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.
General pest control around Gardens
Fruit flies and drain flies are restaurant issues, and paper wasps nest under the eaves of older homes.
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
A shop-bought bug bomb is not fumigation. It puts insecticide on exposed surfaces and often pushes cockroaches further into the walls.
Pets, fish tanks and indoor plants all need planning before a gas fumigation. Fish tanks especially are easy to forget and hard to protect if you leave it too late.
Tell-tale signs
- Earlier surface treatments knocked the problem back but it returned within weeks.
- A container or pallet load needs a treatment before it can be moved or accepted.
- Fine powdery dust and small round holes are appearing on wooden furniture or beams, even after you have cleaned them.
- Bags of grain, feed or flour have weevils or webbing inside, and the problem keeps coming back.
- Pests are in a place you cannot reach with a spray, such as inside packed stock or solid timber.
- An heirloom or second-hand piece of furniture has live beetles or fresh frass coming out of it.
What happens when we come out
We start by confirming that fumigation is really needed, because a lot of jobs can be solved with a residual spray, a dust or an insect growth regulator instead. When gas is the right tool, the item or area is sealed under gas-proof sheeting or in an airtight room, the fumigant is introduced and the space is held closed for the required exposure time. Afterwards it is aired out and checked before anyone goes back in. For houses with crawling insects we use targeted gel baits, dusts and residual sprays, often with a ULV fogging pass for hard-to-reach voids. You get a written report after every treatment.
- Identify the problem
Send us photos on WhatsApp or book an inspection so we can see what pest it is and where it lives.
- Choose the right treatment
We decide between gas fumigation and a targeted spray or bait treatment, and explain why.
- Prepare and seal
Items are moved, covered or sealed under sheets, and the area is cleared of people and pets.
- Treat and hold
The fumigant or treatment goes in and is left for the correct exposure time.
- Air out and report
We ventilate, check the area is safe and leave a report with any follow-up recommendations.
Prevention that actually works
- Keep timber dry, because damp wood is far more attractive to borer beetles.
- Inspect second-hand furniture for small exit holes and fine dust before bringing it into the house.
- Have bulk storage areas checked regularly so a small problem does not become a fumigation job.
- Store grain, feed and dry goods in sealed containers and use the old stock first.
- Do not stack cardboard and pallets against walls for months; it gives pests a hiding place.
Pricing, honestly
The price depends on whether you need gas fumigation or a standard treatment, and on the volume being treated. Sealing a whole structure or a full container takes more material and time than a single piece of furniture. Access, preparation work and any follow-up treatments are factored into the free quote.
Gas fumigation is not a DIY job, full stop. The products are restricted and dangerous, and the sealing has to be right. For crawling insects in a house, foggers from the shop mostly drive pests deeper into the walls, so you are better off with a targeted professional treatment.
Fumigation questions from Gardens
Can you fumigate a single piece of furniture?
Yes. Antiques and wooden furniture with active borer are often sealed and treated on their own.
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 you fumigate a container?
Yes, containers and pallet loads can be sealed and treated. Tell us what is inside and where it is going so we can plan it.
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.
Do you come out to Gardens for fumigation?
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.
Will fumigation leave a smell?
Once a space has been properly aired, there should be little or no lingering smell. We use odourless products where we can.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp us
