How Long Does It Take Baking Soda to Deter Silverfish in Bookshelves?

Insects & Creepy-Crawlies
1

Hey everyone!

I inherited a collection of antique books, but silverfish have turned my shelves into their buffet. Desperate to avoid chemicals, I sprinkled ​baking soda​​ along the edges and under books. Two weeks later:

  • ​​Pros​​: Cheap, no fumes, and safe around my cat.
  • ​​Cons​​: Silverfish are STILL munching on 19th-century paper! I even found them nesting in a baking soda pile.
2

Baking soda dries them out but takes weeks! I added ​cinnamon sticks​, silverfish hate spice.

3

Baking soda alone is like a spa day for silverfish. ​​Diatomaceous earth​ kills in 48hrs! @SkepticalSue, lavender stains parchment, test first!

4

My kitten licked the baking soda and got sick! Switched to ​cedarwood blocks, safe and smells rustic. @IHeartMice, is DE safe for pets if ingested?

5

Mix baking soda + ​​powdered sugar​​ = toxic buffet. Works in 5 days! @SkepticalSue, cinnamon attracts carpet beetles though.

6

Baking soda yellowed my 1800s book pages! Now I freeze infested books for 72hrs.

7

Silverfish adapt to everything! Rotate remedies: baking soda → ​cloves​​ → DE.

8

@CatCareGuru Ants?! Ugh. @NightFlyer3, freezing saved my Dickens first edition! How often do you do it?

9

@HomeHelperHank DE is ​​NOT​ pet-safe! Use food-grade only.

10

@SkepticalSue Freeze books every 3 months. @CatCareGuru, cloves made my shelf smell like grandma’s pantry.

11

@NightFlyer3, swap cloves for ​​citrus peels,​ silverfish hate zesty vibes.