Mosquito Control Panorama

Panorama is a hillside suburb with big homes, sloping gardens and views across to Table Mountain. The homes are mostly well kept, so problems here tend to be about access points: roof gaps, solar panels and garden edges.

Biting insects in Panorama: what we see

Fleas flare up in summer in homes with pets. Bird mites can enter rooms if pigeons nest under solar panels.

The suburb sits on the slopes of the Tygerberg hills, where summers are hot and dry and winters cold and wet. The wind can be strong on exposed ridges. Open veld and nature areas nearby bring wildlife and insects close to homes.

Most homes are large freestanding houses built from the seventies onward, many with double storeys, tiled roofs and big garages. Solar panels and roof additions create gaps that pigeons and rats use. Retaining walls and terraced gardens provide hiding places for rodents and insects. Some homes border open land on the hills.

Rats in roofs, ants in summer and pigeons under solar panels are the most frequent calls. Wasps, fleas and fishmoths also come up regularly. Scorpions occasionally appear in homes near the veld.

What gives them away

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

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.

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

• 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.
• 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.

Pricing, honestly

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.

Mosquito Control questions from Panorama

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