Repel and Prevent Silverfish in Your Home

Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) are insects, not fish. With a few straightforward removal and prevention steps, you can remove these pests from your home permanently.

The term “silverfish” comes from their silvery hue and the characteristic side-to-side, fishlike motion of their bodies when they move.

Keep reading to discover more about these annoying insects and effective methods to eliminate them.

Why they prefer your home

• Ample food sources. They consume starchy and sugary compounds called polysaccharides found in many household items, including book glue, carpet fibers, adhesives, paint, fabrics, and even wooden furnishings.
• Hidden nesting spots. They deposit eggs that resemble tiny white or yellow bulbs in dark, damp, concealed locations throughout the house.
• Humidity. Like many indoor pests, they favor moist, humid surroundings.
• Good survival and reproduction. They can live up to eight years and reproduce repeatedly during their lifespan, which is why they can become a significant nuisance and eventually damage household items.

Read on to learn how silverfish can affect your health, ways to eliminate them, and strategies to prevent their return.

6 ways to eliminate silverfish

Below are several approaches for removing silverfish, using common home remedies and products you can find at many hardware stores.

1. Use a starchy bait in a glass jar wrapped in tape. Silverfish can climb the textured tape to enter the jar but cannot climb back up the smooth glass interior, trapping them inside.
2. Roll up newspaper. Moisten it so silverfish will crawl into it to nest. After a few days, dispose of or burn the newspaper to remove the insects that gathered there.
3. Place sticky traps. Silverfish will crawl onto these traps and become stuck.
4. Use small amounts of insecticide bait. Avoid this method if you have children or pets who might touch or ingest the bait.
5. Apply cedar or cedar oil. Use the oil in a diffuser or mix it with water in a spray bottle. Silverfish dislike the strong scent of cedar.
6. Disperse dried bay leaves around the house. The leaf oils repel silverfish and other insects.

Shop for silverfish traps online.

In small numbers, silverfish are not a serious threat to your indoor environment or health.

They serve as prey for spiders and other predatory insects, contributing to the balance of your home’s insect ecosystem, which can be beneficial overall.

However, they can gradually damage belongings or develop into a sizable infestation if left unchecked.

Tips to prevent silverfish

Use these measures to stop silverfish from becoming an issue in your house:

• Keep dry foods sealed in containers. Storing pantry items in airtight containers reduces access and moisture exposure.
• Dust regularly. Removing dust reduces particles that may contain the starches and saccharides silverfish feed on.
• Eliminate adhesive-containing clutter. Remove stacks of paper, laundry, cardboard boxes, and other items that may attract silverfish.
• Store clothing in dry storage. Place clothes you won’t wear for a while in containers that silverfish cannot penetrate.
• Clean up food debris promptly. Especially after meals, vacuum with a HEPA-equipped vacuum to also remove silverfish eggs and curb reproduction.
• Seal cracks and openings with caulk. Closing gaps prevents silverfish from entering and laying eggs indoors.
• Use a dehumidifier. If you live in a humid area, lower indoor humidity to make conditions less hospitable for silverfish.
• Ventilate warm, damp rooms. Open windows and run fans in bathrooms and kitchens to reduce moisture in the air.
• Clear brush and damp debris from around your home. Remove piles of dead plants, wood, and leaves from your property’s perimeter.

Silverfish and human health

They don’t bite or sting

No need for alarm if you encounter a silverfish — they don’t bite or sting and are not known to transmit diseases.

Allergenic potential

Some people may react to the debris silverfish produce. Their shed skins and droppings can be allergenic or irritating to sensitive individuals.

A protein called tropomyosin, present in their molted exoskeletons, can combine with other indoor allergens such as dust mite proteins. These recombinant allergens may trigger more intense allergic responses.

People allergic to dust mites, which are far more common, can also be allergic to silverfish.

The takeaway

Silverfish are relatively harmless indoor insects that seldom cause major structural damage.

When populations grow, however, they can consume valuable items and become a significant nuisance.

Their shed skins can contribute to allergy symptoms in some people, particularly when mixed with other indoor allergens like dust, leading to itching, mucus production, and coughing.

Eradicating silverfish is manageable. Try a combination of removal techniques and preventive measures and you should see prompt improvement in controlling or preventing silverfish in your home.