Hout Bay is a valley town with a working harbour at one end and horse paddocks and leafy plots further up. Fishing boats, stables, a river and mountain on three sides make for a wider mix of pests than most Atlantic Seaboard suburbs.
The local picture in Hout Bay
Restaurants, guest houses and holiday lets ask for sanitising between seasons and guests. Fish processing areas benefit from regular disinfection.
The valley is ringed by the Karbonkelberg, the Sentinel, Chapman's Peak and the back of Table Mountain, with the Disa River running down to the beach. Winter rain is heavy and the valley floor stays damp. The harbour, the river mouth and the paddocks all feed flies, gulls and rodents.
Housing ranges from big family homes on large plots in the upper valley, to townhouse complexes, holiday homes near the beach and older cottages closer to the harbour. Many homes have thatched lapas, timber decks and outbuildings. Stables, workshops and harbour-side warehouses and fish processing buildings carry their own rodent and fly problems.
Rats around the harbour and along the river, flies near stables, and mosquitoes near the river and wetland areas are typical. Wasps, scorpions and spiders come with the mountain and garden setting. Cockroaches are more common in the harbour precinct and restaurants.
A note from the field
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.
Signs to look for
- A staff member, resident or regular visitor has tested positive or gone home sick with flu-like symptoms.
- Normal cleaning has been done, but nobody has wiped door handles, light switches and lift buttons properly.
- 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.
- Shared equipment such as till points, keyboards, phones and kitchen counters is used by many hands every day.
- You are about to reopen a space that was closed because of illness.
What happens when we come out
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Stop sharing headsets, pens and keyboards between shifts where you can avoid it.
- Place hand sanitiser at entrances, the kitchen and the till, and keep it topped up.
- Put a daily wipe-down of handles, switches and shared phones on someone's task list, not just the cleaner's.
- Open windows where you can. Cape Town's south-easter is good for something, and moving air dilutes airborne virus.
- Keep people at home when they are sick. It does more than any amount of spraying.
How much will it cost?
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.
A household with one sick person can do a decent job with gloves, a disinfectant and some discipline about door handles and the bathroom. For an office, a shop or a care facility, I would get it done professionally, partly for the thoroughness and partly because you get a written record that it was done properly.
Questions we get asked in Hout Bay
Do you give a certificate or report?
You get a post-treatment report listing the areas treated and the product used, which most landlords and head offices accept as proof.
Why are there so many flies in Hout Bay in summer?
The stables, paddocks and harbour all give flies breeding material, and warm summer weather speeds that up. Removing manure and fish waste quickly, plus fly control around the stables, makes a big difference.
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.
Is it safe for children and pets afterwards?
Yes, once the re-entry time has passed and the room has been ventilated. Keep pets and kids out while we are working.
Do you come out to Hout Bay for COVID-19 disinfection?
Yes. Hout Bay is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Imizamo Yethu, Llandudno, Constantia, Camps Bay. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Can you check a thatched lapa in Hout Bay for borer?
Yes. We inspect the thatch poles and timber for borer activity and can treat if needed, and we can include it in a beetle certificate inspection when you sell.
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