Protect Your Home From Paper, Fabric, and Pantry Damage
Silverfish thrive where moisture, warmth, and cellulose materials meet. Crawl spaces, closets, garages, utility rooms, and stored boxes provide ideal harborage and food. Once established, silverfish spread through baseboards, shelving seams, and wall voids, feeding on paper, fabrics, wallpaper glue, and stored goods.
Pestcom Pest Management provides professional silverfish control services designed to reduce active infestations and prevent long-term damage.
Why Silverfish Appear
Silverfish are attracted to:
- High humidity and poor ventilation
- Paper, cardboard, books, and stored fabrics
- Warm utility areas and plumbing voids
- Crawl spaces, garages, and laundry rooms
They usually enter through cracks and migrate indoors when conditions outside become too dry or too wet.
Signs You May Have Silverfish
- Small, fast-moving insects along baseboards at night
- Scraped or notched edges on paper or cardboard
- Yellow staining or pepper-like droppings near books or fabrics
- Activity near water heaters, laundry areas, and bathrooms
Problems Silverfish Cause
While silverfish do not bite or transmit disease, they can:
- Damage books, documents, wallpaper, and clothing
- Contaminate pantry items
- Trigger allergies in sensitive individuals
- Create ongoing nuisance infestations if moisture and storage issues aren’t corrected
Our Silverfish Control Process
1) Inspection & Moisture Assessment
We inspect:
- Closets, garages, crawl spaces, and utility rooms
- Shelving seams, baseboards, and wall voids
- Plumbing and ventilation sources that raise humidity
2) Monitoring & Mapping
We place monitors to track:
- Active travel routes
- Harborage zones
- Hotspots needing targeted treatment
3) Targeted Treatment
- Crack-and-crevice applications along baseboards and shelving
- Treatments in voids, plumbing penetrations, and behind appliances
- Focus on where silverfish actually travel and hide
4) Habitat & Moisture Control
We provide guidance on:
- Replacing cardboard with sealed plastic storage
- Ventilation improvements in bathrooms and laundry rooms
- Fixing leaks, dryer venting, and crawl-space moisture
5) Follow-Up & Prevention
- Recheck of monitors and activity
- Adjusted treatments as needed
- Long-term prevention recommendations
Preparing for Silverfish Service
Before we arrive:
- Bag or tote loose papers and cardboard
- Clear 6–12 inches along baseboards in affected areas
- Fix visible drips and use bathroom fans
After treatment:
- Avoid washing baseboards or edges for 24 hours
- Store fabrics and keepsakes in sealed containers
- Keep humidity and ventilation under control
- Expect sightings to taper within 7–14 days
Preventing Silverfish
- Use plastic bins instead of cardboard
- Keep humidity low in bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces
- Vent dryers and showers properly
- Store books and fabrics off floors and away from damp walls
- Seal gaps around plumbing and baseboards
Silverfish Control Service Areas
We provide professional silverfish control services throughout our service region.
👉 Looking for silverfish control in your city?
Visit one of our local pest control pages for area-specific service details.
Ready to Stop Silverfish Damage?
Silverfish won’t disappear on their own. Professional treatment and moisture control prevent damage to books, clothing, and stored goods.
Contact us today to schedule an inspection and protect your home.
How Do We Exterminate Silverfish?
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Same-Day Silverfish InspectionOur technicians know a lot about silverfish infestations. We’ve applied silverfish removal treatments to hundreds of homes in our area. We know how to spot the signs of silverfish immediately and where to find the source of the infestation. We will visit your home to search for:
- Possible infestation locations in the kitchen, bathroom, patio, and even in the walls.
- Signs of silverfish, such as droppings and shed skins or nests outside the home.
- Potential entry points for silverfish, including cracks in the walls and foundation, or trees overlapping the home.
We complete a full inspection to understand the extent of the problem.
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Silverfish Treatment & Removal
We stop the infestation in its tracks by exterminating all traces of silverfish in your home. Our treatments are tough on insects, but safe for your family and pets. This is what you can expect on the day of treatment:
- Our technicians come to your home at a time that is convenient for you, and they immediately get to work.
- We apply the necessary treatments to the infested areas of the home or yard.
- We inspect the infected areas to make sure every single silverfish is eliminated.
We use the most effective treatments in order to completely remove silverfish from your home. Our silverfish treatments are tough on pests but safe for your family and pets.
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Silverfish Preventative Treatments
Now that the silverfish are gone from your Boise home, we make sure they never come back! To ensure that your home will be protected in the future, our technicians will do the following:
- Apply treatments in strategic locations to create a barrier around your home that keeps silverfish out.
- Make recommendations to reduce the chance of an infestation, including sealing food containers and keeping surfaces clean.
- Return for regular treatments as necessary.
We want to make sure you never have to see silverfish around your home again!
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Silverfish in Our Area
Silverfish can be found just about anywhere. They thrive inside and outside — in cold environments and hot ones. And they are located in nearly every corner of the planet, including Idaho.
There are only four species of silverfish found in the United States. Just two are found in Idaho. They are:
- Gray silverfish. Gray silverfish are known for their silvery-gray color and prefer dark, damp areas like basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.
- Firebrat. Although less common than the gray silverfish, firebrats can also be found in Idaho. They are similar in appearance to silverfish but have a mottled gray-brown coloration and prefer warmer, drier environments compared to silverfish.
You can find silverfish in your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, yard, or even in the walls of your home. Our team of Boise-based pest technicians are experts in silverfish control. We know where silverfish like to hide and how to get rid of them quickly. If you are experiencing silverfish problems or if you want to avoid silverfish from invading your property, give Pestcom a call.
Our FAQ
Have questions? We are here to help. Still have questions or can't find the answer you need? Give us a call at 208-795-3298 today!
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Do you monitor after it’s resolved?Yes - monitoring and rechecks can be added, especially for canal-adjacent lots, open-field edges, or foothill neighborhoods.
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How many visits are typical?Initial setup + 1-2 follow-ups resolves most homes; severe cases may require additional checks and sealing.
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Will I need interior service or just exterior for rodents?We service both - interior where activity is present and exterior to stop new entry and pressure.
