Silverfish control that starts with the humidity

Humidity and starch. They need damp air and feed on paper, book bindings, wallpaper paste, cardboard, fabric sizing and stored dry goods, so bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, closets with stored boxes and attics with paper insulation backing are where they settle.

They do not bite or carry disease. The damage is to belongings: yellowed holes in papers and photos, grazed wallpaper and book bindings, damaged stored clothing. A large population also tends to mean a moisture problem worth fixing.

They are not coming up the drain. Silverfish fall into tubs and sinks while hunting for moisture at night and cannot climb the slick sides back out, so the tub is simply where they get trapped and seen.

Lowering humidity is one of the most effective parts of the job, especially in garages, closets and bathrooms. On its own it slows them down; combined with treatment of the voids and baseboards where they hide, it ends the problem.

Dust and bait placements in voids keep working as silverfish move through them, and most homes see a clear drop over a few weeks. They are long-lived insects, so a follow-up check is part of a proper job.

Move anything valuable out of cardboard and into sealed plastic bins, keep it off garage floors and out of damp closets, and give bookshelves a little airflow away from exterior walls. Silverfish rarely get into sealed containers, so storage changes protect irreplaceable items even while treatment brings the population down. Vacuuming shelves and closet floors regularly also removes the eggs they lay in cracks and corners.