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Firebrat

Thermobia domestica[3][1]

Firebrats are close relatives of silverfish that thrive in very warm, dry spots such as around ovens, heaters, fireplaces and hot water pipes, grazing on paper, starch and dry foods.[1]

Group
Insect
Order
Zygentoma
Family
Lepismatidae
US records
28 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-15
Firebrat, a mottled gray-and-brown wingless insect with long tail filaments
Firebrat, a mottled gray-and-brown wingless insect with long tail filaments. (c) Rachel Stringham, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. More from NC State Extension
  9. Related profiles
  10. Common questions
  11. Sources

How to identify it

  • Shiny, mottled gray or brown, about 1/2 inch long, slender and wingless with two long antennae and three long tail filaments.[1]
  • Delicate dustlike scales near damaged items point to firebrats or silverfish.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
SilverfishSame shape but shiny silver or pearl gray, and prefers damp, cooler places such as laundry rooms.[1]

Where it lives

Thrive above 90°F (best around 98 to 102°F) at humidity as low as 30%: near ovens, furnaces, fireplaces, hot pipes and summer attics; they move between floors along pipes.[1]

US map: public records from 28 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Firebrat eggs hatch in about 14 days; they molt throughout life and live about 2 years.[1]

At warm temperatures they can reach adulthood in as little as 40 days.[1]

Damage and signs

  • They scrape paper, book bindings, wallpaper paste, starched fabric and dry foods, leaving irregular holes and grazed areas.[1]

Health risk

Firebrats are a damage pest of paper, fabrics and dry food.[1]

Control

Sanitation

Clean regularly, store dry foods in tight containers, and seal gaps around pipes and conduits.[1]

Traps and physical control

Monitor with sticky traps or tape-wrapped jars placed along edges and corners.[1]

Pesticides

Several boric acid dusts are ineffective against firebrats; for heavy infestations, crack-and-crevice dusts with silica gel and pyrethrin applied directly into hiding places work better.[1]

More from NC State Extension

Adult firebrats are about 1/2 inch long with scales that are usually brown and mottled, while silverfish run 1/2 to 3/4 inch with gray or silvery scales; young of both are whitish.[2]

Common questions

Firebrat or silverfish?
Firebrats are mottled and live in hot, dry spots; silverfish are silvery and favor damp places.[1]

Sources

  1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Silverfish and Firebrats, Publication 7475 (December 2009).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnsilverfish.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. NC State Extension, “Silverfish and Firebrats.” content.ces.ncsu.edu/silverfish-and-firebrats (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Thermobia domestica taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/261301 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.