Harfield Village is a pocket of narrow streets and old cottages squeezed between Claremont and Kenilworth, with plenty of cafes and restaurants on the main drag. Old buildings, lots of trees and food businesses close together mean rodents and cockroaches are always in the picture.
The local picture in Harfield Village
American cockroaches come up from drains and sewer lines in older streets, while German cockroaches are the problem in cafe kitchens. Fishmoths and silverfish love the older built-in cupboards and books.
Most homes are semi-detached Victorian and Edwardian cottages with timber floors, suspended underfloor voids and pitched roofs. Many have been renovated, but the old air bricks, gaps around pipes and loose roof sheeting are still there. Those voids are perfect runways for rats and mice, and old timber floors and roof beams can carry wood borer.
The village lies on the flat between the railway line and the Southern Suburbs' leafy belt, with Table Mountain's eastern slopes not far off. Big oaks and plane trees drop leaves into gutters, and winter rain here is heavier than on the Cape Flats. Damp underfloor areas in winter attract fishmoths and give rodents a dry place to nest above the wet.
A note from the field
Crickets sometimes damage stored clothing, curtains and cardboard in damp outbuildings. If you use a garage or storeroom for storage, dry it out and box things in plastic.
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.
What gives them away
- 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.
- Large numbers of crickets attracted to outside lights on warm nights.
- Crickets sheltering in the garage, under appliances or behind skirting boards.
- Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.
How we handle cricket control in Harfield Village
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Fit brush strips under exterior doors and garage doors so crickets cannot walk straight in.
- Keep the garage and storeroom tidy and dry, since crickets love damp cardboard and clutter.
- Clear leaf litter, mulch, firewood and garden rubbish away from the walls of the house.
- 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.
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.
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.
Cricket Control questions from Harfield Village
Do Harfield's old cottages need a beetle certificate when they are sold?
Usually yes, the buyer's bank or the sale agreement will ask for one. We inspect the accessible roof timbers and underfloor areas and report on any active infestation.
Do you come out to Harfield Village for cricket control?
Yes. Harfield Village is part of our regular Southern Suburbs route, along with Claremont, Kenilworth, Newlands, Rondebosch. 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.
Is the lawn treatment safe for pets?
We use a targeted product and water it in. Keep pets off the treated area until it has dried, and we will give you specific guidance on the day.
Why do I hear scratching under my floorboards at night?
In Harfield's raised-floor cottages it is almost always mice or rats nesting in the underfloor void. We find where they are getting in through air bricks or pipe gaps, bait, and seal up the entry points.
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.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254