Gordon's Bay Fishmoth Control

Gordon's Bay is a harbour village tucked into the corner of False Bay, with houses stacked up the mountainside and holiday flats near the beach. Rodents in roofs, gulls on rooftops and ants in summer are what we deal with most.

Gordon's Bay: what drives crawling insects here

Argentine ants are a summer staple, and scorpions and rain spiders are common on the upper slopes. German cockroaches are mainly a restaurant problem.

Homes are built up the slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountains, many with sea views, split levels and retaining walls. Holiday flats and apartment blocks sit near the beach and harbour, and many homes are holiday properties. Houses on steep plots have sub-floor voids and garages under the house where rodents hide. Restaurants around the harbour bring commercial work.

Something most people miss

Fishmoths are harmless to children and pets, which means you can take your time and choose a gentle, targeted treatment rather than anything heavy-handed.

When a technician deals with fishmoths, the first place they look is up. The roof space is often where the main population lives, out of sight, especially with the grey silverfish common in Cape Town.

How to tell you have a problem

1. Clothing, curtains or linen made from cotton, linen or silk have small holes or thinned patches.
2. Silvery, fast-moving insects are seen when you lift boxes, books or linen.
3. Wallpaper is lifting or damaged along the edges where the glue has been eaten.
4. Shed scales and skins collect in drawers, cupboards and bathroom corners.
5. Yellowish stains or tiny pepper-like droppings are left on paper and shelves.

Our process, step by step

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.

1. Confirm and identify

   We confirm it is fishmoths and not booklice or another small insect, which need different handling.

2. Find where they live

   The technician checks the roof space, cupboards, bookshelves, bathrooms and stored boxes for the main population.

3. Check for damp

   We look for leaks, poor ventilation and damp walls, because fishmoths follow moisture.

4. Treat voids and cracks

   Dust goes into the roof space and voids, and residual products into cracks, skirtings and cupboard corners.

5. Report and remedial advice

   You get a post-treatment report covering what we treated and what to change in storage and ventilation.

Prevention that actually works

• Avoid stacking old newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes in cupboards for long periods.
• Fix leaks under basins, around geysers and in the roof, since fishmoths need moisture.
• 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.
• Vacuum regularly inside cupboards, along skirting boards and behind furniture to remove eggs and food sources.

How much will it cost?

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.

Fishmoths are active all year because they live indoors, but Cape Town's damp winters make them more noticeable as moisture rises in roofs, walls and cupboards. Grey silverfish in the roof space may become more visible in summer when the ceiling heats up and pushes them down into the rooms below.

Frequently asked questions

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