Silverfish infestation... how bad is it and what can I do?

[Cypress]

Hey all, so I collected a hulking Russian Olive trunk over this past weekend that I'm really excited about, but noticed while potting it that it seems to have and infestation of, what appears to be, some type of silverfish. I would have taken a picture but I don't think either my phone or actual camera would be able to focus on them very well... they're black-ish and smaller than a grain of rice and looks like a type of silverfish. I'll attach a google image of the type of insect I mean.

But yea, the stump I collected has some parts where the bark has rotted off, which i think will lend itself to great deadwood features, but i think they've been living under the bark, and I'm a little concerned about them making a home under the living bark and causing damage to the cambium. Not a silverfish expert though.

I was going to eventually post a thread for the tree itself too, but basically I wanted to know if anyone has experience with these guys hanging out and if they can be a major danger to trees? If so, is it safe to treat a newly collected trunk with some type of insecticide, and if you could recommend an insecticide product that would be great.

Thanks all.

PS. The little buggers sort of look like this, i feel that the guys on my tree are smaller than a normal silverfish though...

 

[bonsaiBlake]

maybe once you get it potted try submersing the entire thing in a bucket of water for like an hour should drown them all and will give the stump a good intial watering.

 

[Cypress]

maybe once you get it potted try submersing the entire thing in a bucket of water for like an hour should drown them all and will give the stump a good intial watering.

That may be a challenge... this is quite a large trunk. The rootball as it is now is about 2 feet across, with the "pot" being a bit wider and it is very heavy. I don't know about a bucket but maybe a hot tub, haha.

Though, I did notice these little guys when I was hosing the rootball and tree down after collecting... I think all that water made them come out onto the surface... hmm

 

[JudyB]

maybe a kiddie pool?

 

[GrimLore]

That may be a challenge... this is quite a large trunk. The rootball as it is now is about 2 feet across, with the "pot" being a bit wider and it is very heavy. I don't know about a bucket but maybe a hot tub, haha.

Though, I did notice these little guys when I was hosing the rootball and tree down after collecting... I think all that water made them come out onto the surface... hmm

Slip the whole root ball into a 55 gallon trash bag and fill it with water. After a good soak toss it back into the container perhaps?

Grimmy

 

[armetisius]

Lowes sales a powdered diatomaceous earth as a crawling insect killer that works very well. Yes it is like flour but it will eat the skin right off silverfish without any chemical shock to your newly collected material.

 

[Poink88]

Lowes sales a powdered diatomaceous earth as a crawling insect killer that works very well. Yes it is like flour but it will eat the skin right off silverfish without any chemical shock to your newly collected material.

Just be careful and make sure you do not inhale them.

 

[drew33998]

I have noticed them at the bases of my large yard live oaks where I pile the leaves over the years. They seem to like damp areas in my neck of the woods.

 

[dick benbow]

regarding kiddie pools, many are treated with an algeacide. They usually say on the box or on the bottom very clearly stamped. You'll want to find one that is NOT treated.....

 

[bougie nights]

You may want to read up on silverfish. I don't believe they eat live plant tissue, but are scavengers that feed on decaying stuff. They might just be a symptom of decay in and around the plant.