Silverfish are tiny silver insects commonly found in homes and businesses. They are known for eating and destroying items, including wallpaper, books, clothes, and electrical equipment. Silverfish are pretty fond of a few things despite their destructive tendencies. They love to eat sweets, especially those that are sticky or gooey.

If you want to get rid of them, try hiding any of these things from them in your home. They also enjoy eating insects, especially those that are small and soft. Here are the top five things silverfish are known to enjoy eating.

1. Paper
Silverfish love to eat paper, and they will often go after any loose pages or pages in a book or on a wall. The insects can get through even the most formidable paper stock. They will eat any adhesive on the paper, which can easily lead to damage. Documents covered in foil or wax may be resistant to attack, but even these precautions won’t always keep silverfish from destroying your documents.

2. Toothpaste

Silverfish love toothpaste and they will often go after any tubes or bottles left out. They can easily strip the adhesive off of the toothpaste and consume it. Toothpaste is full of polysaccharides, including starches and dextrin. This can lead to a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Always keep your toothpaste sealed and bathroom supplies out of reach of silverfish.

3. Glue

Silverfish love to eat glue, and they will often go after any tubes or bottles left out. The glue used in binding books and photo albums can quickly be stripped and consumed by the insects. If you have any glue lying around, keep it stored in a safe place or disposed of properly.

4. Clothing and Cloth

Silverfish love to eat clothes and cloth because they are soft and gooey. This makes them a nuisance for people who regularly clean their homes. However, if you keep your clothing and fabric away from silverfish, they will not have anything to eat. Silverfish like linen, silk, and cotton materials. Costume shops, attics, and closets are popular places to find them.

5. Human Food

Silverfish are attracted to sticky or gooey food, such as cake frosting or jam. Sugar and coffee in the kitchens are also common attractants. Like other insects, human food is the number one food source for silverfish, so it is essential to keep it away from them.

If you want to get rid of them, make sure to keep your food stored in tightly sealed containers. Silverfish love to eat human food, including dried pasta and dried meat, flour, and rolled oats.

Silverfish love to eat paper, glue, clothing, and cloth. Keep your food stored in tightly-sealed containers to avoid attracting them, and keep your home clean by preventing allowing silverfish into it. The above five tips help keep silverfish away from your documents and belongings.