Examples of control of long-tailed silverfish with bait in different premises
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Control of long-tailed silverfish with poisoned bait has proven to be very effective. In various experiments, control of long-tailed silverfish with poisoned bait has been tested in an apartment complex, terraced houses, a kindergarten, a commercial premises and also libraries.
Examples
Below you can see examples of control of long-tailed silverfish in different premises:
Control of long-tailed silverfish in an apartment complex
Introduction: A long-tailed silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata) infestation was controlled in a building with 38 apartments. In this type of building, the long-tailed silverfish have ample opportunities to move between apartments, and without a comprehensive and building-wide approach, it will often take a long time before the desired result is achieved.
Method: The control was carried out with “spot treatment”. This involves placing multiple small droplets of bait (Advion ant in this case) along skirting boards and in natural hiding places in every room in the apartments. The rooms were vacuumed before the first treatment. Pest control technicians had access to all apartments on the same day, both for the initial treatment and follow-up treatment after 3-4 months. Technical rooms and common areas were also treated. The population development was monitored for 14-day periods in 16 out of 38 apartments.
Results: The long-tailed silverfish population quickly dropped from high levels, described as a nuisance for residents, to levels where insects were not considered to be a problem (See Figure). More than 90% reduction was achieved after 8 weeks, and after 28 weeks, no silverfish were observed in the 16 monitored apartments. The demographic development of the population also shows a very good effect in that the last 5 measurements contain more than 85% of the youngest stages and hardly any adults.
Conclusion: Poisoned bait with the active ingredient indoxacarb is very effective against long-tailed silverfish. The rapid decline in the number of silverfish combined with the demographic trend suggests that a building-wide approach with poisoned bait is a sensible approach. Since secondary poisoning in laboratory studies is extensive, there is a good effect even with small amounts of poisoned bait. This is beneficial because the method presents very little risk of poisoning for residents.
Control of long-tailed silverfish in terraced houses
Introduction: An infestation of long-tailed silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata) was controlled in a three-unit terraced house. In this type of building, long-tailed silverfish have ample opportunities to move between the units. By treating the entire building at the same time, good results are achieved quickly, and untreated "pockets" on the premises are avoided.
Method: The extermination consisted of “spot treatment” with Advion Cockroach and pre-fabricated cockroach bait stations. Many small droplets of bait are distributed along skirting boards and in natural hiding places (cracks and crevices) in every room in the apartments. The residents vacuumed the rooms thoroughly before the treatment. The bait stations were deployed six weeks later. The population development was monitored by using sticky traps in all apartments.
Results: Four weeks after treatment, the number of long-tailed silverfish declined by 76% (see figure). The residents described this as going from being a visible, daily nuisance to never seeing silverfish. After 12 weeks, a 90% reduction was achieved, and in one apartment, no silverfish were found. The study is ongoing.
Conclusion: Poisoned bait with the active ingredient Indoxacarb provides a very good effect against long-tailed silverfish. The results indicate that in less complex buildings, one spot treatment may be sufficient to overcome an infestation of long-tailed silverfish. This is beneficial because the method presents very little risk of poisoning for the residents. Laboratory studies have shown that secondary poisoning of silverfish is extensive. This gives a good control effect even with small amounts of toxic bait. Secondary poisoning and bait stations probably help to maintain the effect over time.
Control of long-tailed silverfish in kindergarten
Introduction: Long-tailed silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata) were controlled in a kindergarten with four sections, various staff rooms and an unfurnished basement. In order to reduce the risk of poisoning among kindergarten children, the poisoned bait was only placed during weekends and holidays.
Method: In the children's rooms, small drops of poisoned bait (Advion Cockroach) were placed on masking tape along the walls at half metre intervals so that it could be removed before the children returned. The bait was only present when the kindergarten was closed (a long weekend and during the summer holidays - a total of 22 nights). In the staff rooms and basement, the bait was placed directly on the floor along the walls and was present throughout the period. The population development was monitored with sticky traps placed in all rooms on selected weekends.
Results: The long-tailed silverfish population declined rapidly after the first treatment. The count after 12 weeks showed a reduction in the number of observed long-tailed silverfish of more than 90% in the children's rooms (See Figure), and in other areas there were no long-tailed silverfish in the traps at this time. The study is ongoing.
Conclusion: Poisoned bait with the active ingredient Indoxacarb gives a very good effect against long-tailed silverfish. The results show that control is possible even when the bait is removed after a short period. This underlines the role of secondary poisoning in long-tailed silverfish control and enables control in premises where people who are particularly sensitive to chemicals are staying. The control can be carried out when the premises are not in use. In kindergartens, holidays are ideal periods.
Control of long-tailed silverfish in commercial premises
Introduction: A long-tailed silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata) infestation was controlled in five commercial premises connected to the ground floor of an apartment block. All five businesses had wet rooms and kitchens, and they were positioned next to each other on the street level with an underground garage .
Method: Small droplets of poisoned bait (Advion Cockroach) were placed along the walls at half to one metre intervals. The drops were hidden where possible to prevent accidental contact and removal of bait during cleaning. The population development was monitored with 140 sticky traps distributed between the five premises according to area.
Results: The long-tailed silverfish population dropped rapidly after the first treatment and the measurement after 12 weeks resulted in the capture of only three small individuals. This represents a 99% reduction in the population (See Figure). The study is ongoing.
Conclusion: Poisoned bait with the active ingredient Indoxacarb is very effective on long-tailed silverfish in commercial premises. The results show that the control effect is great, even with a single deployment of bait. A large proportion of the long-tailed silverfish die quickly and remain in hidden places in the premises, acting as a potential natural bait. Over time, they are probably consumed by other long-tailed silverfish, and when a balanced mix of direct and secondary poisoning is achieved, the population is decimated.
Control of long-tailed silverfish in libraries
Introduction: Long-tailed silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata) infestations were controlled in three libraries. One library consisted of five floors, while the two other had four floors.
Method: Initially, all rooms in the libraries were mapped for long-tailed silverfish. Control was carried out by spot treatment in rooms with insects and their adjacent rooms. Multiple small droplets of poisoned bait (Advion cockroach) were placed approximately one metre apart along skirting boards, and if possible, applied in cracks and crevices. The population development after this treatment was monitored with sticky traps in 2-week intervals for 20 weeks.
Results: The long-tailed silverfish population quickly dropped from high levels and stabilised at low numbers (See Figure). More than 90% reduction was achieved after 4 weeks. The project is still running, and after six months, all rooms in the libraries will be mapped again. If necessary new treatment will be performed.
Conclusion: One application of poisoned bait with the active ingredient indoxacarb gave a very good effect against the long tailed-silverfish. A large proportion of the population was quickly killed, and many individuals will probably remain dead in hidden places. They will act as natural bait when they are consumed by other long-tailed silverfish. In this way, both direct and secondary poisoning will suppress the populations. In more complex buildings like libraries, a quite long period of low level catch is expected as there are adjacent rooms next to the libraries that have not been investigated or treated. Some influx of long-tailed silverfish from these areas is likely.
