Mosquito Control in Atlantic Seaboard

The Atlantic Seaboard runs from Mouille Point and Green Point down past Sea Point, Bantry Bay and Clifton to Camps Bay, squeezed between the mountain and the cold ocean. Pest work here is mostly in apartment blocks, restaurants and holiday rentals, where one problem flat can spread to the whole building.

Mosquito Control by suburb

We cover all 26 suburbs on our City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route. Each suburb page covers what we find there and what works for those streets and buildings.

• Bantry BayMosquito Control
• Bo-KaapMosquito Control
• Camps BayMosquito Control
• CliftonMosquito Control
• De WaterkantMosquito Control
• ForeshoreMosquito Control
• FresnayeMosquito Control
• GardensMosquito Control
• Green PointMosquito Control
• HiggovaleMosquito Control
• Hout BayMosquito Control
• Imizamo YethuMosquito Control
• LlandudnoMosquito Control
• Malay QuarterMosquito Control
• Mouille PointMosquito Control
• OranjezichtMosquito Control
• Schotsche KloofMosquito Control
• Sea PointMosquito Control
• TamboerskloofMosquito Control
• Three Anchor BayMosquito Control
• University EstateMosquito Control
• Upper WoodstockMosquito Control
• VredehoekMosquito Control
• Walmer EstateMosquito Control
• WoodstockMosquito Control
• ZonnebloemMosquito Control

Biting insects around Atlantic Seaboard

Bed bugs travel in suitcases into holiday flats and guesthouses, so quick inspections between bookings are worth it. Pigeon nests on balconies can also bring bird mites indoors.

The cold Atlantic keeps summers mild, but the air is salty and damp, so roof timbers and cupboards hold moisture. Lion's Head, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles rise right behind the houses, and the fynbos and rocky slopes are where rodents and some spiders come from. When the South-Easter drops in late summer, flies and mosquitoes become noticeable along the promenade.

Much of the coast is high-rise and mid-rise flats along Beach Road and Victoria Road, mixed with older semi-detached houses inland and big modern homes cut into the slopes higher up. Apartment blocks share refuse rooms, service ducts and basements, which is where rats and cockroaches settle. Holiday lets change guests every few days, and that turnover brings bed bugs in with the luggage.

How to tell you have a problem

1. A high-pitched whine near your ear just as you fall asleep.
2. Swarms in the evening near a water feature, drain or neglected pool.
3. Day-time bites on the ankles while sitting in the garden, which points to Aedes breeding nearby.
4. Small dark mosquitoes resting on shaded walls, under the eaves or behind curtains during the day.
5. Wriggling larvae, sometimes called wigglers, in pond edges, buckets, bird baths or pool covers.
6. Itchy, raised bites on arms, face and feet that were left outside the covers.

From the technician

Children tend to react more strongly to mosquito bites, with bigger swelling and more scratching. A net over the cot and screens on the bedroom window are simple, effective protection.

How we handle mosquito control in Atlantic Seaboard

Source reduction always comes first: we walk the property and find every place water collects, from gutters and drains to ponds, water features, plant saucers and covered pools, and tell you which ones to empty, fix or cover. Water that cannot be removed, such as ponds and drains, can be treated with a larvicide or insect growth regulator that stops larvae becoming adults. Adult mosquitoes rest in cool, shaded places during the day, so we apply a residual spray to the undersides of shrubs, hedges, eaves, patio ceilings and other resting areas. For events or heavy problems, ULV fogging can knock down adult numbers quickly, but it only works properly when combined with dealing with the breeding sites.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our mosquito control service works.

Stopping a repeat visit

• Store old tyres, tins and containers under cover or throw them away.
• Empty pot-plant saucers, buckets, bird baths and pet water bowls at least once a week, because larvae develop into adults in about a week in hot weather.
• Clean gutters after winter so they do not hold water through summer.
• Stock ornamental ponds with small fish that eat larvae, and keep water features running.
• Fit mosquito screens to bedroom windows and use a net over cots in summer.

What affects the price

Cost depends on the size of the property, how many breeding sites there are and whether larger water bodies such as ponds or drains need treating. A once-off treatment is priced differently from a programme of visits through the summer season. Fogging for an event is quoted on the size of the area, and the quote itself is free.

Most mosquito problems on a normal suburban property can be cut dramatically by the owner just by emptying standing water every week. Plug-in repellents and sprays help you sleep, but they do nothing about where the mosquitoes come from. Call a professional when the breeding site is something you cannot fix yourself, like a large pond, a blocked drain or a neighbouring property, or when you need numbers down for an event.

Questions we get asked in Atlantic Seaboard

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