Green Point packs a stadium, a big urban park, the Metropolitan golf course and dense streets of flats, guesthouses and Victorian semis into one small slice of the Atlantic Seaboard. Lots of people, lots of restaurants and lots of open lawn means rats, cockroaches and Egyptian geese all feel at home.
Crawling insects around Green Point
Restaurant kitchens and the flats above them are prime German cockroach territory, linked by shared walls and ducts. Large drain roaches come up through floor traps in ground-floor units on warm nights.
Along Main Road and the side streets climbing toward Signal Hill you get Victorian and Edwardian terraces with timber floors and pressed-metal ceilings, plus newer apartment blocks with basements and shared bin rooms. Guesthouses and short-stay apartments turn over guests constantly. Restaurants along Main Road and Somerset Road share back lanes and service ducts with the flats above, and that is where German cockroaches and rats move between businesses and homes.
Rats in bin rooms, back lanes and roof spaces lead the list, with German cockroaches close behind in restaurants and older flats. Egyptian geese foul lawns and pool areas near the park and golf course. Bed bugs are a real issue in short-stay rentals and guesthouses.
How to tell you have a problem
- Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.
- Large numbers of crickets attracted to outside lights on warm nights.
- Birds and hadedas probing the lawn intensively, which is often a sign of mole crickets or other insects underneath.
- Small chewed holes in clothing, curtains or paper stored in damp places.
- Patches of grass that brown and die, and lift easily because the roots have been cut.
- Crickets sheltering in the garage, under appliances or behind skirting boards.
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.
A note from the field
When a technician deals with a cricket complaint, the first thing they check is the outside lighting and the garage door seal. Fixing those two things often makes more difference than the treatment itself.
What happens when we come out
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
- 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.
- Swap bright white outside lights for yellow or warm-coloured bulbs, which attract fewer insects.
- Seal cracks in walls and around window frames, and check that airbricks have intact mesh.
- Fit brush strips under exterior doors and garage doors so crickets cannot walk straight in.
Pricing, honestly
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 Green Point
Do you come out to Green Point for cricket control?
Yes. Green Point is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Mouille Point, Three Anchor Bay, Sea Point, De Waterkant. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Why can I never find the chirping cricket?
Crickets stop chirping when they sense vibration or movement nearby, and the sound bounces off walls, which makes it hard to pinpoint. Turning off lights and moving slowly helps.
Can you treat a Green Point guesthouse for bed bugs between bookings?
Yes, after-hours and weekend visits are available on request. We inspect, treat affected rooms and give you a post-treatment report.
Are crickets harmful?
No, crickets do not bite people or carry disease to any real extent. The problems are noise, minor damage to fabric and paper, and lawn damage from mole crickets.
How do I keep Egyptian geese off my Green Point lawn and pool?
Bird deterrents, netting over pools when not in use and removing easy grazing areas all help. We can look at your property and suggest what will work best.
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.
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