Those little silver insects in your bathroom and bookshelf are silverfish. Here is why they love Melbourne homes and how to get rid of them.
What Are Silverfish?
Silverfish are small, wingless, silvery-grey insects that move with a fish-like wriggle. They are harmless to humans but destructive to your belongings - feeding on paper, book bindings, wallpaper, clothing, and stored food. In Melbourne they thrive in damp, dark spots.
Why They Love Melbourne Homes
Silverfish need humidity. Melbourne's older homes, with their bathrooms, laundries, subfloors, roof voids, and packed bookshelves, give them plenty of cool, moist hiding places. They are most active at night and breed slowly but live for years, so an infestation builds quietly.
Signs of Silverfish
- Live insects in the bath, sink, or behind books at night
- Yellow stains, tiny holes, or notched edges on paper and fabric
- Small black pepper-like droppings in cupboards and drawers
- Shed skins in storage areas
How to Get Rid of Silverfish
The key is reducing humidity and treating their harbourage. Professional treatment targets the cracks, crevices, subfloor, and roof void where silverfish live and breed, with residual products and dusts that keep working for months - far more effective than the odd one you squash in the bath.
Prevention Tips
- Improve ventilation and fix damp problems
- Use a dehumidifier in bathrooms and laundries
- Store books, papers, and clothes in sealed containers
- Declutter cupboards and seal gaps around skirting
Silverfish damaging your home? Pest Eraze treats them as part of a thorough general pest treatment across Melbourne. Call 0416 528 547.
Cost of Professional Silverfish Treatment
Silverfish are usually treated as part of a general pest control visit starting from around $199, targeting the humid areas - bathrooms, laundries, roof voids, and bookshelves - where they thrive, combined with a residual barrier that keeps numbers down long-term.
Why Silverfish Damage Books and Fabric
Silverfish feed on starches and cellulose, which is why book bindings, wallpaper paste, and natural fibres like cotton and silk are common targets. A single silverfish rarely causes noticeable damage, but a growing population in a damp, undisturbed area like a bookshelf or storage box can cause real damage to paper and fabric over months.
