How to Get Rid of Silverfish
Silverfish are the little metallic bugs that dart out from under a stack of paper or a bathroom cabinet and vanish just as fast. They are harmless to you, but they feed on paper, glue, fabric, and stored food, and they thrive wherever it stays damp. Cutting the moisture and treating where they travel is how you clear them out.
How to identify them
Silverfish are wingless and shaped like a teardrop, tapering from head to tail, covered in silver-gray scales, with two long antennae and three bristle-like tails. They are about half an inch long, move in a quick fish-like wriggle, and come out at night.
Where they hide
They want dark, damp, and undisturbed, bathrooms, basements, attics, closets, laundry rooms, and under sinks. They tuck into cracks and crevices and into stored paper, cardboard boxes, and fabric, which is both shelter and food.
Why it matters
Silverfish do not bite or spread disease, but they damage what they feed on, chewing holes in books, documents, wallpaper, and stored clothing and getting into pantry items. Because they favor humidity, finding them is also a sign of a damp area that can invite other pests. Left alone in a basement or storage room, they slowly work through paper and fabric.
How to get rid of them
Silverfish move through cracks and along the edges of a room, so treat those paths. A residual spray along the interior perimeter, into cracks and crevices, and around the exterior foundation kills them as they travel and keeps others from moving in. Pairing that with lower humidity, a dehumidifier or better ventilation in the damp rooms, and swapping cardboard boxes for sealed bins takes away what draws them.
Killer Pro Plan
Answer a few quick questions and we match you to the right kit for silverfish. It ships the same professional-strength treatment the pros use and a schedule that keeps the damp corners and edges covered.
Safe around kids and pets. Follow the label, and your family and pets can be back in the yard. Clear instructions ship in every kit.