Brooklyn is an older, compact suburb near Ysterplaat Air Force Base and the industrial pockets around Paarden Eiland and Montague Gardens. Small houses, busy roads and nearby warehouses mean rats and cockroaches are the main pests we deal with here.
Crawling insects in Brooklyn: what we see
German cockroaches settle behind old stoves and geysers in kitchens that have not been renovated in decades. The big American cockroaches you see at night usually come up through the old clay drain pipes.
Brooklyn is mostly small, older freestanding and semi-detached houses on narrow plots, many with outbuildings or flats added in the back. Older wooden floors and tiled or corrugated roofs often have gaps where rodents get in. Some properties are rented out room by room, which can spread bed bugs and cockroaches.
Rats from the industrial areas and drains are a common issue, along with German cockroaches in older kitchens. Bed bugs and fleas show up in rentals. Flies and mosquitoes increase in summer.
How to tell you have a problem
- Patches of grass that brown and die, and lift easily because the roots have been cut.
- Loud chirping at night that stops as soon as you walk towards it.
- Small chewed holes in clothing, curtains or paper stored in damp places.
- Birds and hadedas probing the lawn intensively, which is often a sign of mole crickets or other insects underneath.
- Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.
- Crickets sheltering in the garage, under appliances or behind skirting boards.
Something most people miss
Mole crickets are often blamed on lawn grubs or dry patches, and people keep watering a lawn that is actually being cut from below. The soap water test is a cheap way to find out.
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.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Water the lawn deeply but less often, as constantly damp soil suits mole crickets.
- Swap bright white outside lights for yellow or warm-coloured bulbs, which attract fewer insects.
- Clear leaf litter, mulch, firewood and garden rubbish away from the walls of the house.
- 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.
One cricket behind the fridge is a job for a torch and a glass, not a pest control company. If crickets keep coming in night after night, or your lawn is lifting with tunnels, a professional perimeter or lawn treatment will save you a lot of frustration. Buying lawn insecticide and guessing the timing often wastes money.
Questions we get asked in Brooklyn
Do you come out to Brooklyn for cricket control?
Yes. Brooklyn is part of our regular Northern Suburbs route, along with Rugby, Milnerton, Maitland, Montague Gardens. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Will a treatment stop crickets coming indoors?
A perimeter treatment greatly reduces how many get in, especially combined with door seals and changes to outside lighting.
Do the warehouses near Brooklyn bring rats into homes?
They can, since warehouses provide food and shelter. Most rats still live in drains and gardens, so we bait and seal around your house too.
Do crickets attract other pests?
Yes, large numbers of crickets can draw in spiders, geckos and sometimes scorpions, which feed on them. Reducing crickets often reduces those too.
Why do I hear scratching under my wooden floor in Brooklyn?
It is usually rats that got in through broken air bricks. We bait and seal the vents so they cannot return.
What is damaging my lawn with tunnels?
If you see raised ridges and spongy patches with dying grass, mole crickets are a likely cause. Flood a patch with soapy water and they often come to the surface, which confirms it.
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