Silverfish

Natural Habitat

Silverfish prefer dark, damp, and humid environments. Common indoor habitats include bathrooms, kitchens, basements, attics, and closets. Outdoors, they can be found under rocks, leaf litter, and bark.

Diet & Feeding

Silverfish are scavengers and primarily feed on carbohydrates, especially polysaccharides. Their diet includes starches, dextrin (found in adhesives like bookbindings and wallpaper paste), paper, sugar, hair, dandruff, and sometimes synthetic fibers and dead insects.

Behavior Patterns

Silverfish are nocturnal, fast-moving, and prefer dark, moist environments. They practice amorphogenesis, meaning they continue to molt throughout their lives, even after reaching maturity. They are known to avoid light and hide in crevices during the day.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks include property damage to books, paper, clothing, and other starchy materials. They do not bite humans, transmit diseases, or cause structural damage to homes. They are largely considered a nuisance pest with no known significant benefits.

Identified on: 7/2/2025