Silverfish

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide in moist, humid environments. Inside homes, they often inhabit bathrooms, basements, attics, and kitchens, preferring dark cracks and crevices.

Diet & Feeding

They feed on carbohydrates and starches. Their diet includes paper, glue, book bindings, sugar, coffee, hair, dandruff, and clothing fibers such as cotton and linen.

Behavior Patterns

Silverfish are nocturnal and move quickly with a wiggling motion that resembles a swimming fish. They are long-lived (up to 8 years) and molt throughout their lives, even as adults.

Risks & Benefits

They do not bite or spread disease to humans, so they pose low direct risk. However, they are considered household pests because they can cause significant damage to books, documents, wallpaper, and clothing by eating the starchy components.

Identified on: 2/23/2026