Silverfish are primitive, flat, wingless insects, grey in color with three tail like appendages at the end of the abdomen. Silverfish are nocturnal and very active at night. They run rapidly and their style of movement resembles that of a swimming fish, hence the name silverfish.

Feeding on carbohydrates, they can be particularly destructive to anything containing starch. Their diet includes paste, sizing, book bindings, glucose, flour, cereals, glue, starch, papers and fabrics.

They prefer warm damp conditions and can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, cylinder cupboards and libraries.

Silverfish are hardy creatures and can live for up to a year without food. They will live in soil, and under stones and are particularly fond of insulated ceilings.

Silverfish do not go through metamorphosis, they go straight from eggs to nymphs. Their mouth parts are formed for chewing and they have up to 13 body segments and 3 pairs of legs.

Active all year round, they breed mainly in the spring and summer. The number of eggs laid varies greatly, and they are laid progressively and indiscriminately.

Full development can take up to 4 years or more, during which time the nymphs molt and grow many times.

An unusual feature of silverfish is that the female becomes sexually mature and lays eggs long before she has ceased to molt and grow.