Silverfish and household pests

In short: Silverfish are wingless, light-shy insects that love damp, warm places like bathrooms and kitchens and feed on skin flakes, hair, and organic debris. They are annoying but generally harmless to people.

In more detail: High humidity is the main contributing factor, which is why bathrooms and poorly ventilated kitchens are most often affected.

In detail

• Identifying features: A silvery, fish-shaped body with long antennae, usually nocturnal and very fast.
• Habitat: Joints, drains, tile cracks, and gaps behind furniture provide hiding spots with sufficient moisture.
• Lowering humidity: Regular airing and a dehumidifier significantly reduce their habitat (raumklima-und-luftfeuchtigkeit).
• Sealing gaps: Sealing cracks and gaps in the bathroom and around pipe penetrations removes hiding places for silverfish.
• Removing food sources: Regularly clearing away skin flakes, hair, and crumbs, since they’re the insects’ main food.
• Natural remedies: Diatomaceous earth powder in crevices dries the insects out without using chemicals.
• Other pests: Similar prevention measures also help against woodlice and other moisture-loving household insects (kleidermotten-und-vorratsschaedlinge).