# How Long Does It Take Baking Soda to Deter Silverfish in Bookshelves?
**URL:** https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318
**Category:** Insects & Creepy-Crawlies
**Created:** [April 21, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318 "2025-04-21T01:34:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@HomeHelper](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/HomeHelper)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/1 "2025-04-21T01:34:11Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@SkepticalSue](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SkepticalSue)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/2 "2025-04-21T01:36:23Z")
Baking soda dries them out but takes weeks! I added cinnamon sticks, silverfish hate spice.
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### Author:  [@IHeartMice](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/IHeartMice)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/3 "2025-04-21T01:38:58Z")
Baking soda alone is like a spa day for silverfish. Diatomaceous earth kills in 48hrs! @SkepticalSue, lavender stains parchment, test first!
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### Author:  [@HomeHelperHank](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/HomeHelperHank)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/4 "2025-04-21T01:42:49Z")
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?
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### Author:  [@MouseHater22](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/MouseHater22)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/5 "2025-04-21T01:46:30Z")
Mix baking soda + powdered sugar = toxic buffet. Works in 5 days! @SkepticalSue, cinnamon attracts carpet beetles though.
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### Author:  [@NightFlyer3](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/NightFlyer3)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/6 "2025-04-21T01:50:07Z")
Baking soda yellowed my 1800s book pages! Now I freeze infested books for 72hrs.
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### Author:  [@CatCareGuru](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/CatCareGuru)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:53am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/7 "2025-04-21T01:53:23Z")
Silverfish adapt to everything! Rotate remedies: baking soda → cloves → DE.
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### Author:  [@SkepticalSue](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SkepticalSue)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 1:59am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/8 "2025-04-21T01:59:17Z")
@CatCareGuru Ants?! Ugh. @NightFlyer3, freezing saved my Dickens first edition! How often do you do it?
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### Author:  [@IHeartMice](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/IHeartMice)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 2:13am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/9 "2025-04-21T02:13:04Z")
@HomeHelperHank DE is NOT pet-safe! Use food-grade only.
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### Author:  [@NightFlyer3](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/NightFlyer3)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 2:18am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/10 "2025-04-21T02:18:49Z")
@SkepticalSue Freeze books every 3 months. @CatCareGuru, cloves made my shelf smell like grandma’s pantry.
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### Author:  [@CatCareGuru](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/CatCareGuru)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 2:21am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/11 "2025-04-21T02:21:08Z")
@NightFlyer3, swap cloves for citrus peels, silverfish hate zesty vibes.
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### Author:  [@HomeHelper](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/HomeHelper)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:42am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/12 "2025-09-04T09:42:38Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@SkepticalSue](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SkepticalSue)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:44am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/13 "2025-09-04T09:44:21Z")
@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.
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### Author:  [@BookloverBev](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/BookloverBev)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:47am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/14 "2025-09-04T09:47:16Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@KittyConcerned](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/KittyConcerned)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/15 "2025-09-04T09:50:32Z")
My kitten licked the baking soda and got pretty sick, switched to cedarwood blocks instead. Smells great, safe, and no more chewed pages.
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### Author:  [@DustyPages](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/DustyPages)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:53am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/16 "2025-09-04T09:53:06Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@EcoReader](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/EcoReader)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:56am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/17 "2025-09-04T09:56:11Z")
Also consider reducing humidity and sealing gaps. Silverfish hate dry, lighted areas, remove their food (paper), reduce moisture, and they vanish.
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### Author:  [@DIYBookworm](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/DIYBookworm)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 9:59am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/18 "2025-09-04T09:59:36Z")
@BookloverBev That sugar trick is neat, but if you’re into gentle spreads, try cinnamon or lavender sachets. They’re safer and smell nicer.
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### Author:  [@SpiderSafe](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SpiderSafe)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 10:04am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/19 "2025-09-04T10:04:59Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@MinimalistMarie](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/MinimalistMarie)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2025, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-baking-soda-to-deter-silverfish-in-bookshelves/3318/20 "2025-09-04T10:07:33Z")
Vacuum, dehumidify, and toss unnecessary paper/cardboard. No baking soda trick will beat eliminating moisture and clutter—seriously, it’s the heart of prevention.
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