Silverfish 101

You see them from the corner of your eye. They are long and almost slither like a snake across your wall but unlike a snake…they have legs. And not just legs but A LOT of legs. That’s the moment your brain makes the connection—Hello, silverfish.

For whatever reason these slippery insects are one of those creepy crawlers that just rubs most folks the wrong way. While people may put off calling us for ants, mosquitos, or other more tolerable critters, silverfish usually earn a very speedy call to our Kapture team. We’re breaking down what you need to know about silverfish, including how to prevent them from moving in.

We’ll assume you mean other than creepy! These shiny pests are actually rather harmless, primitive bugs that have been around for (almost) forever. Silverfish are one of the oldest insects on earth and are actually older than dinosaurs.

As with any living thing that has survived this long, they’re highly resilient and adaptable. This is why we get so many calls about them during the colder months of the year. Most homeowners expect all the bugs to be on hiatus until the warmer months return, but they are the obvious exception to this notion.

These bugs are tough. They can survive all winter long and hardly encounter a temperature they can’t tolerate. They do however need humidity to thrive and multiply. This is why most people find silverfish living in places like attics, basements and crawl spaces. These places stay cold, humid and dark all year round and make perfect suburbs for their little families.

Silverfish eat mostly starch. It’s possible that a few million years ago they would have survived on potatoes, other starchy vegetables and plants, but today they typically dine on paper. They often will feast on old books, magazines, and newspapers and will even eat through your wallpaper if it’s old enough to have been made of real paper!

Their diet can complicate pest control and prevention plans because you cannot just remove their food sources—many necessary household items contain starch.

As an insect species, they are not dangerous. They do not bite, sting or have any form of poison that can affect us or our pets. However, they can and often do spread diseases.

These bugs are ancient and are not susceptible to thousands of bacteria and viruses like we are as they creep and crawl through all sorts of nasty places. If you see one in or near your kitchen you should call pest control experts immediately. If they are getting into any of your food (many of which contain their favorite food source—starch—they could be contaminating everything they touch.

Even if they aren’t seen in the kitchen it could be a good idea to have the home treated if they are often seen. If they are breeding in a crawlspace or attic it’s only a matter of time before they venture into the rest of your home looking for other food sources.