commonly use the exterior siding of any air duct found in the attic, basement or crawl space to travel from one point to another. But if you lightly dust the ducts exterior with Drione, they won’t be able to walk on it anymore.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

One more thing; identifying where they’re coming from will ultimately solve the issue and prevent more from entering.

So in the space under the flooring (could be a crawl space, a finished or unfinished basement or a slab with the duct work built in), you’ll need to dust as much of it as possible. This in turn will preclude the area as a nest site and in most cases, solve the problem.

Keep in mind that fully 75-90% of the cases we deal with, the silverfish will turn out to have a main nest up under the homes exterior siding and/or roofing so don’t forget to treat these areas too. Getting them at their main nest site will always yield the best overall results; the challenge is identifying where the main nest site is located!

In my book, Drione is one of the best products to use for virtually any pest. And whenever I’m able to use it efficiently for a pest problem I have, I go for it. So to answer your question; yes, Drione can be used along your baseboards.

No doubt most any baseboard will have small cracks and crevices enabling pests to enter from wall voids, etc. And a good dusting with Drione will both kill what’s there and prevent them from using the area any more so it’s a good choice for sure.

The only downside to using Drione is that if you vacuum or wash your floors, I’m afraid the Drione won’t last as long as normal so just be aware that normal house cleaning can affect its residual life.

And since it’s more cumbersome to apply compared to using a liquid or aerosol, most people forego the Drione in leu of something easier to use. But again, if you’re willing to go the distance and make sure you’re not removing it everything you clean your home, Drione applied to baseboards would have the potential to last longer than anything else you might apply there so it would well worth the time and effort.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

As explained in my previous answer; the Drione can be used for these areas. But you could opt to liquid spray if you feel using the Drione would be too cumbersome to use throughout the entire home. Personally, I’d use the Drione. And since you sound like you’re already committed to using it for the bathroom baseboards, why quit there?

Something else to consider. Let’s say the silverfish are in fact nesting just under the baseboard in your bathroom. If they are, the Drione treatment you plan on doing will probably alleviate all activity so you might not have to treat so extensively.

But in our experience, we’ve seen that most silverfish problems start from the homes exterior. So the roofing and siding is where they originate and from there, they’ll move into the attic and then down through wall voids eventually making it into your living spaces. That means treating all entry points from your wall voids makes sense (and it sounds like you’re planning on treating these areas too which is good).

This also means you should not ignore the attic above so if possible, dust it with Drione too. This can have a big positive overall impact and usually is only needed once a year.

So if you’re treating the baseboard in the bathroom and that’s where they’re nesting, my hunch is all activity will cease. But if they’re coming from above (which is most likely what’s happening), chances are high they’ll simply start using another entry point into your living spaces once the bathroom is dusted so if you fail to treat the remaining baseboards in the home, I’m inclined to think they’ll start emerging from one of these untreated areas once they figure out it’s not treated.

But all this could easily be avoided if you just went ahead and dusted as many as you can with the Drione, along with the attic and in turn, be done with it.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

And for the attic, the Dustin Mizer would be the way to go:

Dustin Mizer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/dustin-mizerdeflector