Mouse Control for Glencairn homes and businesses

Glencairn is a quiet strip of False Bay coast where the Simon's Town train runs right past the beach and the houses step up the slopes toward the mountain. Behind the sand sits a reedy wetland, and that one feature explains a good share of the calls we get from here.

Rodents in Glencairn: what we see

Striped mice and rats come off the fynbos slopes into garages and under decks. Holiday homes that sit closed for weeks often have mice nesting in cupboards and linen when owners return.

Homes on the heights are mostly freestanding family houses with big windows and decks, some built into the slope with retaining walls and dark storerooms underneath. Down near the water there are older holiday cottages, some with timber floors and roofs that take a beating from salt air. Holiday lets stand empty for weeks and then fill up, which gives rodents time to settle in unnoticed.

The Glencairn wetland catches water coming off the mountain before it reaches the sea, and in warm weather its still margins breed mosquitoes. Fynbos slopes and Table Mountain National Park land rise behind the village, bringing scorpions, rain spiders and the odd snake into gardens. Chacma baboons also pass through on the higher streets, so bins left out attract more than flies. Sea mist and winter rain keep timber and storerooms damp.

Mosquitoes from the wetland are the headline problem from late spring to autumn. Rodents move into storerooms and roof spaces when the weather turns. Ants, fishmoths and the occasional scorpion round out the list for homes on the slopes.

Signs to look for

1. Light scratching in the walls or under the kitchen units at night.
2. Nibbled corners of cereal boxes, bread bags and pet food packets.
3. A sharp, ammonia-like smell inside closed cupboards.
4. Tiny footprints or tail marks in dust on top of cupboards or in the garage.
5. Shredded paper, fabric or insulation bundled into a nest in a hidden corner.

Something most people miss

Cheese is a cartoon idea. Mice prefer seeds, grains and sweet, fatty foods, which is why peanut butter is such a good trap bait.

When we arrive for mice, the first place we check is behind the stove and under the sink. Those two spots explain most kitchen infestations.

How the treatment works

We start by finding where they get in and where they nest, which is usually a gap behind the stove, around a geyser pipe or under a kitchen unit. Indoors we mainly use snap traps and enclosed traps placed along the walls, because mice run close to edges and are curious enough to investigate. Where baiting is needed, it goes inside tamper-resistant stations that children and pets cannot open, after a bait risk assessment. We then seal the entry points with steel wool, mesh and sealant, because mice can squeeze through a hole about the width of a pencil. A follow-up visit checks the traps and confirms the activity has stopped.

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

Keeping them out afterwards

• Fit brush strips to the bottom of garage and outside doors.
• Do not leave pet food out overnight in the kitchen.
• Keep the garage tidy, since boxes on the floor make perfect mouse nests.
• Move cereal, pasta, rice and pet food into hard plastic or glass containers with good lids.
• Seal the gaps where pipes and cables come through walls, especially under the sink.

How much will it cost?

The price depends on how many rooms are affected, how long the mice have been there and how many gaps need sealing. A single kitchen is quicker than a whole house with mice in the walls and the garage. Follow-up visits are usually included, and the quote is free.

Mice are one pest where DIY genuinely works if you are thorough: a handful of snap traps baited with peanut butter, set against the walls, will catch a lot of them. Where people go wrong is not sealing the gaps, so if you are still catching mice after two or three weeks, it is time to call us.

Mouse Control questions from Glencairn

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