Silverfish and Paper: Why They Target Your Documents

Paper products are among the most vulnerable items in a home with silverfish. From important documents and family photographs to stored newspapers and craft supplies, silverfish see paper as a reliable food source. Here is why they target paper and how to protect yours.

Why Silverfish Eat Paper

Paper is made from cellulose fibers — the structural component of plant cell walls. Silverfish are one of the few insects capable of digesting cellulose, thanks to enzymes in their gut. But cellulose is not the only attractant in paper products.

Starch Sizing

Most paper is treated with starch-based sizing during manufacturing. Sizing improves paper's ink-absorbing properties, smoothness, and strength. These starch coatings are highly attractive to silverfish and are often the first thing they consume, leaving scraped, roughened surfaces behind.

Adhesives

Paper products frequently involve adhesives — envelope glue, label adhesive, tape, lamination adhesives, and photo mounting corners. Many of these adhesives contain starches or proteins that silverfish actively seek out.

Coatings

Glossy paper, photographic prints, and coated cardstock contain gelatin or starch-based coatings that silverfish consume. This puts photographs, postcards, and printed materials at particular risk.

Types of Paper Products at Risk

• Documents: Birth certificates, property deeds, insurance papers, tax records
• Photographs: Both printed photos and negatives
• Stored mail and bills: Accumulated paper in desk drawers and filing cabinets
• Newspapers and magazines: Especially stacks stored in basements or garages
• Craft supplies: Construction paper, tissue paper, card stock
• Wallpaper: The paste behind wallpaper is especially attractive
• Cardboard boxes: Both the boxes themselves and their contents
• Envelopes: The gummed flap adhesive is a known target

Damage Patterns

Silverfish create recognizable damage on paper:

• Surface scraping: Shallow feeding that removes the top layer, leaving thin, translucent patches
• Irregular holes: Ragged-edged holes, often starting at edges and corners
• Edge notching: Small, uneven bites along paper edges
• Yellowing and staining: Discoloration from silverfish scales and excrement

The damage is typically concentrated in areas where papers are stacked, stored in cardboard boxes, or left undisturbed for long periods.

How to Protect Paper Products

Storage Solutions

• Airtight plastic bins: Transfer important papers from cardboard boxes to sealed plastic containers. Silverfish cannot penetrate rigid plastic.
• Filing cabinets: Metal filing cabinets provide good protection, especially if drawers close tightly.
• Archival sleeves and folders: For valuable documents and photographs, use acid-free archival sleeves inside sealed containers.
• Digitize important documents: Scan critical papers and photographs to create backup copies that are immune to insect damage.

Environmental Controls

• Reduce humidity in storage areas with a dehumidifier.
• Store papers in climate-controlled rooms rather than basements, attics, or garages.
• Ensure good air circulation around storage areas.

Deterrents

• Place cedar chips or lavender sachets in storage containers and filing cabinets.
• Apply diatomaceous earth around (not on) paper storage areas.
• Use sticky traps near paper storage to monitor silverfish activity.

Reduce Paper Accumulation

• Recycle old newspapers, magazines, and junk mail regularly.
• Shred outdated documents rather than storing them indefinitely.
• Switch to digital statements and records where possible.
• Avoid storing large quantities of paper in damp, dark areas.

When Paper Damage Has Already Occurred

If silverfish have already damaged your papers:

1. Remove all papers from the affected area.
2. Sort and discard items that are no longer needed.
3. Transfer salvageable items to sealed containers.
4. Treat the storage area with diatomaceous earth or boric acid.
5. Address underlying humidity issues.
6. For valuable or irreplaceable documents, consult a professional document conservator.

Special Considerations for Archival and Valuable Documents

If you manage a significant collection of documents — personal archives, historical records, genealogy materials, or business records — silverfish prevention requires extra attention.

Professional Storage Standards

Professional archival practice recommends:

• Temperature: 65–70 degrees Fahrenheit for long-term storage
• Humidity: 30–40 percent relative humidity (significantly lower than the household standard of 50 percent)
• Acid-free materials: Store documents in acid-free folders and boxes to prevent both chemical degradation and silverfish attraction
• Sealed environments: Use archival-quality containers with tight seals

Insurance and Documentation

For valuable paper collections:

• Photograph or scan all items to create a digital backup.
• Keep an inventory of valuable documents with estimated values.
• Check whether your homeowner's insurance covers pest damage to documents and collectibles — many standard policies do not.

Climate-Controlled Storage

For large or valuable collections that cannot be adequately protected at home, consider a climate-controlled storage facility. These maintain the temperature and humidity conditions that protect paper from both environmental degradation and insect damage.

For a complete silverfish control plan, see our guide on how to get rid of silverfish. For a comprehensive overview, visit the complete guide to silverfish.

Expert Insight

"Paper products are among the most vulnerable items in a silverfish-infested home," says Sarah Mitchell, BCE. "In my 15 years of IPM work, I have seen silverfish damage to everything from family photographs to tax documents to wallpaper. For any important papers, I recommend sealed plastic storage bins and keeping the storage area below 50 percent relative humidity."

Sarah Mitchell recalls, "I consulted on an archive project where historical newspapers stored in a humid basement had significant silverfish damage — surface etching, irregular holes, and yellowing from silverfish droppings. We implemented climate control and sealed storage, and the collection has been stable since."

How to Identify

Silverfish damage to paper follows a consistent pattern. Surface feeding leaves thin, translucent patches where the top layer has been scraped away. Irregular holes with ragged edges appear along page margins, document corners, and envelope flaps. Yellowing or brownish staining accompanies feeding sites, caused by silverfish droppings and shed scales. Tiny dark pellets resembling ground pepper appear on or near damaged materials. Shed exoskeletons accumulate in stacks of undisturbed papers. The insects themselves are silver-gray, 0.5 to 1 inch long, and move rapidly when disturbed. Check filing cabinets, storage boxes, and paper stacks in basement or closet areas. Damage concentrated at edges and along surfaces adjacent to cardboard is characteristic of silverfish rather than moisture degradation alone.

Solutions and Actions

Remove all paper from affected storage areas and sort through it in a well-lit space. Discard items no longer needed -- reducing the overall paper load eliminates both food and harborage. Transfer documents being retained to sealed rigid plastic containers rather than cardboard boxes. Apply diatomaceous earth along the baseboards and floor perimeter of storage areas before returning materials. Place sticky traps near former storage locations to monitor ongoing activity. For damp storage areas, deploy a dehumidifier and maintain humidity below 50 percent before returning materials. Treat wall gaps and baseboards around shelving units where silverfish were found. Monitor traps weekly for at least four weeks to confirm the population has declined before considering the infestation resolved.

Prevention

Store important documents in sealed plastic bins or metal filing cabinets rather than cardboard boxes. Digitize irreplaceable papers to create backups immune to insect damage. Keep paper storage areas below 50 percent relative humidity using a dehumidifier or improved ventilation. Avoid accumulating large stacks of newspapers, magazines, and junk mail in basements, closets, or garages, where they serve as both food and harborage. Rotate and review stored papers at least annually, discarding outdated items. Seal baseboards, wall gaps, and pipe penetrations in storage rooms to limit silverfish entry. Place cedar chips or lavender sachets in filing cabinets and storage containers as supplementary deterrents. Regular inspection of paper storage areas allows early detection before damage becomes extensive.

Main Causes

Silverfish thrive where humidity stays above sixty percent and starchy or cellulose-based food is available. Damp basements, bathrooms, attics with poor ventilation, crawl spaces, and storage areas behind exterior walls are the most common nesting zones. They feed on book bindings, wallpaper paste, cardboard, dried pasta and cereals, dead skin and hair in dust, fabric starch, and any organic material with carbohydrates. They enter through utility penetrations, foundation cracks, and gaps around windows, and stowaway in cardboard moving boxes, used books, and stored documents brought into the home. Slow leaks, condensation on cold-water pipes, and inadequate exhaust ventilation in bathrooms create the persistent humidity that lets a small population establish into a sustained presence.

Risk and Severity

Silverfish pose no direct medical threat — they do not bite, sting, transmit disease, or contaminate food in ways that produce illness. The risk is material damage. They feed on book bindings, paper documents, photographs, wallpaper paste, fabric starch, cardboard, and stored dry goods, causing irreversible damage to archived materials, family photographs, important documents, library books, and stored clothing. Heavy populations also indicate persistent moisture problems that drive secondary issues — mold growth, structural wood decay, and other moisture-loving pests like booklice and mold mites. Allergic sensitivity to silverfish scales has been documented in a small number of cases. Risk scales with the value of stored paper goods and the severity of underlying humidity issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I protect important documents from silverfish?

Store important documents in sealed plastic bins or archival-quality folders inside climate-controlled spaces. Keep the storage area below 50 percent relative humidity. For irreplaceable documents, consider digitizing them as a backup and storing originals in acid-free, sealed enclosures.

Do silverfish eat newspapers and magazines?

Yes. Silverfish readily feed on newspapers, magazines, and other printed materials. The paper, inks, and coatings all contain materials that silverfish consume. Do not store old newspapers or magazines in basements, attics, or closets where silverfish may be present.

Can silverfish damage photographs?

Yes. Silverfish can damage photographs by feeding on the emulsion layer and the paper backing. Old photographs with gelatin-based emulsions are especially vulnerable. Store photographs in sealed, archival containers in climate-controlled areas to prevent silverfish access.

What should I check after noticing paper silverfish activity?

After noticing paper silverfish activity, inspect the nearest dark cracks, baseboards, pipe openings, stored paper, and humid corners. Use a flashlight at night and place sticky traps along the route where the insect disappeared. That pattern tells you whether the issue is a single wanderer or a supported harborage with moisture and food sources that need correction.

Sources and Further Reading

• Purdue Extension — Silverfish Control
• NC State Extension — Silverfish and Firebrats
• Penn State Extension — Silverfish Fact Sheet
• University of Minnesota Extension — Silverfish