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Photo#171257
Silverfish - Ctenolepisma lineatum

Silverfish - Ctenolepisma lineatum
Springfield, Calhoun County, Michigan, USA
February 25, 2008
These critters come into my bedroom from the attic. What type of silverfish are they? What are they eating, the insulation? We don't have much stored in the attic. Do they cause much damage? How do you get rid of them? Thanks.

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Silverfish - Ctenolepisma lineatum Silverfish - Ctenolepisma lineatum

Four-linned
Does this look correct? :/
http://bugguide.net/node/view/166468

I'm not expert, but I believe that true silverfish (L. saccharina) are a uniform metallic gray/silver.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/40366

Silverfish (all silverfish) in general are consumers of starchy, plant-based products such as paste, book bindings, paper (preferable old papers), flour, etc. Do you have cardboard boxes or large numbers of books in your home or bed room? While, I wouldn't worry too much about them, I'd look in the attic if you want to find what's attracting them. If you have old books, cardboard storage boxes, manuscripts that might be what they're living off of. I doubt they'd target your insulation.
Vacuuming might help, along with some moth balls, though.

 
I Better Check
what we have in the attic and I'll try the mothballs. Jonas, thanks for IDing this for me, too. I tried sticky traps for silverfish and had them all over the walls but never caught even one.

 
...huh...
I never knew there were sticky traps for silverfish! :)
Was there a gray powder or something stuck to the walls afterwards? Because if so, that may mean they did get stuck but pried themselves loose or something. The bodies of silverfish are covered in fine scales that come off easily.

Good luck, though, & I'm glad I could be of help. :)

 
Clean as a Whistle
Nothing showed on them. It looks like they just avoided them, altogether. After a few weeks I tossed them.