Silverfish Pest Control in Bandra

Damp flats, closed cupboards and record rooms

Silverfish want three things: damp, dark and something starchy to eat. The sea-facing flats at Bandstand and along Carter Road give them the damp. Closed wardrobes, bookshelves against an outside wall and the wooden panelling of an old Pali Hill home give them the dark. Books, files, wallpaper paste, cardboard and stored clothes give them the food.

In BKC, a record room full of files that nobody opens is the same thing on a larger scale. You usually notice the damage first: ragged holes and yellow stains on pages, scraped patches of wallpaper and thin spots on stored cotton. They come out at night and move fast, so one seen in the bathroom by day means many more out of sight.

Keeping books and clothes safe

• Keep books and files a little away from an outside wall, in a room that gets air.
• Fix leaks, and run the exhaust fan in a bathroom that stays wet.
• Store seasonal clothes and important papers in sealed boxes, not open cardboard.
• Open wardrobes and cupboards now and then so air can move, and fill cracks around pipes.

Photos: Silverfish Pest Control in Bandra

• What does silverfish treatment cost in Bandra?

  It starts at ₹1,400 with a 1-year warranty. The free inspection gives the exact price, based on how many rooms are affected and how much storage there is. A BKC office with a large record room is quoted on its floor area. The price is the same in Bandra West and Bandra East.

• Do silverfish bite?

  No. Silverfish do not bite or sting and are not known to spread disease. The harm is to your things: they eat paper, the glue in bindings, wallpaper paste, starch and fabric, and the damage to a book or a file is usually found late. If you see one, assume there are more in the dark.

• Why are there silverfish in my bathroom?

  Because it stays damp and dark, and the cracks around the pipes let them in and out. Run the exhaust fan, fix any leak, wipe up standing water and fill the gaps around the pipes. Tell the technician which bathroom it is, so the hiding places there are treated directly during the visit.

• Can silverfish damage files in a BKC office?

  Yes. A closed record room is ideal for them: dark, often damp, and full of paper and glue. We treat offices and record rooms, with a regular check if needed. Keep the files off the floor and away from the outside wall, and book the free inspection as soon as you see holes or yellow stains on a page.

• How long does silverfish treatment take to work?

  The first visit takes 1 to 2 hours, and the silverfish are usually gone in 2 to 4 weeks, with a repeat visit if some remain. Drying the room out is the biggest thing you can do to help, and it also makes the result last. The follow-up visits inside the warranty are free.

• Should I throw away books that silverfish have eaten?

  Not unless they are badly damaged. Brush the debris off outside, and keep the books in a dry room or a sealed box for a while. Scan or copy important documents, because eaten pages turn fragile. Show the technician which shelves were hit, so that the wall behind them is treated as well.

• What brings silverfish into a sea-facing flat?

  The damp, first of all. A flat at Bandstand or on Carter Road stays humid for most of the year, and closed wardrobes and bookshelves against the outside wall stay damper still. Add paper, glue and stored cotton, and they have food. Air, light and sealed storage take most of that away.

• How do I clear silverfish from a wardrobe?

  Empty it, wash or air the clothes, and wipe the shelves and corners. Dry the cupboard fully and fix any damp patch on the wall behind it. Put seasonal clothes back in sealed boxes. If they keep appearing, the technician treats the hiding places around that wardrobe directly, which is a small, quick job.

• What does the silverfish technician actually do?

  Checks the bathrooms, the kitchen, the wardrobes, the bookshelves and the damp walls, then puts a small amount of product exactly where the silverfish shelter, using methods that are safe around children and pets. Then tells you which rooms need drying out and how. The first visit takes 1 to 2 hours.

• Are silverfish coming up through the drain?

  Probably not through it. They live around a drain for the damp rather than travelling up the pipe. Fix leaks, keep the drain cover in place, dry the floor after use and fill the cracks around the pipe. Tell the technician which drain it is, so that spot is treated during the visit.