How to get rid of silverfish

They're a symptom

Silverfish don't bite, sting or carry disease, and the damage they do is slow. What they reliably indicate is excess moisture - which is worth knowing, because the same conditions cause considerably more expensive problems in timber.

If you have silverfish in a wardrobe against an exterior wall, that wall is telling you something.

Where they live

• Bathrooms and laundries without working extraction
• Wardrobes and cupboards against cold exterior walls
• Subfloors, especially without a ground moisture barrier
• Stored cardboard boxes - both shelter and food
• Behind wallpaper and under vinyl in damp rooms

What they actually eat

Starches and cellulose - which means books, documents, photographs, wallpaper paste, and natural-fibre clothing. The damage tends to be grazed patches and irregular holes rather than clean bites, and it's usually found on something that's been stored and forgotten.

Fix the conditions

• Run the extraction fan properly, and for longer than feels necessary
• Improve subfloor ventilation and check for a ground moisture barrier
• Move stored items off concrete floors and away from exterior walls
• Swap cardboard storage boxes for sealed plastic containers
• Deal with any leak, however minor