If you’ve ever switched on the bathroom light at night and watched a small, silvery, fish-shaped insect dart under the vanity, you’ve met a silverfish. They’re one of the most common — and most misunderstood — pests in Australian homes. They don’t bite, they don’t sting, and they won’t make you sick. But left alone, they’ll quietly chew through your book collection, wedding photos, wallpaper and stored cardboard while you’re none the wiser.
The good news is that silverfish are one of the easier household pests to control once you understand what draws them in. This guide walks you through exactly how to get rid of silverfish using proven DIY methods, when natural options are enough, and when it’s time to call in a professional like Magic Pest Control.
What Are Silverfish and Why Are They So Common in Australian Homes?
Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) are small, wingless insects with a distinctive tapered, fish-like body and silvery-grey scales. They move in a quick, side-to-side wriggle and can live for several years, making them surprisingly persistent once established. According to the Australian Museum, dozens of silverfish species are found across the country, with a handful adapting well to indoor life alongside humans.
Australia’s climate is part of the problem. Our humid summers, coastal moisture, and homes with bathrooms, laundries and roof cavities all create the damp, dark micro-environments silverfish love. They’re nocturnal and shy, so most homeowners don’t realise they have a problem until the damage is already done.
Importantly, silverfish don’t bite, sting or spread disease. Their real threat is to your belongings — they feed on starchy, cellulose-based materials such as book bindings, wallpaper paste, cardboard, photographs and natural fibre clothing.
Signs of a Silverfish Infestation
Because silverfish are fast-moving and light-averse, spotting them directly isn’t always easy. Watch for these signs instead:
- Small holes or notches in paper, book spines, wallpaper or clothing
- Yellowish stains or tiny black droppings resembling pepper flakes near skirting boards or in cupboards
- Shed skins — silverfish moult throughout their life and leave translucent, scale-like casings behind
- Sightings at night in bathrooms, laundries, under sinks, or inside stored boxes
- A musty smell in damp storage areas, which often accompanies a broader moisture problem
If you’re noticing several of these together, it’s worth reading our guide on signs you need pest control services to understand how quickly infestations can escalate if ignored.
What Attracts Silverfish to Your Home?
Silverfish are drawn to a specific combination of conditions. Understanding these is the real key to long-term control:
- Humidity and moisture — bathrooms, laundries, basements and roof voids with poor ventilation are prime real estate
- Paper and cardboard — stacked newspapers, moving boxes and document storage all serve as both food and shelter
- Starchy fabrics — cotton, linen, silk, and glue-bound book pages are common food sources
- Food residue — crumbs, cereal, and pantry staples like flour and sugar
- Clutter — dark, undisturbed piles of belongings give silverfish safe places to breed undisturbed
This is a good reminder that pest problems rarely happen in isolation. Our article on common mistakes that invite pests into your home covers several habits that attract silverfish alongside other unwanted visitors.
How to Get Rid of Silverfish: Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Identify and Reduce Moisture
Since damp conditions are the single biggest draw for silverfish, start here. Run exhaust fans in bathrooms, fix leaking taps and pipes, and use a dehumidifier in basements or poorly ventilated rooms. Aim to keep indoor humidity below 50%.
Step 2: Deep Clean Problem Areas
Vacuum thoroughly along skirting boards, behind furniture, and inside wardrobes and cupboards. Pay close attention to bathrooms, laundries and any storage areas with cardboard boxes. Wipe surfaces down with a household cleaner to remove food residue and eggs.
Step 3: Seal Entry Points
Silverfish can squeeze through gaps as small as a few millimetres. Use caulk to seal cracks around skirting boards, pipe entries, window frames and door thresholds. Check where cardboard boxes or paper items touch exterior walls, as these are common transit points.
Step 4: Remove Food and Shelter Sources
Store books, documents, and out-of-season clothing in sealed plastic containers rather than cardboard boxes. Keep pantry staples like flour, oats and pasta in airtight containers, and avoid letting paper clutter build up in cupboards or under beds.
Step 5: Set Traps to Monitor Activity
Simple sticky traps placed along skirting boards in bathrooms, laundries and pantries will tell you how active the problem is. A jar wrapped in tape on the outside (so silverfish can climb in but not out), with a small amount of starch inside as bait, is a low-cost DIY option many Australians swear by.
Step 6: Apply a Targeted Treatment
Once moisture and clutter are addressed, a targeted treatment — natural or chemical, depending on your preference — will deal with any remaining activity. We cover both options below.
Natural vs Chemical Treatment Options
Natural methods suit mild infestations or households wanting to avoid sprays around children and pets:
- Diatomaceous earth (food grade) dusted lightly along skirting boards and in cracks dehydrates silverfish on contact
- Cedar chips or cedar oil in wardrobes and storage areas act as a natural repellent
- Dried bay leaves in pantries and cupboards are a traditional deterrent, though results vary
- Reducing humidity, as covered above, is itself a natural and highly effective long-term control method
Chemical treatments are better suited to more established infestations:
- Residual insecticide sprays labelled for crawling insects, applied to skirting boards, cracks and entry points
- Silverfish-specific baits and powders, which are ingested and carried back to hiding spots
- Always follow label directions carefully, and keep treated areas away from children, pets and food preparation surfaces
If you’re unsure which approach suits your situation, our piece on how to keep your home pest free has useful guidance on balancing natural and chemical options across different pest types.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating symptoms, not the cause. Spraying without addressing humidity means silverfish will keep coming back.
- Ignoring roof cavities and subfloors. These damp, dark spaces are often the real source of an infestation.
- Storing valuables in cardboard. Cardboard is essentially a silverfish food source with a lid on it.
- Using one-off treatments. Silverfish eggs can take weeks to hatch, so a single spray rarely solves a long-standing problem.
- Overlooking secondary damage. Left too long, silverfish activity can point to broader moisture issues worth investigating — our guide on DIY pest control mistakes homeowners make covers this pattern across pest types.
Long-Term Silverfish Prevention Tips
Getting rid of an active infestation is only half the job — keeping silverfish out for good comes down to consistent habits:
- Maintain indoor humidity below 50%, particularly in bathrooms and laundries
- Ventilate roof cavities and subfloor areas where possible
- Store books, photos and documents in sealed containers, not cardboard
- Vacuum and dust regularly in low-traffic storage areas
- Fix leaking taps, pipes and gutters promptly
- Schedule periodic inspections, especially before and after Australia’s humid summer months — a habit outlined in our article on regular pest inspections
When to Call Professional Pest Control?
DIY methods work well for isolated sightings and mild activity. It’s time to call in a professional pest controller when:
- Silverfish are appearing in multiple rooms, not just damp areas
- You’re finding consistent damage to books, documents or fabrics despite DIY treatment
- The infestation traces back to a roof cavity, wall void or subfloor you can’t easily access
- You have valuable paper items, artwork or archives at risk
- Previous DIY efforts haven’t reduced sightings after several weeks
A professional treatment gets to the root of the problem faster and more thoroughly than repeated store-bought sprays, particularly where the source is hidden in wall cavities or roof spaces.
Silverfish Prevention Checklist
- Bathroom and laundry humidity kept below 50%
- Exhaust fans used during and after showers
- Leaking taps and pipes repaired
- Cracks around skirting boards and window frames sealed
- Books, photos and documents stored in sealed plastic containers
- Pantry staples kept in airtight containers
- Cardboard boxes replaced with plastic storage tubs
- Cupboards and storage areas vacuumed regularly
- Sticky traps placed in bathrooms, laundries and pantries
- Annual pest inspection booked
Key Takeaways
- Silverfish thrive in damp, humid areas of Australian homes and are common due to our climate and housing styles.
- They don’t bite or spread disease, but they can seriously damage books, paper, clothing and stored items.
- Long-term control depends on reducing moisture, removing food sources, sealing entry points and maintaining good hygiene — not just one-off sprays.
- Natural methods work well for mild cases; chemical treatments suit more established infestations.
- Persistent or widespread activity, especially in roof cavities or wall voids, is best handled by a professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques 1. Do silverfish bite humans or pets?
Ans. No. Silverfish don’t bite, sting or carry disease. Their mouthparts aren’t built to bite skin — they feed on starches, paper and fabric instead. Any irritation people associate with silverfish is usually unrelated, such as dust or mould in the same damp areas they’re found in.
Ques 2. How long do silverfish live, and how fast do they breed?
Ans. Silverfish can live for two to eight years, which is unusually long for a household insect. Females lay eggs in cracks and crevices in small batches, and eggs can take several weeks to hatch depending on temperature and humidity, which is why infestations often build up slowly before becoming noticeable.
Ques 3. Can silverfish damage electronics or wiring?
Ans. Not directly. Silverfish feed on cellulose-based materials like paper, glue and natural fibres, not plastic or wiring insulation. However, they’re often found near electronics because those areas are dark, undisturbed and close to paper manuals or cardboard packaging.
Ques 4. Why do I keep finding silverfish in my bathroom specifically?
Ans. Bathrooms combine everything silverfish need: consistent moisture, warmth, and dark hiding spots behind vanities or under baths. Poor ventilation makes it worse. Running an exhaust fan and fixing any hidden leaks usually reduces bathroom sightings significantly.
Ques 5. Are silverfish more common in older Queensland or coastal homes?
Ans. Yes, generally. Older homes with subfloor ventilation issues, timber cladding, or coastal humidity tend to see more activity. Newer builds with better sealing and insulation are less prone, though poor bathroom ventilation can still create hotspots regardless of a home’s age.
Ques 6. Will mothballs get rid of silverfish?
Ans. Mothballs have a mild repellent effect due to their naphthalene content, but they’re not a reliable or complete solution. They also carry health risks with prolonged exposure, particularly around children and pets, so they’re not generally recommended as a primary treatment.
Ques 7. Is it normal to find silverfish in a brand-new house?
Ans. It can happen, especially if construction materials like timber, plasterboard or adhesives retained moisture during the build. New homes with poor subfloor ventilation or bathrooms without extraction fans can develop conditions silverfish find just as appealing as older properties.
Ques 8. Can silverfish spread from one room to another?
Ans. Yes. Silverfish travel through wall cavities, skirting board gaps and shared plumbing penetrations, which is how a bathroom problem can eventually show up in a nearby linen cupboard or bedroom. Sealing gaps between rooms helps contain activity while you treat the source.
Conclusion
Silverfish are more of a nuisance than a danger, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. Left unchecked, they’ll quietly damage the books, photos and fabrics you actually care about. The fix isn’t complicated — reduce moisture, remove their food sources, seal up entry points, and stay consistent with cleaning and storage habits.
If you’ve tried the DIY approach and silverfish keep coming back, or you suspect the source is hidden somewhere you can’t reach, the team at Magic Pest Control can help track down the cause and treat it properly. Get in touch today for an inspection and a tailored plan to keep silverfish out of your home for good.
