Table View is big, busy and windy, with the famous postcard view of Table Mountain across the bay. Between the beachfront, the Rietvlei wetland and the shopping strips along Blaauwberg Road, we see a bit of everything here.
The local picture in Table View
Pigeons roost on shopping centre ledges and under solar panels on homes. Gulls are common along the beachfront, and Egyptian geese wander the parks near the vlei.
Much of the suburb is face-brick family homes from the seventies onward, with plenty of newer townhouse complexes and apartment blocks filling in the gaps. Busy centres and restaurants along Blaauwberg Road and Koeberg Road bring commercial pest work. Many homes have flat-roofed extensions and wendy houses that create easy shelter for rodents.
Rietvlei and the Diep River wetland sit along the southern edge, so mosquitoes and midges can be heavy on calm evenings. The South-Easter blasts across the flats in summer, carrying sand and grit into garages and sliding door tracks. The soil is sandy coastal ground, which suits ants and burrowing insects.
How to tell you have a problem
- 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.
- Cooing, scratching or flapping in the roof space or behind the gutters early in the morning.
A note from the field
Bird mites are the hidden side of nesting birds. When the chicks fledge, the mites go looking for a meal and sometimes find the people inside.
What happens when we come out
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.
- Site survey
We look at where the birds roost, nest and enter, and which surfaces need protecting.
- Proposal
We recommend the right mix of netting, spikes, wire or mesh for each spot and explain why.
- Clean-out
Nests, droppings and debris are removed safely before anything is fitted.
- Install proofing
Netting, spikes, wire or mesh is fixed so it is neat and secure against the south-easter.
- Mite treatment and report
If bird mites are present we treat the area, and you get a written report.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Keep refuse bins closed and clean up spilt food around outdoor eating areas.
- 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.
- Clean gutters before winter, and check for nesting material at the same time.
- Fit mesh skirting around new solar panels at installation, before birds discover the gap.
Pricing, honestly
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.
A few spikes on a low windowsill is a fine DIY job. Netting and solar panel proofing at height is not, both for safety and because poorly tensioned netting sags, traps birds and ends up looking messy. I would rather do it once and do it properly.
Questions we get asked in Table View
Can you do commercial buildings?
Yes, a lot of our bird proofing is shops, warehouses and blocks of flats where droppings affect staff and customers.
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.
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.
Are the mosquitoes in Table View worse near Rietvlei?
Yes, homes along the wetland edge get the most. We can treat breeding spots on your property and advise on screens, but the vlei itself is a protected wetland and stays as it is.
Why do I get ants in my Table View house every summer?
The sandy soil here is perfect for ant nests, often right under paving or along your foundations. Targeted baiting near the nest gives longer relief than spraying the trails.
Do you come out to Table View for bird proofing?
Yes. Table View is part of our regular Blaauwberg & West Coast route, along with Bloubergstrand, Parklands, Milnerton, West Beach. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254