← All Pests
Silverfish
Quiet, slow, persistent. And they eat your stuff.
Silverfish chew through paper, cardboard, photos, books, clothing - anything starchy. They thrive in cool, damp, dark spaces: wardrobes, storage boxes, bookcases, sub-floors. A heavy population takes time to build but is just as hard to clear, and they breed for years.
Signs of infestation
- Small irregular holes in paper, photos, books or clothing
- Yellow stains on fabric or paper
- Silvery, fish-shaped insects in bathrooms or storage areas at night
- Shed skins in cupboards and dark corners
- Damage to wallpaper edges and book spines
How we treat silverfish
- Crack-and-crevice residual treatment to harbourage areas
- Roof void and sub-floor treatment for whole-house infestations
- Wardrobe and storage room targeted application
- Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) component where appropriate
- Combined with cockroach treatment where both are present
Prevention
- Reduce humidity, as silverfish need damp
- Store paper, books and clothing in sealed plastic tubs
- Vacuum cupboards, wardrobes and bookshelves regularly
- Repair leaking pipes promptly
- Improve sub-floor ventilation in older homes