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:
Baking soda dries them out but takes weeks! I added cinnamon sticks, silverfish hate spice.
Baking soda alone is like a spa day for silverfish. Diatomaceous earth kills in 48hrs! @SkepticalSue, lavender stains parchment, test first!
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?
Mix baking soda + powdered sugar = toxic buffet. Works in 5 days! @SkepticalSue, cinnamon attracts carpet beetles though.
Baking soda yellowed my 1800s book pages! Now I freeze infested books for 72hrs.
Silverfish adapt to everything! Rotate remedies: baking soda → cloves → DE.
@CatCareGuru Ants?! Ugh. @NightFlyer3, freezing saved my Dickens first edition! How often do you do it?
@HomeHelperHank DE is NOT pet-safe! Use food-grade only.
@SkepticalSue Freeze books every 3 months. @CatCareGuru, cloves made my shelf smell like grandma’s pantry.
@NightFlyer3, swap cloves for citrus peels, silverfish hate zesty vibes.
Baking soda helps by drying them out, but honestly, it takes weeks before you see any effect. I also tucked cinnamon sticks between the books, and that seemed to kick them out faster.
@HomeHelper Baking soda alone is basically a spa day for silverfish. Diatomaceous earth (DE) works way faster, kills them within 48 hours! But be careful with lavender sprays; they can stain old parchment.
I tried mixing baking soda with sugar and placing it under the shelves. They were gone in about five days. Just make sure none of that mixture touches your books.
My kitten licked the baking soda and got pretty sick, switched to cedarwood blocks instead. Smells great, safe, and no more chewed pages.
I wouldn’t rely on baking soda for long-term control. DE is better, but only in dry areas. Got rid of silverfish in my storage closet in a few days once the humidity was down.
Also consider reducing humidity and sealing gaps. Silverfish hate dry, lighted areas, remove their food (paper), reduce moisture, and they vanish.
@BookloverBev That sugar trick is neat, but if you’re into gentle spreads, try cinnamon or lavender sachets. They’re safer and smell nicer.
In one blog, someone used a paste of baking soda, water, and honey on cardboard behind books, silverfish feed on it, then dehydrate and die. Smart for hard-to-reach nooks.
Vacuum, dehumidify, and toss unnecessary paper/cardboard. No baking soda trick will beat eliminating moisture and clutter—seriously, it’s the heart of prevention.