Do silverfish get in your bed? Well, It’s Complicated

Silverfish are tiny little pests that can come into your home and quickly take over, similar to bedbugs and fleas. Once they find a spot they like, it can be a very frustrating and time-consuming job to get them to leave.

Although this may be a disturbing issue for people to talk about, it is something many homeowners wonder about and a question that is frequently asked. Do silverfish get in your bed? Let’s take a look.

  • What exactly is a silverfish?
  • Silverfish can take up residents in your bed
  • Keeping Silverfish out of your bed for good
  • Not to worry, silverfish are not known to bite humans
  • Could you have an infestation? One silverfish may indicate many
  • Simple removal and prevention tricks are helpful to deal with silverfish troubles

Is This a Silverfish in my Bed?

Before you freak out about finding a silverfish hanging out on your bed, you should first make sure you know what bug it is you are actually looking at

A silverfish is a very small insect, usually around ½ to 1-inch in length. They are slim with flat bodies and appear silver, although their color is actually a grayish-blue.

They have six tiny legs that help them slither across the room in a fish-like motion (hence the name) and creepy antennas.

While they may be a huge nuisance to humans, or more specifically, our belongings, they are actually beneficial in nature and even inside homes, providing food for predatory insects, which provide bigger services to the environment.

Although these pests are well-known for destroying many paper items, clothing, and food containers or the food itself, they are no danger to humans or pets in any way, shape, or form

Silverfish Can Get Into Your Bed

This may not be the answer many people want to hear, but it is possible for silverfish to get in your bed. Unfortunately, we don’t just mean on it, but actually in your bed.

It can start as an innocent trip up the blankets as they attempt to munch away at your starched sheets and can quickly turn into them wiggling their way into your mattress, setting up camp inside, where there are starches easily available to them, such as linens and fibers.

The good news is, these little pests are more apt to live in moist, dark spaces and would prefer to hand out in your basement or bathroom closet than your bed (unless you sweat profusely).  

Keeping Silverfish Out of Your Bed For Good

Although none of us likes the thought of silverfish climbing around in the bed. It is important to first deal with a myth that is frequently asked.

No, silverfish do not crawl into your ears or nose and burrow, so you do not have to worry about waking up to a horror movie scene if you are overcome with silverfish bugs.

However, you do want to keep them out of your bed; this is first to remove the creepy aspect and second because they can be damaging to your linens and mattress as well as any fabric or paper products you may have laying around.

To keep these little guys out of your room, replace a humidifier with a de-humidifier. Because these bugs like moist areas, having a humidifier in your room will attract them and provide locations for them to hide.

You can also purchase diatomaceous earth or use baking soda under your sheets and in between your mattress and boxspring.

Both of these products absorb moisture, dehydrating the bugs and creating an uninhabitable space for them to thrive.

Lastly, keeping your bed clean, frequently changing your sheets, and vacuuming the corners and sides of your mattress can help reduce or eliminate your bug problem.

Do Silverfish Bite Humans?

Not to worry, silverfish are not known to bite humans. They may be obnoxious with their munching habits in another way, but their mouths are too small and weak to bite people. 

These creatures do enjoy using their chompers in other destructive ways, like eating through the pages of your books or nibbling a gap in your favorite outfits.

Silverfish feast on almost anything with starches and proteins, which means you can also find them in your pet’s food dish, cereal cupboard, snack drawer, or linen closet.

Literally, everything is on the table!

Silverfish and allergies

Although it is rare, there are some people who do have allergies to silverfish, and having them living in the home can activate allergic reactions and respiratory issues.

If you are allergic to silverfish, you may experience coughing, sneezing, congestion, and even rashes

One Silverfish May Indicate Many

While you may only visually see one silverfish here or there, chances are there are many more you are not aware of.

It isn’t uncommon for there to be tons of silverfish living in the walls and basement of homes. These bugs can multiply rapidly and can be hard to control

This is because just one female silverfish can lay around 100 eggs throughout her life.

Because you don’t usually notice just one insect, these odds can create an out-of-control increase in no time, not giving you a chance to intervene.

Ways to tell if you have a silverfish infestation:

  • Watch out for feeding marks- If you have a lot of silverfish squirming around the house, you will notice nibbles taken from the edges and corners of paper products or teeny-tiny holes in fabric materials.
  • Small yellow stains– You will often see small yellow stains left behind from a silverfish passing through.
  • Small black feces– You might notice pepper-like pellets left on clothing or other items inhabited by silverfish; this is the feces they leave behind.
  • Body scales– As silverfish move about, they shed their body scales, leaving them behind as they carry on.

Because these things are so small, chances are you won’t even notice them unless you have an infestation and there are stains and spots left everywhere. 

Keeping Your Home and Bed Silverfish Free; Tips to Getting Rid of Your Infestation

Although there is no real danger to you or your family, it is very understandable for you to want to rush to eliminate these little bugs fast. However, it is important to know what you need and how to use it before just jumping in.

You do not want to go spraying harmful chemicals into the air or following bad advice that may become expensive and end up doing more harm than good. 

Here are a few effective and safe methods you can try when attempting to remove silverfish from your home.

DIY Traps

Silverfish are excellent climbers; unfortunately for them, though, they can only climb up textured surfaces.

If you wrap some tape or foil around the outside of a glass cup and place a starchy substance inside, these bugs can climb up to get in but can’t get back out.

Another simple and affordable trap is a wet newspaper or magazine. Roll these items up and lay them around the home.

Silverfish will be attracted to the material and come to hand out. After a few days and multiple bugs are noticeable, simply throw them in the trash.

Look Online or in Stores

You can easily find many different traps available through online shops such as Amazon or in a home improvement or department store.

There are one-sided sticky traps you can leave in different areas around the home that will trap the bug once they step on it, and they won’t be able to get off.

Another option is a silverfish poison that you can lay out in your home. (not recommended for homes with small children or pets.)

Herbs and Oils

If you are interested in trying a more homoeopathic approach, there are many herbs and oils you can try out that are said to repel insects, including the silverfish. 

Some of the more successful options include tea tree oil, cedar oils, peppermint oils, and dried bay leaves.

Pest Control

If all else fails, it may be time to call in the professionals. There are many great exterminators out there who are properly trained to deal with all sorts of bug infestations.

Many of them even offer natural options instead of dangerous chemicals.

It is easy to find local pest control through internet searches or word of mouth. Most people like to ask neighbours who they went through or what they did in this situation.

Summing Things Up

Finding a silverfish bug creeping around in your bed can be an anxiety-inducing situation not many people can handle dealing with.

These little bugs are not dangerous and have no way to bite you or your pets. The only thing these little guys disrupt is the objects you possess.

When seeing a silverfish, first make sure that it is what you think it is, then follow the steps listed above to easily take care of the situation so you can go back to sleeping in peace.

Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:


Pest Control or Exterminator: Seven Key Things You Need to Know Before Choosing
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How to Get Rid of Silverfish – 5 Minute Guide

Steve Foster

Mad about bugs and wanting to publish as many articles as I can to help educate people about these amazing beautiful creatures! For more info check out my about page https://schoolofbugs.com/about-steve-foster/

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