Hide them in places where you’re likely to encounter the creepy crawlies, like bookshelves, dressers and desk drawers, under the sink and in the basement and attic. Note that boric acid, like many pesticides, can be toxic if swallowed; in fact, in 2020, pesticides caused nearly 70,000 poisonings in the U.S., according to the National Poison Control Center. “Pesticides should generally be thought of as a measure of last resort,” says Health, Beauty and Sustainability Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. “If all else fails, try some traps, but it’s critical to keep them away from kids, pets and anywhere food is stored.”
Homemade traps are a non-toxic option that can be effective at catching silverfish. “I found pitfall-style traps work fine, such as tape-wrapped glass jars,” says Dr. Changlu Wang with the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University. Simply wrap a glass jar in textured tape, like medical tape, and place a bit of cereal or other starch inside the jar to attract the silverfish. The textured surface will allow them to crawl up the jar, but once inside the plain glass walls will be too slippery for them to escape.
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