The Foreshore is office towers, hotels, the convention centre and the freeways, all built on land reclaimed from Table Bay. It is almost all commercial work here: food courts, hotel kitchens, parking garages and building basements.
Biting insects around Foreshore
Bed bugs are a recurring hotel and apartment problem because of constant traveller turnover. Fast inspection when a guest complains makes containment much easier.
The whole area sits on flat reclaimed land between the city centre and the harbour, with the sea and the docks right next door. The South-Easter rips through the streets between the towers in summer. Old stormwater and sewer lines run underneath, and that is where most of the rodent pressure comes from.
Big office blocks, hotels, apartment towers and the CTICC dominate, along with the station precinct, parking garages and service lanes. Basements, service ducts and refuse rooms link entire buildings, so rodents and cockroaches can travel floor to floor without being seen. Food courts and hotel kitchens need constant attention. Residential conversions add flats to the mix.
Rats from the harbour and sewers, German cockroaches in commercial kitchens, and pigeons on building ledges are the main issues. Bed bugs are a hotel and residential concern.
A note from the field
Restaurants and guest houses with outdoor areas lose evening trade when mosquitoes get bad. Treating resting areas and keeping water features maintained should be part of the summer routine.
Tell-tale signs
- Wriggling larvae, sometimes called wigglers, in pond edges, buckets, bird baths or pool covers.
- Small dark mosquitoes resting on shaded walls, under the eaves or behind curtains during the day.
- A high-pitched whine near your ear just as you fall asleep.
- Day-time bites on the ankles while sitting in the garden, which points to Aedes breeding nearby.
- Itchy, raised bites on arms, face and feet that were left outside the covers.
- Swarms in the evening near a water feature, drain or neglected pool.
How the treatment works
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.
Prevention that actually works
- Stock ornamental ponds with small fish that eat larvae, and keep water features running.
- 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.
- Store old tyres, tins and containers under cover or throw them away.
- Clean gutters after winter so they do not hold water through summer.
- Keep pool water circulating and treated, and drain the water that collects on top of pool covers.
How much will it cost?
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.
Mosquitoes start building up once the weather warms in October and peak from December to March, especially after a wet winter has filled ponds, vleis and gutters. Calm, humid evenings are the worst, while the strong south-easter actually keeps them down on windy days. Numbers drop sharply when the cold, wet winter sets in from about May.
Questions we get asked in Foreshore
Do rats on the Foreshore come from the harbour?
Some do, but most come through the sewer and stormwater network under the reclaimed land. Basements and refuse rooms are the usual way in, so that's where we focus.
Can you treat before a wedding or function?
Yes. We usually inspect beforehand, deal with breeding sites and then fog or spray resting areas shortly before the event.
How far do mosquitoes fly?
Most household mosquitoes do not fly far from where they bred, so the source is usually on your property or a neighbour's.
Do you come out to Foreshore for mosquito control?
Yes. Foreshore is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with City Bowl, De Waterkant, Woodstock, Green Point. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Is there a malaria risk in Cape Town?
No, the Western Cape is not a malaria area. Mosquitoes here are a nuisance and cause itchy bites, but the main concern is comfort and sleep.
Can you treat our Foreshore restaurant kitchen after trading hours?
Yes. After-hours and weekend visits are available on request, and you get a post-treatment report for your records.
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