Cricket Control in Atlantic Seaboard

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.

Cricket Control 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 BayCricket Control
• Bo-KaapCricket Control
• Camps BayCricket Control
• CliftonCricket Control
• De WaterkantCricket Control
• ForeshoreCricket Control
• FresnayeCricket Control
• GardensCricket Control
• Green PointCricket Control
• HiggovaleCricket Control
• Hout BayCricket Control
• Imizamo YethuCricket Control
• LlandudnoCricket Control
• Malay QuarterCricket Control
• Mouille PointCricket Control
• OranjezichtCricket Control
• Schotsche KloofCricket Control
• Sea PointCricket Control
• TamboerskloofCricket Control
• Three Anchor BayCricket Control
• University EstateCricket Control
• Upper WoodstockCricket Control
• VredehoekCricket Control
• Walmer EstateCricket Control
• WoodstockCricket Control
• ZonnebloemCricket Control

Atlantic Seaboard: what drives crawling insects here

German cockroaches spread through apartment kitchens and restaurant strips on Main Road and Regent Road. Fishmoths and silverfish like the damp, sea-air cupboards, and ants trail in from the gardens on the upper slopes.

Much of the coast is high-rise and mid-rise flats along Beach Road and Victoria Road, mixed with older semi-detached houses inland and big modern homes cut into the slopes higher up. Apartment blocks share refuse rooms, service ducts and basements, which is where rats and cockroaches settle. Holiday lets change guests every few days, and that turnover brings bed bugs in with the luggage.

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.

A note from the field

Reducing crickets on a property can also reduce spiders and scorpions, which come in to hunt them. It is one of those cases where solving one small problem helps with another.

Signs to look for

1. Crickets sheltering in the garage, under appliances or behind skirting boards.
2. Large numbers of crickets attracted to outside lights on warm nights.
3. Small chewed holes in clothing, curtains or paper stored in damp places.
4. Birds and hadedas probing the lawn intensively, which is often a sign of mole crickets or other insects underneath.
5. Loud chirping at night that stops as soon as you walk towards it.
6. Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.

Crickets do not bite people or spread disease in any meaningful way. Indoors, the main issues are lost sleep, droppings and small amounts of damage to fabrics, carpets and stored paper. Mole crickets are a bigger problem for property, because their tunnels cut grass roots and can damage lawns, sports fields and seedlings badly. Large numbers of crickets attracted to lights also draw in spiders and geckos, and sometimes scorpions.

Our process, step by step

Indoors, we focus on finding where the crickets are coming in and hiding, then apply a residual treatment to entry points, door thresholds, garage edges and other hiding spots. Granular baits can be used around the perimeter of the house to reduce numbers before they reach the walls. For mole crickets, the lawn is treated with a targeted product and watered in so it reaches the tunnels, and timing matters because young mole crickets near the surface are easier to control. We use the least-toxic effective option and avoid spraying open living areas.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our cricket control service works.

Prevention that actually works

• Swap bright white outside lights for yellow or warm-coloured bulbs, which attract fewer insects.
• Keep the garage and storeroom tidy and dry, since crickets love damp cardboard and clutter.
• Water the lawn deeply but less often, as constantly damp soil suits mole crickets.
• Fit brush strips under exterior doors and garage doors so crickets cannot walk straight in.
• Seal cracks in walls and around window frames, and check that airbricks have intact mesh.

What affects the price

The cost depends on whether it is an indoor nuisance, a lawn problem or both, and on the size of the property and garden. A large lawn with widespread mole cricket damage takes more product and time than a perimeter treatment for a house. Follow-up treatments, if needed to catch a second generation, are included in a free quote upfront.

Field crickets are loudest and most noticeable in the warm months from late spring through summer. They often move indoors in autumn as the nights cool down and the first rains arrive. Mole cricket damage to lawns shows up most in spring and summer when they are active near the surface.

Frequently asked questions

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