Do silverfish bite?

Silverfish do not bite and do not transmit diseases, according to Orkin. They can be incredibly destructive to books and clothing, and silverfish can spoil food by eating into boxes or containers.

Silverfish like dark, damp locations and will create a nest as close to a food source as possible. As nocturnal insects, they forage at night and hide during the day. Silverfish eat sugar and starch and can sometimes leave a yellow residue, Orkin reports. They live between two and eight years and can live a year without food, according to Wikipedia. Their order of insects derives its name from the Greek words for "bristle" and "tail."