On treating your area for silverfish, etc.
Kay Lancaster

Silverfish and firebrats tend to go after starch, sugar and protein... there's starch in sizing (another reason to prewash), and of course wooland silk are proteins. They prefer to live in damp, cool basements,while their lookalike cousins the firebrats like hot dark areas like furnaces, fireplaces, insulation around water heaters and heating ducts. Firebrats go after rayon, but silverfish rarely do. Mold is another thing that draws them.

The usual chemical methods for control are chlorpyrifos (Dursban),diazanon (Spectracide), malathion, permethrin or propoxur (Baygon). Make sure the spray or dust is labeled for silverfish and firebrats, then follow the instructions. You need to spray baseboards, window casings,closets, and especially places where pipes or heat ducts go throughfloorsor walls. And the sprays usually take a couple of weeks to work.

I'd probably use malathion or permethrin -- less toxic than most of the others. For more information on pesticide toxicities, check out Extoxnet, the Extension Toxicology server at http://ace.ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet,or talk to your extension agent about what works well in your area.

If you've got silverfish (pearly or silvergrey), consider a dehumidifier; for firebrats (mottled grey), increased air circulation and decreased temperatures. I'd also wash the entire stash (sob!) Vacuum like crazy,and put out some of the sticky cockroach traps -- you can use them to see if you're getting more visitors later.