Squirrel Control across Cape Town

The squirrel in Cape Town is the eastern grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, which is not indigenous and was brought out from England in the late 1800s. It thrives in the Southern Suburbs and other areas with big oaks and pine trees, such as around Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont and Constantia. Grey squirrels are mostly active during the day, unlike rats, and they build nests called dreys in trees and, unfortunately, in roof spaces. They are strong chewers and will enlarge a small gap under the roof edge or fascia boards to get in. There are no indigenous tree squirrels in the Cape Peninsula, so if you see a squirrel here it is almost certainly a grey squirrel.

Where grey squirrels cause roof trouble in Cape Town

Grey squirrels follow the oaks and pines. On the Peninsula that means the older, leafy suburbs on the eastern side of Table Mountain, from Newlands, Rondebosch and Claremont through Bishopscourt, Kenilworth and Wynberg to Constantia, plus the big gardens of the City Bowl. Anyone who has walked through the Company's Garden has seen how at home they are among old trees.

Away from the big trees the picture changes. Most of the Cape Flats, Blaauwberg and the West Coast suburbs have sandy ground, wind and few mature oaks, so squirrels are seldom the answer there. If you live in Table View and hear scratching in the roof at dawn, think rats or birds first. Some Boland towns with old oak-lined streets have squirrels too, so it is worth asking. Homes backing onto the pine plantations and greenbelts around Tokai and Bergvliet also get them, because the trees run right up to the roofs.

Pick your suburb from the list below for local notes, for example squirrel control in Constantia or Newlands.

Whose problem is it? Trees, neighbours and shared roofs

Squirrels rarely respect property lines, and part of a lasting fix is working out who needs to do what.

The tree is on the neighbour's side

The branch the squirrels use as a bridge often belongs to the house next door. Most neighbours are happy to trim once they see the chewed fascia, especially if their own roof is next in line. Agree on the work before anyone climbs anything, and jot down who is trimming which branches and when. It avoids arguments later.

Big street trees

Many of the large oaks lining Southern Suburbs streets belong to the City, not to the homeowner. Do not cut or prune them yourself. Contact the City about pruning, and in the meantime focus on proofing your own roof line.

Semis, townhouses and complexes

Where roofs are joined, squirrels may get in through the neighbour's eaves and cross the shared void to nest above your bedroom. Proofing only your half leaves the door open. In a complex, the roof is often common property, so the body corporate needs to be involved.

Older homes with decorative timber

Victorian and Edwardian houses often have carved barge boards and timber detail that squirrels love to chew. Mention it when you call, because proofing on an older facade has to be neat and sympathetic, and some pieces may need a carpenter rather than mesh.

After the squirrels are out: the repair list

Exclusion and proofing stop the problem. These jobs deal with what the squirrels left behind, and most are for other trades.

1. Electrical check. Ask an electrician to look over roof wiring, especially if lights or plugs have been playing up.
2. Fascia and barge boards. Chewed timber holds water through a Cape winter and rots. Replace or repair it rather than just painting over.
3. Insulation. Flattened, soiled insulation loses its value. Patch or replace the area around the old drey.
4. Ceiling boards. Stains from urine can come through. Let the board dry fully before painting with a stain-blocking primer.
5. Gutters. Twigs, leaves and acorns pushed into gutters block them before the winter rain. Clean them once the roof is sealed.
6. Trees. Keep up the trimming every year, because new growth rebuilds the bridge quickly.

Our report lists the entry points we sealed and anything we saw that needs another trade, which makes these repairs easier to brief. Send a photo or video of the roof line on WhatsApp, or phone 021 012 5825. For how we get squirrels out humanely, see squirrel control in Cape Town.

Quick answers

Squirrel Control by suburb