Protect your books, photos and fabrics from these damp-loving paper eaters.
Silverfish are among the most stubborn household pests to eliminate — fast, nocturnal and able to hide in cracks you'd never think to check. By the time you're seeing them regularly, they've usually been quietly feeding on your books, papers, wallpaper and stored fabric for months.
Strib Pest Control's technicians conduct a comprehensive inspection of the damp, dark spaces silverfish call home — attics, basements, crawl spaces — then eliminate the infestation and the conditions sustaining it. After treatment, we walk you through exactly what was done and what to expect next.
Silverfish are wingless, silvery, teardrop-shaped insects, 1/2 to 1 inch long, with three long tail bristles and a distinctive wriggling, fish-like motion. They thrive in dark, humid areas and feed on starches and organic material. Evidence of an infestation includes:
Silverfish are harmless to people and pets — the damage is to your belongings, and it can be significant. They feed on the starches in book bindings and paper, natural fabrics like cotton, wool and silk, wallpaper paste, artwork adhesives, and dried pantry goods like grains and cereal. Irreplaceable items — photo albums, documents, heirloom textiles — are exactly the things silverfish ruin when they're stored in a damp basement or attic.
Because silverfish live deep in cracks and voids, effective control combines targeted treatment with habitat change. We treat the crevices, attics and crawl spaces where they nest with precise, low-impact applications, place monitors to gauge the population, and identify the humidity sources keeping them comfortable. Silverfish can live for months without food but not without moisture — dry the space and treat the harborage, and the infestation collapses. You'll get specific repair and sanitation recommendations with your service report.
They are not coming up the drain — they fall in while seeking moisture at night and cannot climb the slick sides back out. Regular tub sightings mean an active population living in nearby wall voids or the bathroom floor structure.
They are a reliable indicator of excess humidity — the same conditions that invite mold, centipedes and wood decay. Treating the silverfish and correcting the moisture protects both your belongings and your structure.
Sticky traps catch some, but silverfish populations live deep in cracks, insulation and voids that DIY sprays never reach, and they reproduce for years. Professional crack-and-crevice treatment plus dehumidification is what eliminates them for good.
Fast, honest, guaranteed pest control across Madison and Dane County.
