Silverfish Control for Gilbert and East Valley Homes

How to identify silverfish

Silverfish are small, wingless insects with a flat body that tapers from the head to the tail, a shape often compared to a carrot or a teardrop. Adults are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long and covered in fine scales that give them a silvery gray, slightly metallic look. Two long antennae point forward from the head, and three long bristles trail from the tail end.

These insects hide during the day and feed at night, running fast with a side-to-side wiggle that looks a little like a fish swimming. Most sightings happen in bathrooms and closets after dark, or when a box that has been in storage gets moved.

Silverfish and firebrats in Arizona homes

The firebrat is a close relative of the silverfish with the same tapered shape, long antennae and tail bristles. Its body is mottled gray-brown, and it seeks out heat, so in Arizona homes firebrats turn up in attics, around water heaters and near furnaces. True silverfish favor damp, cooler spots such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, closets and the cabinet under the sink.

Knowing which insect is present tells our technicians where to look. A firebrat problem tends to center on the attic or the area around the water heater and furnace, while silverfish usually trace back to plumbing and damp storage. Our Arizona pest identification guide describes silverfish and other household insects, and we will identify one from a clear photo at no charge.

What silverfish eat and the damage they cause

Silverfish and firebrats feed on starch and on the glue used in paper goods, and they will eat some fabrics and dry foods as well. Common targets in a house include:

• Paper, including books, magazines, mail and files
• Book bindings and envelope glue
• Cardboard boxes, especially those stored in closets and garages
• Wallpaper and the paste behind it
• Stored photographs
• Cotton, linen and rayon, particularly starched clothing
• Dry foods such as cereal and flour

These insects do not bite people or pets and are not known to carry disease, so the harm they cause is to belongings. Feeding leaves irregular holes and notched or scraped edges on paper and photos, and small holes or yellowish stains on fabric. Tiny dark droppings about the size of pepper grains are another sign, along with shed skins, since silverfish keep molting throughout their lives.

What attracts silverfish to a house

Arizona air is dry most of the year, so silverfish gather in the few places inside a house that stay damp. A steady population usually traces back to one or more of these conditions:

• A slow leak under a sink or at the washing machine hookup
• Bathroom exhaust fans that are broken or rarely switched on
• Papers and clothing kept in cardboard boxes in closets, the garage or the attic
• Clutter such as stacks of old newspapers and mail left in one place for months
• Open gaps around pipes where they come through walls and the floor of sink cabinets

Silverfish found in a bathtub or sink usually fell in while looking for water at night and could not climb the smooth sides. Finding them there is a sign that the room stays humid enough for them.

How our silverfish control treatment works

Because silverfish live indoors, silverfish control from Platinum Pest Management includes interior work along with the usual exterior service. Treatment follows four steps:

1. Inspection. The technician checks bathrooms, the laundry room, closets, garage storage, the attic access and the spots where pipes pass through walls, looking for insects, droppings, feeding damage and damp areas.
2. Crack and crevice treatment. Product goes directly into the gaps along baseboards, cabinets and plumbing where silverfish spend the day.
3. Dust in wall voids and attics. Where silverfish or firebrats are living inside walls or overhead, an insecticide dust goes into those voids and attic spaces.
4. Follow-up. A return visit shows whether activity is dropping, and any area that is still active gets treated again.

Dust suits these insects because it lasts a long time in dry, enclosed spaces where they travel and hide. We use EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label. Sightings usually taper off over several weeks, and fixing moisture and storage problems speeds that up.

Our general pest control service covers silverfish and firebrats, and interior treatment is part of every plan whenever pests are showing up inside. Silverfish that come back between scheduled visits are re-treated at no extra charge.

How to prevent silverfish

Homeowners can do much of the silverfish prevention work themselves, and these steps also help a treatment last longer:

• Fix dripping faucets and leaks under sinks and around toilets.
• Run the bathroom exhaust fan during every shower and for about 20 minutes afterward.
• Move papers and seasonal clothes out of cardboard and into sealed plastic bins.
• Cut down on clutter, especially old newspapers and empty boxes in closets and the garage.
• Seal gaps around pipes under sinks and behind the washer with caulk or expanding foam.
• Keep cereal and flour in containers with tight-fitting lids.

If silverfish keep turning up in one room after leaks have been fixed, tell the technician. A leak inside a wall can keep that area damp enough for them.

Silverfish numbers usually stay low when the treatment is checked and renewed on a schedule, which is how our pest control plans work. Our residential pest control page covers what a home visit includes, and every plan begins with a free inspection and a written quote.