Silverfish

Natural Habitat

Silverfish prefer dark, damp, and humid environments. They are commonly found indoors in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, attics, and cluttered areas. Outdoors, they can live under rocks, bark, and leaf litter.

Diet & Feeding

Silverfish are scavengers and feed on carbohydrates, particularly starches and dextrins. This includes paper, glue, books, clothing, carpets, coffee, sugar, hair, and dead insects. They can survive for long periods without food.

Behavior Patterns

They are nocturnal and avoid light. They are often found in dark, undisturbed areas. They are known for their jumping ability when disturbed. Silverfish undergo ametabolous metamorphosis, meaning they do not change much in appearance as they grow, only in size.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks include damage to personal belongings (books, documents, clothing), contamination of food products, and can trigger allergies in some sensitive individuals. They do not bite or spread disease to humans. There are no significant benefits associated with silverfish to humans or ecosystems in an indoor setting.

Identified on: 8/30/2025