Simon's Town is a historic naval town on False Bay, with steep streets climbing the mountain behind St George's Street. Old buildings, the sea air and the mountain on the doorstep make for a very particular set of pest problems.
Fishmoths in Simon's Town's damp old buildings
Fishmoths thrive in Simon's Town's damp old cupboards, bookshelves and storerooms. The sea air and the thick stone and brick walls of the historic buildings keep rooms humid for much of the year, and they feed on books, papers, photos, wallpaper paste and stored linen. Guest houses and homes with old built-in cupboards against outside walls see the most damage, often found when the linen cupboard is cleared out.
We treat cupboards, cracks and skirting boards and recommend moisture absorbers. Storing old books and papers in sealed boxes and airing rooms on dry days keeps them away.
Fishmoths and wood borer show up in old, damp buildings.
How to tell you have a problem
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Why it matters: Fishmoths do not bite or spread disease, but they cause slow, steady damage. They eat the glue in book bindings and wallpaper, the starch in fabrics and paper, and the surface of photographs and documents. For offices, schools, libraries and archives, they can damage records that cannot be replaced. Their presence is also a strong clue to damp or poor ventilation that may be causing other problems in the building.
Something most people miss
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- 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.
- Improve ventilation in bathrooms and laundries with an extractor fan or by keeping a window open after showers.
- Seal cracks around skirting boards, cornices and built-in cupboards where they hide and lay eggs.
- Avoid stacking old newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes in cupboards for long periods.
What affects the price
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 Simon's Town
Can you treat old heritage buildings in Simon's Town without damaging them?
Yes, we choose methods that don't harm old timber, plaster or stonework, and we focus on proofing gaps carefully. We'll talk you through the plan before starting.
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.
Why are fishmoths common in Simon's Town?
Old buildings and sea air keep things damp.
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.
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.
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.
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