Claremont is the Southern Suburbs' shopping and office hub, built around Cavendish Square, Main Road and the station, with leafy residential streets running up towards the mountain. Our work here swings between commercial kitchens and retail on one side and older family homes with big trees on the other.
Fishmoths in damp Claremont homes
Claremont is one of the wetter parts of Cape Town in winter, and older houses with thick walls, sash windows and built-in cupboards stay damp inside for months. Fishmoths thrive in that, feeding on books, papers, wallpaper glue and starched shirts. We often find them on bookshelves against outside walls and in cupboards under the stairs.
We treat the cracks, voids and cupboard corners with a dust or residual product and point out where damp is coming in. Better airflow and moisture absorbers in winter stop them from building up again.
Being close to Newlands and the mountain, Claremont is one of the wetter parts of Cape Town in winter, so damp walls and soggy gardens are normal. Large oaks and plane trees line the streets, and Arderne Gardens holds an old collection of big trees.
How to tell you have a problem
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
A note from the field
Many people think fishmoths only eat paper. They also go after the glue in wallpaper and book bindings, starch in fabrics, and even dried food crumbs and dead insects in cupboards.
What happens when we come out
Fishmoths often live in roof spaces, wall voids and behind cornices, so a fine insecticidal dust blown into the ceiling void is one of our most effective tools. Inside, we apply a targeted residual treatment into cracks, cupboard corners, skirting gaps and behind bookshelves rather than spraying open surfaces. Fishmoths are long-lived and lay eggs in hidden cracks, so treatments that keep working for a while are more useful than a quick knockdown. We pair the treatment with advice on damp, ventilation and storage, because changing the conditions is what stops them coming back.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our fishmoth control service works.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Seal cracks around skirting boards, cornices and built-in cupboards where they hide and lay eggs.
- Vacuum regularly inside cupboards, along skirting boards and behind furniture to remove eggs and food sources.
- Improve ventilation in bathrooms and laundries with an extractor fan or by keeping a window open after showers.
- Store books, documents and photographs in sealed plastic boxes, not cardboard, especially in garages and storerooms.
- Avoid stacking old newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes in cupboards for long periods.
Pricing, honestly
The price depends on the size of the property, how many rooms and cupboards are affected, and whether the roof space needs to be treated. Easy access to the ceiling void keeps the job simpler, while a home with lots of built-in cupboards and shelves takes more time. Offices, archives and storerooms with large amounts of paper are quoted separately, and every quote is free.
Moving books into sealed boxes and running a dehumidifier will help more than any spray from the shop. DIY sprays rarely reach the roof space or wall voids where the main population lives. If you are seeing them in several rooms or dropping from the ceiling, get the roof space treated professionally.
Questions we get asked in Claremont
How long does a fishmoth treatment last?
Our treatments carry a minimum 3-month guarantee. Fixing damp and changing storage habits makes the result last much longer.
Do fishmoths bite?
No, they do not bite people or pets and do not carry disease. The problem is the damage they do to paper, books, photographs and fabrics.
Why are fishmoths falling from my ceiling?
That usually means there is a population in the roof space. Treating the ceiling void with a dust is the most effective way to deal with it.
Do fishmoths mean I have damp?
Often, yes. Common silverfish in particular need high humidity, so seeing them regularly in one room is a good reason to check for leaks or poor ventilation.
Why do fishmoths love older Claremont homes?
Damp walls and wooden cupboards give them the humidity they need. Treating and drying out cupboards helps.
Are fishmoths and silverfish the same thing?
Yes. Fishmoth is the common South African name for silverfish, and it covers a few related species, including the grey silverfish common in Cape Town.
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