Silverfish are the most common insect found in the home. They are a nuisance because they eat paper and fabrics, and get into cereal and other food. They remove paper in books and magazines, damage etchings and prints, eat bookbindings, and feed on glue and paste. They also feed on fabrics made from plant fibers such as linen, rayon, and cotton (especially starched).
Silverfish are found behind moldings, around rugs, carpets, water pipes, basements — anywhere there is warm and humid conditions. Ventilators and warm air ducts and crawlspaces, furnaces, and beneath kitchen or bathroom sinks are also very common places to find these bugs. Detecting damage caused by silverfish can be done by looking at bookbindings. They will show minute scrapings, irregular edging, or holes. Their feces are small and dark, but visible to the naked eye.
Warning: Always test material for colorfastness, follow label directions, and never mix product unless specified in the label directions. Each situation reacts differently and results may vary.