Garden Plot: Non-toxic pest control advice

Silverfish are most often consumers of stored paper, cardboard and books, especially for the glues involved. (De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images)

WTOP Garden Editor Mike McGrath

Download

Wow, Steve, silverfish are most often consumers of stored paper, cardboard and books, especially for the glues involved. But research confirms that they will eat clothing in a pinch. So to specifically protect your wearables, follow the same rules as with clothes moths:

Well Steve, as with many pests, silverfish are a sign of a potentially bigger problem: high humidity levels. Silverfish are creatures of extremely excessive moisture, thriving at a relative humidity of 75 percent or above, a level that is also very inviting to a slew of other annoyances, like roaches and millipedes. It's bad for your home as well.

So:

Rebecca in Alexandria was also fast to cash in on my New Year's Resolution to help homeowners find non-toxic pest control solutions, specifically for mice. She writes: "We've tried snap traps and glue traps and have caught a few, but still have some left and we're about to buy D-Con out of desperation, even though it's a poison and we've got two little kids."

Don't do it, Beck! Poisoned mice and rats will crawl inside the walls of your home to die, making a terrible stench and attracting many more pests! The poisons are also a great hazard to children and pets: .

To safely and sanely get rid of rodents:

Rebecca in Alexandria also wants some non-toxic pest control solutions for roaches. She writes: "We hadn't seen one in months and then one appeared in the bathroom medicine cabinet! Every now and then we see one; never a lot of them.

Read the rest here:
Garden Plot: Non-toxic pest control advice