Brownstones, prewar apartments and damp basements.
For New York City bathrooms, closets, bookshelves and basements. A plan that targets moisture and the places silverfish shelter.
Silverfish are quiet, harmless to people, and a sign that something is damp or undisturbed.
Silverfish are slender, silvery, wingless insects that move with a fish-like wiggle and avoid light. They feed on starchy material, including paper, book bindings, wallpaper paste, cardboard, glue, clothing fibers and spilled dry food, and they prefer humid, still spaces.
In New York City they show up in older buildings with radiator and pipe chases, bathrooms with limited ventilation, laundry rooms, basements and storage lockers, and in apartments with piles of boxes or paper. They do not bite, but they can stain and chew paper goods, and a steady population signals moisture worth correcting.
Silverfish prefer older buildings with humidity, paper and cracks: brownstones and walk-ups in Brooklyn, prewar apartments in Manhattan and the Bronx, and finished basements in Queens and Staten Island houses. Bathrooms, closets, storage boxes and rooms near radiators or leaks are the usual spots.
We look for the humid spot, the food and the entry points before treating.
STEP 01
We check bathrooms, closets, bookshelves, window sills, baseboards, storage boxes and basements, confirm the species and place monitors in suspect areas.
Note where you see them and at what time of day. Silverfish are usually seen at night.
STEP 02
We apply dust or residual products into cracks, voids and behind baseboards where they shelter, and advise on moisture and storage changes.
Product choice follows the label and the room, with extra care in rooms used by children or pets.
STEP 03
We read the monitors, check the treated areas and adjust, especially if humidity has not changed.
If dampness persists, treatment alone will not hold.
Silverfish control depends on changing the conditions as well as treating the insects.
Fixing slow leaks, improving ventilation, running a dehumidifier in basements and closing off damp wall voids. Silverfish struggle to persist in dry, ventilated rooms.
Leaks in shared plumbing may need building management.
Targeted placement in wall voids, behind baseboards, around pipes and under sinks, where silverfish hide by day. Dusts last in dry voids; sprays and baits are used where the label and room allow.
Treated areas are not for wiping or vacuuming.
Moving paper, cardboard and clothing to sealed plastic containers and caulking gaps at baseboards and pipe penetrations removes food and shelter.
Cardboard is the most common hidden food source in storage rooms and closets.
Silverfish are secretive, so the evidence is often found before the insects are.
Quick, tapered insects in sinks, tubs or on floors when you turn the light on, especially in bathrooms and kitchens.
Chewed edges on paper, books, wallpaper and cardboard, sometimes with yellowish staining.
Pale cast skins and tiny dark specks in drawers, book shelves and storage boxes.
Musty smells, condensation on pipes and slow drains in the same room as the sightings.
Dry, tidy spaces are the most effective long-term control.
Move boxes and items away from baseboards, under sinks and from closet floors so we can reach the areas we treat.
Run exhaust fans after showers, use a dehumidifier in basements and report leaks to your landlord or building management.
Replace cardboard with lidded plastic bins for papers, photographs, clothing and dry food.
Follow our written re-entry guidance and avoid wiping or vacuuming the treated edges for the period it gives.
They do not bite, sting or spread disease to people. They damage paper goods and fabrics, and a lasting population usually points to moisture that is worth fixing.
Bathrooms are humid and quiet at night, and they have the cracks and tile gaps silverfish like. Treating only the visible area is often not enough, so we inspect adjoining walls and rooms.
It can lower the population over time, but existing insects shelter in voids. A dehumidifier combined with sealing and a targeted treatment is more reliable.
Yes. They travel through wall voids, pipe chases and between units, so a source can be elsewhere in the building. We note what falls to you and what is for building management.
A little information helps us plan the inspection. Before treatment, we give you preparation instructions for your home.
Share the rooms, the time of day and whether you find damage on paper, books or clothing.
Mention leaks, condensation, musty smells or a basement and storage areas.
Over-the-counter sprays can scatter silverfish into other rooms. Ask us before applying anything.
Tell us what you are seeing and where. We will help you choose the right starting point for your home or business.
