Green Point packs a stadium, a big urban park, the Metropolitan golf course and dense streets of flats, guesthouses and Victorian semis into one small slice of the Atlantic Seaboard. Lots of people, lots of restaurants and lots of open lawn means rats, cockroaches and Egyptian geese all feel at home.
Birds around Green Point
Egyptian geese graze the park, golf course and bigger gardens, leaving droppings on lawns and around pools. Pigeons and gulls perch on flat roofs and balconies, where netting and spikes keep them off.
Along Main Road and the side streets climbing toward Signal Hill you get Victorian and Edwardian terraces with timber floors and pressed-metal ceilings, plus newer apartment blocks with basements and shared bin rooms. Guesthouses and short-stay apartments turn over guests constantly. Restaurants along Main Road and Somerset Road share back lanes and service ducts with the flats above, and that is where German cockroaches and rats move between businesses and homes.
Rats in bin rooms, back lanes and roof spaces lead the list, with German cockroaches close behind in restaurants and older flats. Egyptian geese foul lawns and pool areas near the park and golf course. Bed bugs are a real issue in short-stay rentals and guesthouses.
How to tell you have a problem
- A sour smell around a roof area where birds have been nesting for a long time.
- Tiny mites crawling on walls or bedding near a nest site.
- Blocked gutters and downpipes full of nesting material.
- Birds regularly perching in the same spots over doorways or walkways.
- Droppings building up on ledges, walls, windowsills or under solar panels.
A note from the field
Fake owls and shiny CDs work for about a week. Pigeons are not stupid, and once they realise the owl never moves they sit right next to it.
Our process, step by step
We start by watching where the birds actually land and nest, because proofing the wrong ledge is a waste of money. Ledges and beams get bird spikes or tensioned wire systems that stop birds settling. Larger open areas such as courtyards, loading bays and light wells get bird netting fixed to a frame so birds cannot get in at all. Gaps under solar panels and roof tiles are closed with mesh or panel skirting so pigeons cannot nest underneath. Old nests and droppings are removed first, and if bird mites are present we treat the area as well.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our bird proofing service works.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Deal with the first nest quickly. Pigeons that breed on a site get attached to it.
- Fit mesh skirting around new solar panels at installation, before birds discover the gap.
- Clean gutters before winter, and check for nesting material at the same time.
- Do not feed pigeons near your home or business. A reliable food source keeps them coming back.
- Close off broken air vents, missing tiles and open eaves as soon as you notice them.
How much will it cost?
The cost depends on how many areas need proofing, how high they are and how much access equipment is needed. Netting a large courtyard or a warehouse roof is a bigger job than spiking a few ledges. Clean-out of heavy droppings and any mite treatment are included in the free quote once we have done the site survey.
Pigeons breed throughout the year in Cape Town, so proofing is a year-round job. We see a rush in late winter and spring when birds start nesting heavily, and again before the winter rains when people find their gutters blocked.
Bird Proofing questions from Green Point
Can you treat a Green Point guesthouse for bed bugs between bookings?
Yes, after-hours and weekend visits are available on request. We inspect, treat affected rooms and give you a post-treatment report.
Can you stop pigeons nesting under my solar panels?
Yes. We clean out the nests and fit mesh skirting around the panel edges so birds cannot get underneath.
Will netting be visible?
Bird netting is fine and usually black or clear, so from the ground it is hard to see once it is fitted.
Why am I getting bites after the pigeons left?
That is often bird mites leaving an abandoned nest. They do not live on people, but they bite, and we treat the nest area to stop them.
How do I keep Egyptian geese off my Green Point lawn and pool?
Bird deterrents, netting over pools when not in use and removing easy grazing areas all help. We can look at your property and suggest what will work best.
Do you come out to Green Point for bird proofing?
Yes. Green Point is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Mouille Point, Three Anchor Bay, Sea Point, De Waterkant. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254