Pest is spreading in Germany: How to get rid of the paper fish
Created: 08/30/2022, 17:22
By: Caroline Schäfer
Paper fish like to eat their way through books, boxes and newspapers.
© Blickwinkel/imago
They love paper and boxes: paper fish can quickly become a nuisance in the house.
They can be difficult to fight, but there are a few tips.
Kassel – They eat their way through books, boxes, wallpaper and look confusingly similar to silverfish: paperfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudata).
The 1.1 to 1.5 centimeter large, wingless insects like to make themselves comfortable behind baseboards, in cavities and cracks.
In 2007, paperfish were first detected in Germany, reported the journal for pest control.
In the Netherlands, on the other hand, paper fish have been a problem for a long time, including in libraries.
Their original origin is unknown, the garden portal
24garten.de reported
.
Paper fish are spreading: This is how they get rid of the insects
Even if the light-shy insects are not dangerous for humans, they can cause enormous damage.
Books, photo albums or important documents can fall victim to the paper eater.
In museums, archives and bookstores, the pests quickly become an expensive nuisance.
It can also be expensive if there is a cockroach infestation, but you can drive away the annoying cockroaches with some home remedies.
Paper fish in the apartment?
This is how you get rid of the annoying insects
But how do you get rid of the paperfish?
Although controlling the pests can be challenging, there are tips.
Once lost in the apartment, it is difficult to get rid of the paper eater.
Prevention is therefore the safest form of protection, as reported by
br.de
:
Store important documents in plastic boxes
Cardboard boxes and packaging material should only be kept in the house or apartment for a short time
Seal cracks and joints
Regular vacuuming
Avoid used moving boxes
Paper fish: With these tips you can drive away the insects
If the little animals do get into your own four walls, you should first set up sticky traps in order to be able to determine the extent of the infestation, recommends
24garten.de
.
Feeding bait could then help.
Temperatures around zero degrees are deadly for the insects, Mike Brooks from the Dutch research and advisory station for pest control told
rp-online.de
.
At temperatures below 15 degrees, the little animals stop laying eggs.
In the case of a severe infestation, professional pest control is often the only solution.
Paperfish can hardly be distinguished from silverfish with the naked eye.
The tail of the paper eater is almost as long as its body, while the tail of the silverfish is rather short.
In addition, paperfish climb walls and prefer a dry environment, while silverfish like it humid.
The beautiful weather in Germany also attracts many bugs.
A plant is particularly helpful against the pests.
(cheese)