Silverfish Control in Downers Grove, IL

What Silverfish Look Like

• Size: About half an inch to three quarters of an inch long
• Shape: Flat and shaped like a teardrop or a carrot, wider at the head and tapering to the back
• Color: Silver or gray, with a shiny, scaly look
• Tail: Three long, thin bristles at the back
• Movement: Fast, with a wiggling, fish like motion, and mostly active at night

Firebrats are a close relative that look similar but are a bit darker and prefer very warm areas, like near a furnace, water heater or attic. Both are treated in much the same way.

Signs of Silverfish

• Live silverfish in sinks, tubs, closets or the basement, often at night
• Irregular holes, notches or thin, scraped areas on paper, books, photos or wallpaper
• Yellow stains on paper or fabrics
• Tiny black specks like pepper, which are droppings
• Small, pale, shed skins in corners or on shelves
• Damage to cardboard boxes, especially in basements and attics

What Silverfish Eat and Why They Are Here

Silverfish feed on starchy and sugary materials.

• Paper, books and old documents
• Cardboard boxes and packing materials
• Wallpaper paste, glue and book bindings
• Cotton, linen and silk fabrics
• Dry foods like cereal, flour and oatmeal
• Dead insects and dust

They can live for months without food, so they can survive in empty rooms and storage areas.

The key is moisture. Silverfish need humid places, and a damp basement, leaky pipe, bathroom without a fan or wet crawl space is like a welcome sign. Older Downers Grove homes with basements, storage areas and older plumbing often have the humidity silverfish need. The typical local home was built around 1974, and clay soils and pockets of high groundwater can add to basement moisture while regional summer humidity often runs about 65–75%.

Where Silverfish Hide

• Basements, crawl spaces and laundry rooms
• Bathrooms, especially behind tubs, sinks and toilets
• Kitchens, in cabinets and pantry corners
• Closets and storage boxes
• Attics and behind insulation
• Bookshelves and around old paper
• Behind baseboards, in wall voids and under flooring

How We Get Rid of Silverfish

1. Inspection. We look for silverfish activity, damaged items and moisture sources in basements, bathrooms, closets and attics.

2. Treat hiding spots. We treat cracks, baseboards, wall voids, closets, and other hiding areas where silverfish live and travel. This may include dust in wall voids and crevices.

3. Reduce moisture. We point out leaks, damp areas and poor airflow that need attention, since silverfish will return if the humidity stays high.

4. Follow up. Silverfish live for a long time and hide well. We check the results and adjust the treatment if needed.

What You Can Do at Home

• Run a dehumidifier in the basement and keep humidity around 50 percent or lower
• Fix leaking pipes, faucets and roof or window leaks
• Use bathroom fans, and keep vents clear
• Store paper, photos and clothes in plastic bins with tight lids, instead of cardboard boxes
• Keep dry food in sealed containers
• Vacuum regularly, especially in corners, closets and storage areas
• Seal cracks and gaps around baseboards and pipes
• Move stored items off basement floors

Are Silverfish Harmful?

Silverfish do not bite, sting or spread disease. The problem is the damage they do to paper, books, photos, wallpaper and stored clothes, and the fact that they signal a moisture problem in your home. Seeing a lot of them is a good reason to check for leaks or damp areas.

Silverfish Control Across Downers Grove

We treat silverfish in homes and businesses throughout Downers Grove, including ZIP codes 60515 and 60516, and in nearby towns such as Lisle, Woodridge, Westmont and Darien. If you are close by, call us anyway.