Table View is big, busy and windy, with the famous postcard view of Table Mountain across the bay. Between the beachfront, the Rietvlei wetland and the shopping strips along Blaauwberg Road, we see a bit of everything here.
The local picture in Table View
Black ants and Argentine ants nest in the sandy soil and trail inside in summer. German cockroaches are common in flats and food outlets, and fishmoths like the stored boxes in garages.
Much of the suburb is face-brick family homes from the seventies onward, with plenty of newer townhouse complexes and apartment blocks filling in the gaps. Busy centres and restaurants along Blaauwberg Road and Koeberg Road bring commercial pest work. Many homes have flat-roofed extensions and wendy houses that create easy shelter for rodents.
Rietvlei and the Diep River wetland sit along the southern edge, so mosquitoes and midges can be heavy on calm evenings. The South-Easter blasts across the flats in summer, carrying sand and grit into garages and sliding door tracks. The soil is sandy coastal ground, which suits ants and burrowing insects.
Ants and German cockroaches are probably our most common calls, with mosquitoes close behind for homes near Rietvlei. Rats and mice keep restaurants and complexes busy, and pigeons foul the shopping centres and flat roofs.
What gives them away
- Loud chirping at night that stops as soon as you walk towards it.
- Raised, soft ridges and tunnels in the lawn, especially after watering.
- Birds and hadedas probing the lawn intensively, which is often a sign of mole crickets or other insects underneath.
- Patches of grass that brown and die, and lift easily because the roots have been cut.
- Large numbers of crickets attracted to outside lights on warm nights.
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.
Crickets are not dangerous to children or pets, so there is no need to panic or use strong products indoors. A perimeter treatment keeps the products outside, away from living areas.
How we handle cricket control in Table View
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
- 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.
- Seal cracks in walls and around window frames, and check that airbricks have intact mesh.
- Swap bright white outside lights for yellow or warm-coloured bulbs, which attract fewer insects.
- Fit brush strips under exterior doors and garage doors so crickets cannot walk straight in.
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.
Questions we get asked in Table View
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.
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.
Are the mosquitoes in Table View worse near Rietvlei?
Yes, homes along the wetland edge get the most. We can treat breeding spots on your property and advise on screens, but the vlei itself is a protected wetland and stays as it is.
Why do I get ants in my Table View house every summer?
The sandy soil here is perfect for ant nests, often right under paving or along your foundations. Targeted baiting near the nest gives longer relief than spraying the trails.
Do you come out to Table View for cricket control?
Yes. Table View is part of our regular Blaauwberg & West Coast route, along with Bloubergstrand, Parklands, Milnerton, West Beach. 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.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254