Droppings. These may be hard to see because they are so small, but if you notice little black specks around books or in drawers; this could be a sign that silverfish or at least some pest insect is present. 2. Live animals. You are very likely to disturb a silverfish when you move a book or clean out a drawer or move clothes around in the closet. 3. Yellow staining on belongings. Book pages may show yellow-colored stains, which could be due to silverfish shedding their skins. 4. Holes or chewed areas on belongings. Although small in size, silverfish do chew books and other items leaving fine, tiny holes, or damaged edges. These feeding marks are the main causes of silverfish damage.