Do silverfish always mean there’s damp somewhere?

[Notmyname21]

Just had our bathroom completely refurbished. Before this, we used to see silverfish in there. There was no obvious sign of damp anywhere so I don’t know why they were there - there was a slight gap between the vanity and outside wall that was impossible to clean between so that had splashes/general grimness which could have attracted them (?) but that’s obviously been replaced now.

Anyway, new bathroom has been in about 2 months and I just spotted one of the little buggers. Does that mean there’s a leak/ damp somewhere?

One thing to note- DS’s room is on the adjoining wall. For a long time there’s been a very, very faint slight musty smell in his room which I can’t put my finger on (no one else seems to be able to smell it). There is a small built in cupboard that’s been there drive we moved in which is in a corner on the adjoining bathroom wall and outside wall. It disguises some obsolete pipe work. If anything in that cupboard is stored against the outside wall, it can go a bit mouldy eventually. I did once spot a couple of SF in his carpet but put that down to him not vacuuming it regularly (I know they like carpet debris 🤮).

Do you think the cupboard is something to do with it? So worried that there’s some hidden leak that’s going to mean ripping out the bathroom 😫

We had a similar problem but no smell of damp. Used a spray from amazon and after 3 weeks they had all died off. Find silver fish grim!!

Not damp, more just latent humidity and plant-based materials.

So basically warehouses and storage areas with lots of cardboard (they like cardboard), and anywhere storing food, etc.

The warmth/ humidity around washing machines, coupled with organic materials is more than sufficient.

They’re gross aren’t they??!

Ok, do I’ve not necessarily got a manky house, they just like warmth and moisture (so bathrooms) and paper-type stuff (DS’s room is full of books).

@OutOfMindOutOfSight what was the spray?

I’ve had them in previous houses that I have lived in (thankfully none in my current home!) in one house we did a full renovation a room at a time. I noticed that any time we did big work, with drilling, dust, carpets pulled up etc, they stayed away for a couple of months, even from rooms that weren’t having the work done, and then eventually reappear again. So I have wondered whether they are sensitive to major disruption in their environment. Sorry, that isn’t really helpful unless you want to keep ripping your house apart 😂 but I find it interesting that you have noticed them a couple of months after having work done. We definitely didn’t have damp in that particular house.

I had them in an office I rented out some time ago.

It was not damp. Or at least didn't feel damp.

One day I came in and there was a bit of wood I had left from the night before. I lifted it up and there was a ton of them underneath it. I think they either like to hide under there or maybe they even eat the wood.

Anyway, from then on, bit of wood went down every night. Every morning I lifted up the wood and slaughter commenced. Within about 6 weeks they had all gone and I never saw any more again.

We've used this and got rid of them (as far as we know as we only saw them when up in the middle of the night making bottles which we don't do anymore!)

Do you have a lot of bath toys? I used to get quite a few silver fish when my DD was younger and she'd have loads of toys in the bath. I thought that maybe that meant there was more moisture in the room as the toys were drying/dripping wet, attracting the silver fish. No idea whether it was that but since we got rid of them I very rarely see any.

I also used the silver fish spray that someone posted a photo of, but only once and it did help for a while. Then I forgot to spray it again!

Thanks all.
No bath toys.

Yes, I wonder if the disruption scared them away too for a while? Also, because there are obviously pipes in the bathroom, there must just be small holes they can easily get through.

They run under the skirting boards when you disturb them. You could have a ton but they are all hidden.

Put the lovely wood up against the skirting board to tempt them out and underneath it - make sure it is unpainted bare wood as I don't think they can chew through gloss paint.

Say "look silverfish. Yummy wood for you to live under and eat."

I would not use the chemicals unless the wood doesn't work because I don't like nasty chemicals like that around unless I have no choice.

I used this on

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089MYTPPN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Not had any for months now

Silverfish give me the collywobbles! 😬 Awful things. What even ARE they?! I haven't had them/seen them since I lived with my parents in the 1980s. They had an early 1930s council house with no central heating, and single glazed, wooden window frames.

No loft insulation, no cavity wall insulation, wooden doors, and wooden window ledges. Awful! 😬 Had mice too, and woodlice, and woodworm in the wooden window frames.... and also slugs occasionally.

The house was 'modernised' in the late 1980s, (by the council,) and they put UPVC windows and doors in, and central heating, and a new kitchen and new bathroom, as well as loft - and cavity wall insulation. Stopped most of it thankfully, but they did get the odd mouse and the occasional woodlouse!

Eeeee I don't miss having silverfish! 😫

From Google @Notmyname21

Silverfish love damp places so their presence is more of an indicator of moisture in the home. It might suggest that there is an entry point into your home caused by water damage – like small leak allowing rainwater in.

So yeah, it pretty much is dampness/moistness/water leaking in can and will often cause silverfish.

These little pests give me the creeps. We had dampproofing done and a heat treatment to get rid of them but they still came back a few months later. 😩 We have a dehumidifier on daily but still can't seem to shift them. Cannot wait until our house renovations are done and we can move out of where we currently are.