A small silver insect that darts like a fish when you switch on the bathroom light. It does not bite and it is no danger to you, but it eats paper, books and clothes, and seeing one means the place is damp.
Silverfish control has two parts. We treat the cracks, baseboards and damp spots where they hide, and we identify the moisture source that brought them. Silverfish need a humid environment to live, so treatment without ventilation or a leak repair only lowers the numbers for a while. The two together are what end the problem.
A long body shaped like a water drop, shiny silver, with two antennae and three thin tails. It shows up at night or when you suddenly turn on a light.
Chewed edges and irregular holes in books, old photos and storage boxes.
They eat starch, cotton and silk, so you may find chewed patches on stored clothes, especially starched ones.
A powdery shine and light scales in drawers and on shelves, along with small droppings like black dots.
They fall in and cannot climb out of smooth surfaces. It does not mean they came up from the drain.
Because your home has what they like: damp and food. Bathrooms, basements, kitchens and ground floors are their favorite places, especially with a seeping wall or a window that never opens. They usually arrive in cartons and old books stored somewhere damp.
They eat starches and sugars: paper, book glue, wallpaper, fabric, flour and grains. Since they live a long time and do not need much food, they can stay unnoticed until you spot the damage.
The good news is that they do not carry any known disease and they do not bite. Treatment here is about protecting your books and clothes and not having to look at them, so there is no reason to panic.
Where do you see them, and is there any damp? A photo helps us confirm the type. Then we give you the price and the time.
The technician checks for seepage and ventilation problems, and looks at the cracks near where they appear.
A suitable product goes into cracks, along baseboards and behind shelves. It is not sprayed on clothes or books.
If there is a leak or poor ventilation, we write it on the receipt. This is the most important step for keeping them from coming back.
We follow up with you, because the numbers drop gradually rather than overnight.
Run the exhaust fan and open the window after a shower, fix any leak under the sink and cut down on cardboard boxes in storage. Keep the books and clothes you value in sealed plastic boxes instead of cardboard.
A spray kills the ones you see, but the rest are in the cracks. Do not spray on clothes and books, because the product stains and stays close to your skin.
The treated spots are usually the damp ones, so it matters that you air out the bathroom or basement afterward. The technician tells you how long, and it is written on the receipt.
The product goes into cracks, out of reach of children and pets. Tell us if there is a baby at home or anyone with allergies so we can take it into account.
With silverfish control, the worry is promises nobody wrote down. This is the sheet the technician hands you.
An illustration of what gets written down at the visit.
No, they do not bite and are not known to spread disease. The trouble is what they eat, such as paper and clothes.
They fall in while looking for moisture and cannot climb back up the smooth surface. It does not mean something is wrong with your drain.
There is no need to. Move them and store them in a dry place in a sealed box. If they have mold on them, that is a separate matter.
There will be far fewer of them, but the ones in the cracks can stay for a long time. That is why doing both together works better.
The warranty is 5 years, and it is written on the receipt with its terms, along with the moisture recommendations you need to carry out.
It depends on the size of the place and where the infestation is, and you get the price by phone. It is written down before we start, and it does not go up after you agree.
One phone call, and we set a time with you.
