silverfish
A small wingless, silvery insect, of the order
Thysanura, and especially Lepisma saccharina,
which flourishes in a damp environment, feeding on
the glazed surfaces of photographs, and the
starchy content of paper, board, and paste. It has
done extensive damage to book collections in the
past. It can be controlled by the use of proper
fumigants, such as ethylene oxide, methyl bromide,
hydrogen cyanide, etc.; however, as the use of
these chemicals can be dangerous, a better
procedure is to create a cool, dry environment
which the insects cannot tolerate. See also:BOOKWORMS .
![[CoOL]](/icons/sm_cool.gif){kind=icon}