Claremont is the Southern Suburbs' shopping and office hub, built around Cavendish Square, Main Road and the station, with leafy residential streets running up towards the mountain. Our work here swings between commercial kitchens and retail on one side and older family homes with big trees on the other.
Claremont: what drives crawling insects here
German cockroaches spread between restaurant kitchens and the flats above them. In wet winters, Argentine ants flood into kitchens, and fishmoths feed on books and papers in damp older homes.
Upper Claremont has large older homes and newer cluster developments on generous, tree-filled plots, while the lower side near Main Road has flats, offices and shops packed close together. Older homes have wooden floors, sash windows and outbuildings that give pests plenty of hiding places.
Being close to Newlands and the mountain, Claremont is one of the wetter parts of Cape Town in winter, so damp walls and soggy gardens are normal. Large oaks and plane trees line the streets, and Arderne Gardens holds an old collection of big trees.
German cockroaches cause trouble in restaurants and flats, while ants and fishmoths do well in damp older houses.
Something most people miss
Fishmoths are often a sign of damp more than dirt. If you keep finding them in the same bathroom or cupboard, it is worth checking for a slow leak or poor ventilation.
How to tell you have a problem
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Our process, step by step
Crawling insects walk through treated areas and carry baits back to their nests, which is exactly why baits and dusts work so well on them. We use gel baits in cracks and hinges for cockroaches and slow-acting ant baits that the workers take home to the queen. Insect growth regulators stop young cockroaches from maturing and breeding, which matters for German cockroaches that multiply fast. Residual sprays are applied as a barrier along entry points, door thresholds and drain areas rather than across open floors. Dusts go into wall voids, ceiling spaces and plug points where liquids should not be used.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our crawling insect control service works.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Seal gaps under exterior doors with a brush strip, because most crawling insects simply walk in.
- Store books and documents in sealed plastic boxes in dry rooms rather than in damp garages.
- Move firewood, compost and piles of bricks away from the house walls.
- Do not leave dishes in the sink overnight, since a wet sink is a feeding station for cockroaches.
- Check second-hand furniture, appliances and cardboard boxes before bringing them inside, as German cockroaches often move house this way.
What affects the price
Cost is driven by the species and how established the infestation is, with German cockroaches in a busy kitchen usually needing more work than a one-off ant trail. The size of the property, the number of units or rooms affected, and access to roof spaces and drains also matter. Where a follow-up treatment is needed to catch hatching insects, or where a business wants a regular service contract, we build that into a free quote upfront.
The first heavy rains in late autumn and winter push ants, cockroaches, crickets and millipedes indoors in large numbers. Summer heat brings American cockroaches out of drains and sends ants foraging hard for water. German cockroaches and fishmoths do not care much about the season because they live inside heated buildings all year.
Crawling Insect Control questions from Claremont
Why do ants keep coming back after I spray them?
Spraying kills the foragers but leaves the queen and the nest untouched. Baits work better because the workers carry the product back and share it with the colony.
Do you come out to Claremont for crawling insect control?
Yes. Claremont is part of our regular Southern Suburbs route, along with Newlands, Kenilworth, Harfield Village, Rondebosch. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
What counts as a crawling insect?
Anything that mainly walks rather than flies: cockroaches, ants, fishmoths, crickets, earwigs, millipedes and scorpions. They hide in cracks and voids, which is why they are treated with baits, dusts and barriers.
Will one treatment get rid of cockroaches?
For American cockroaches it often will. German cockroaches usually need a follow-up because their egg cases are protected and hatch after the first treatment.
Can crawling insects come from my neighbour?
Yes, particularly in flats, townhouses and semi-detached homes that share walls, drains and roof spaces. Treating several units together gives much better results.
Do I need to empty my kitchen cupboards?
For a cockroach treatment, it helps to clear the cupboards under the sink and around the stove so the technician can reach the cracks. We will tell you exactly what to move when you book.
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