Mosquito Control for Oranjezicht homes and businesses

Oranjezicht climbs right up to the edge of Table Mountain, so a lot of what comes into homes here walks in off the mountain. Rats, squirrels, wasps and the odd scorpion are all part of living this close to the national park.

Oranjezicht: what drives biting insects here

Fleas come in with pets that walk on the mountain. Bird mites can follow nesting pigeons in roof gaps.

The suburb backs onto Table Mountain National Park, with mountain streams, the Molteno reservoir area and De Waal Park nearby. Winter rain runs off the mountain and keeps properties damp, while the South-Easter blows down hard in summer. Trees and greenbelts link gardens directly to the mountain.

Grand Victorian and Edwardian houses with wooden floors, pressed ceilings and old roof timbers sit beside modern glass-fronted homes and small apartment blocks. Many of the older homes have cellars, servant's quarters and large gardens with retaining walls. Gaps in old stonework and roof flashings are where rodents tend to get in. Apartment blocks add shared bin areas and ducts.

Tell-tale signs

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

Worth knowing

The south-easter is not all bad news. Mosquitoes struggle to fly in strong wind, so windy Cape Town days are often bite-free, and the worst nights come when the wind drops.

Our process, step by step

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.
• 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.
• 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 Oranjezicht

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