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silverfish eradication?
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11 posts in this topic

Hello! I recently stumbled across a collection a very old lady is trying to sell now that her husband passed away. There are some very old books from what little I've seen so far ( I'm going back tomorrow to really dig in). That being said I opened one of the boxes and saw several silverfish moving around. There are 50 long boxes total. What can be done en mass to kill as many as possible. I was considering bug bombing them in my shed though I'm worried how they'll smell or if they will be affected negatively in any way.

 

Any help is appreciate; thanks,

 

Nick

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You need to remove each book individually and inspect them. If they weren't collectible comic books I would put them in a large trash bag  33 gal. and fumigate each box. But the residue may stay with the books. So individual inspection , and remove them from the boxes. It's not like they are going to damage the books any worse than they already are.

Exterminator rule always be honest.

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Depending on what books are in there, you should be careful with a bug bomb.  You might fill a bucket with some mild pesticide/water mix, put some gloves on, and use a clean brush to sweep off each comic's inhabitants into the bucket.  Try not to touch the comics with chemicals.  Hopefully it will be worth the effort.  I would love to hear what you find (the comic books, not the bugs)!

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Rid each book one by one of bugs. Bag and board and put in new books. Put cedar chips in new box. Leave somewhere outside for a month that you don't care if silverfish get to, and make sure the are all gone and don't come back. Then you can bring books in house. 

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On 7/5/2020 at 1:07 AM, oakman29 said:

You need to remove each book individually and inspect them. If they weren't collectible comic books I would put them in a large trash bag  33 gal. and fumigate each box. But the residue may stay with the books. So individual inspection , and remove them from the boxes. It's not like they are going to damage the books any worse than they already are.

Exterminator rule always be honest.

What about introducing spiders to the boxes? hm

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As said above maybe just remove as many as you can, re-bag and board the books and replace the boxes.  After that is done try using these IGR discs.  They are totally passive.  Put a few in the room your storing the books and eventually the bugs can't reproduce.  This is much cleaner and safer than trying a pesticide.

https://www.domyown.com/gentrol-point-source-p-51.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JpyMNf5-NIsAMTjIMeollCHXwD3rf8ZPBYDD6Twrq517bhaSKhQy-RoCFB0QAvD_BwE

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On 7/4/2020 at 9:07 PM, oakman29 said:

You need to remove each book individually and inspect them. If they weren't collectible comic books I would put them in a large trash bag  33 gal. and fumigate each box. But the residue may stay with the books. So individual inspection , and remove them from the boxes. It's not like they are going to damage the books any worse than they already are.

Exterminator rule always be honest.

I heard silverfish are repelled by the smell of cedar and you can place small cedar boards or discs in the comic boxes to discourage them. Is this true?

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8 hours ago, Black_Adam said:

I heard silverfish are repelled by the smell of cedar and you can place small cedar boards or discs in the comic boxes to discourage them. Is this true?

Yep

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If you have a university nearby, I would contact their library and talk with their restoration/conservation department.  They will be experienced in moisture-related problems and likely have a sublimation chamber.

They can also advise you on freezing techniques.  You will want to read a few online articles about freezing temps to kill silverfish.  Some of the more valuable books may placed in plastic containers and frozen, to ensure no live activity. (I know, it's unsettling to have that in with your frozen pizza, etc,)

Also look into some more deterrents:  diatomaceous earth (powder), lavender oil, and mothballs.

Here is a trick on a small scale:  take a glass jar and cover the outside with masking tape.  Place some bread with water and some sugar inside.  Make some room in the box for placement. The silverfish will enter, but not be able to escape due to the slick interior.

Good luck - remember librarians have dealt with these pests for many many years.

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