Gardens takes its name from the Company's Garden, and the squirrels in there have been raising families in neighbouring roofs for generations. Add the restaurants on Kloof Street, old Victorian semis and a lot of flats, and you get a busy mix of pest work.
Biting insects in Gardens: what we see
Bed bugs are a concern in rentals and backpacker accommodation, and fleas come with pets.
Gardens lies on the lower slopes below Table Mountain, between the city centre and Kloof Nek. The Company's Garden and its old trees are a squirrel haven. Winter rain runs down from the mountain, and in summer the South-Easter tumbles down off the mountain into the streets.
Victorian and Edwardian semis with corrugated iron roofs, broekie lace stoeps and wooden floors sit alongside blocks of flats and modern apartments. Old houses have hollow walls and suspended floors, so mice and rats can move through without being seen. Restaurants, coffee shops and bars along Kloof Street sit below residential flats. Many homes are rentals with frequent turnover.
A note from the field
Children crawling and playing on carpets tend to get more bites than adults. We treat in a way that lets floors be used again once dry, and we ask that toys are lifted off the floor beforehand.
People often say fleas cannot survive without a pet in the house. Adult fleas need a host, but pupae can sit in a carpet for weeks or months and hatch the moment they sense someone walking past.
Tell-tale signs
- Pets scratching, biting at their back or losing fur near the base of the tail.
- Black, pepper-like specks in pet fur or bedding that turn reddish when pressed on damp white paper.
- Bites appearing in a house that has been empty for a while, or just after moving in.
- Pale specks and debris in the corners of the dog basket or along the edges of rugs.
Flea bites cause intense itching and many people and pets develop allergic dermatitis that leads to broken skin and infection. Fleas carry the dog and cat tapeworm, which pets pick up by swallowing infected fleas while grooming. Heavy infestations can cause anaemia in puppies, kittens and older animals. For rental properties and holiday lets, a flea problem left by previous occupants is a common source of complaints.
How the treatment works
A proper flea job hits every life stage, not just the adults. We use an insect growth regulator, which stops eggs and larvae developing into breeding adults, together with a residual insecticide on carpets, floors, under furniture and around pet resting places, both inside and in sheltered outdoor spots. Before we arrive, you vacuum thoroughly, wash pet bedding hot and lift items off the floor so the product reaches where the larvae live. The pets must be treated by your vet on the same day or just before, otherwise new fleas keep arriving. Because pupae are protected in their cocoons, we often book a follow-up treatment a couple of weeks later to catch the late hatchers.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our flea control service works.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Keep every pet in the house on a vet-recommended flea product all year round, because heated homes keep fleas breeding through winter.
- Before moving into a rental or newly bought home, ask whether the previous occupants had pets, and consider a treatment before the furniture goes in.
- Keep the grass short and rake away leaf litter in shaded spots where the dog lies outside.
- Wash pet bedding on a hot cycle every week or two and vacuum the areas where pets sleep.
- Discourage stray cats from sleeping under the house, on the stoep or in the garage.
What affects the price
The main factors are the size of the house, how much carpet and soft furnishing there is, and whether outdoor areas need treating as well. A heavy infestation in a multi-pet home will usually need a follow-up visit, which we include in the quote. Preparation on your side makes a big difference to how well a single treatment works, and we give a free quote upfront.
If you have one pet and caught it early, a good vet product plus serious vacuuming and washing will often sort it out. Once you have fleas jumping on people and multiple rooms involved, foggers and shop sprays rarely reach the larvae in carpet bases, and a professional treatment with a growth regulator is the faster route. Either way, the house treatment fails if the animals are not treated by the vet at the same time.
Questions we get asked in Gardens
How soon can the pets come back in?
Once the treated surfaces are completely dry, usually after a few hours. We will confirm on the day based on the products used.
Do old Victorian houses in Gardens have more borer?
They often do, because many still have original timber floors and roof structures. A beetle certificate inspection will show whether there is active infestation that needs treatment.
Are the squirrels in my Gardens roof from the Company's Garden?
Very likely. Grey squirrels travel from the garden and the trees along the streets into roofs, often through gaps at the fascia. Sealing those gaps once the roof is empty is the lasting fix.
Can fleas live on people?
Cat fleas bite people but do not live on us; they need a furry host to breed. If there is no pet in the house, a rodent problem or a previous occupant's animal is usually the source.
Is there a guarantee?
Our treatments carry a minimum 3-month guarantee, provided the pets are kept on vet flea treatment as advised.
Do you come out to Gardens for flea control?
Yes. Gardens is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Vredehoek, Higgovale. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254