Silverfish are fast, nocturnal, and destructive feeding on paper, fabric, and starchy materials. XtermaPro Pest Control eliminates silverfish infestations and addresses the moisture conditions that attract them.
Silverfish are small (12-19mm), wingless insects with a distinctive silvery, metallic appearance and a fish-like wriggling motion. They're nocturnal and extremely fast, preferring dark, humid areas basements, attics, bathrooms, and any room with dampness. They feed on carbohydrates found in books, paper, wallpaper glue, fabric, and stored foods.
Signs of silverfish activity:
Silverfish don't bite or spread disease, but they cause significant property damage over time destroying books, important documents, wallpaper, and natural-fibre clothing. Their shed skins and droppings have also been identified as a trigger for allergic reactions and asthma in sensitive individuals.
Silverfish treatment combines targeted insecticide application in harborage areas with recommendations to address moisture the root cause of most infestations. We treat cracks, crevices, and hidden areas where silverfish harbour, and apply residual treatments to disrupt active populations.
Fully licensed Ontario exterminators meeting every provincial pest control standard.
We respond fast. Same-day and emergency appointments available 24/7.
Our vehicles are plain and unmarked your neighbours won't know a thing.
If the problem persists after treatment, we come back. That's our promise. Learn more →
Targeted treatments tough on pests and safe for your household.
Transparent pricing always. We explain exactly what we're doing before we start.
Silverfish feed on starches and cellulose, meaning paper, cardboard, book bindings, wallpaper paste, stored flour, and dry pet food. They need humidity above 75 percent, which is why basements, bathrooms, and attics with roof leaks are the most common hot spots.
No. Silverfish do not bite, carry disease, or sting. The damage is to stored items like books, photo albums, magazines, and important documents, plus allergy symptoms from their shed skins in heavy infestations.
We apply a residual dust to wall voids, baseboards, attic eaves, and plumbing chases where silverfish travel, plus a targeted gel bait in active zones. Dehumidification is strongly recommended because silverfish cannot survive below 60 percent humidity.
Silverfish are photophobic, meaning they avoid light. They feed and travel at night and hide in cracks, behind baseboards, and in attic insulation during the day. Treatment targets the daytime hiding spots, not the rooms where you see them.
Run a dehumidifier in the basement, fix roof and plumbing leaks, store books and paper in sealed plastic bins, and caulk cracks in baseboards and around windows. We leave you a printable humidity target card after the visit.
Same day service available. Free quotes. No obligation. Discreet unmarked vehicles.