The Atlantic Seaboard runs from Mouille Point and Green Point down past Sea Point, Bantry Bay and Clifton to Camps Bay, squeezed between the mountain and the cold ocean. Pest work here is mostly in apartment blocks, restaurants and holiday rentals, where one problem flat can spread to the whole building.
COVID-19 Disinfection by suburb
We cover all 26 suburbs on our City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route. Each suburb page covers what we find there and what works for those streets and buildings.
- Bantry BayCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Bo-KaapCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Camps BayCOVID-19 Disinfection
- CliftonCOVID-19 Disinfection
- De WaterkantCOVID-19 Disinfection
- ForeshoreCOVID-19 Disinfection
- FresnayeCOVID-19 Disinfection
- GardensCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Green PointCOVID-19 Disinfection
- HiggovaleCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Hout BayCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Imizamo YethuCOVID-19 Disinfection
- LlandudnoCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Malay QuarterCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Mouille PointCOVID-19 Disinfection
- OranjezichtCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Schotsche KloofCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Sea PointCOVID-19 Disinfection
- TamboerskloofCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Three Anchor BayCOVID-19 Disinfection
- University EstateCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Upper WoodstockCOVID-19 Disinfection
- VredehoekCOVID-19 Disinfection
- Walmer EstateCOVID-19 Disinfection
- WoodstockCOVID-19 Disinfection
- ZonnebloemCOVID-19 Disinfection
The local picture in Atlantic Seaboard
Short-term rental hosts and body corporates often ask for disinfection between guests or after illness in a building. Gyms, spas and restaurants along the strip are regular candidates for fogging and surface sanitising.
The cold Atlantic keeps summers mild, but the air is salty and damp, so roof timbers and cupboards hold moisture. Lion's Head, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles rise right behind the houses, and the fynbos and rocky slopes are where rodents and some spiders come from. When the South-Easter drops in late summer, flies and mosquitoes become noticeable along the promenade.
Rats in refuse rooms and basements are the biggest call-out, followed by German cockroaches in restaurant kitchens and flats. Bed bugs are a recurring problem in short-term rentals and backpackers. Pigeons and gulls on balconies and roofs keep many body corporates busy.
What gives them away
- A staff member, resident or regular visitor has tested positive or gone home sick with flu-like symptoms.
- Vulnerable people, such as the elderly or anyone on chemotherapy, live or work in the building.
- Several people in the same office or household have fallen ill within a few days of each other.
- A client, landlord or head office has asked for proof that the premises were disinfected.
- You are about to reopen a space that was closed because of illness.
- Normal cleaning has been done, but nobody has wiped door handles, light switches and lift buttons properly.
From the technician
Landlords sometimes ask us to treat a flat between tenants after illness. It is a reasonable step, and the written report is useful if anyone asks questions later.
How the treatment works
We start with the boring part that matters most: wiping down high-touch surfaces by hand with a suitable disinfectant, because fogging alone does not scrub a greasy door handle. Then we fog the rooms with a ULV fogger, which puts out a fine mist that settles on surfaces, including the ones nobody thinks to wipe. We choose products that are suitable for the surfaces and the people who will use the space, and we tell you how long to keep the area closed before re-entry. Electronics are covered or wiped rather than soaked. Afterwards you get a short report listing the areas treated and the product used.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our COVID-19 disinfection service works.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Open windows where you can. Cape Town's south-easter is good for something, and moving air dilutes airborne virus.
- Place hand sanitiser at entrances, the kitchen and the till, and keep it topped up.
- Stop sharing headsets, pens and keyboards between shifts where you can avoid it.
- Put a daily wipe-down of handles, switches and shared phones on someone's task list, not just the cleaner's.
- Keep people at home when they are sick. It does more than any amount of spraying.
What affects the price
The cost depends mostly on floor area and how many separate rooms need fogging. Heavy furniture, lots of electronics or food preparation areas take more time because they need careful wiping and covering. After-hours or weekend work and repeat treatments during an ongoing outbreak also affect the quote, which is free.
Our busiest disinfection months are the wet Cape winters, from about May to August, when people are packed indoors with the windows shut and flu and colds spread fast. We still see call-outs in summer, usually after a single case in an office or a care home.
COVID-19 Disinfection questions from Atlantic Seaboard
How long before staff can go back in?
Usually a couple of hours after fogging, once the room has been aired. We confirm the exact time on the day based on the product used.
Will it damage computers or documents?
No, a ULV fog is very fine and settles lightly. We still cover or wipe sensitive electronics instead of fogging straight at them.
Why does my Sea Point or Green Point flat get rats when I keep it clean?
Rats in apartment blocks usually live in the refuse room, basement or service ducts and move up through the building. We work with the building as a whole, baiting the common areas and sealing the routes into individual flats.
Do Atlantic Seaboard holiday rentals really get bed bugs?
Yes, because guests change often and bed bugs hitch a ride in luggage. A quick inspection between bookings, plus treating at the first sign, stops a small problem turning into cancelled stays.
Does fogging kill the COVID-19 virus?
The disinfectants we use are effective against enveloped viruses on surfaces when they are given the right contact time. Fogging treats surfaces in the room; it does not make the air or the people in it immune.
Do you come out to Atlantic Seaboard for COVID-19 disinfection?
Yes. Atlantic Seaboard is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Sea Point, Green Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
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