Mouse Control for Gordon's Bay homes and businesses

Gordon's Bay is a harbour village tucked into the corner of False Bay, with houses stacked up the mountainside and holiday flats near the beach. Rodents in roofs, gulls on rooftops and ants in summer are what we deal with most.

Rodents around Gordon's Bay

Roof rats come down the slopes and into roofs and garages, especially in winter. Holiday homes that sit empty for weeks give them time to settle in.

Homes are built up the slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountains, many with sea views, split levels and retaining walls. Holiday flats and apartment blocks sit near the beach and harbour, and many homes are holiday properties. Houses on steep plots have sub-floor voids and garages under the house where rodents hide. Restaurants around the harbour bring commercial work.

The village sits right at the foot of the mountains, with the GB anchor above town and the sea in front. The South-Easter is famously strong here, sometimes funnelling down the mountain in powerful gusts. Fynbos on the slopes brings scorpions, spiders and rodents close to homes.

Roof rats from the mountain and gulls from the harbour are the big ones. Argentine ants, fishmoths and German cockroaches in harbour restaurants complete the picture.

Signs to look for

1. Nibbled corners of cereal boxes, bread bags and pet food packets.
2. Tiny footprints or tail marks in dust on top of cupboards or in the garage.
3. Light scratching in the walls or under the kitchen units at night.
4. Small droppings about the size of a grain of rice in drawers, cupboards and along skirtings.

From the technician

In flats and townhouses, mice often move between units through shared walls and service ducts, so one owner treating alone may only push them next door.

The biggest mistake is putting traps in the middle of the floor. Mice run along walls, so traps should be against the skirting with the trigger facing the wall.

What happens when we come out

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.

1. Look for clues

   We check droppings, nests and gnawing to work out where the mice are most active.

2. Find the gaps

   We check behind appliances, under units and around pipes for entry points.

3. Set traps

   Traps and, where suitable, sealed bait stations go along the mice's runs.

4. Seal entry points

   Small holes are blocked with steel wool, mesh and sealant so mice cannot get back in.

5. Follow-up

   We come back to check the traps, clear them and leave a report.

Prevention that actually works

• Fit brush strips to the bottom of garage and outside doors.
• Do not leave pet food out overnight in the kitchen.
• Move cereal, pasta, rice and pet food into hard plastic or glass containers with good lids.
• Keep the garage tidy, since boxes on the floor make perfect mouse nests.
• Pull the stove and fridge out once in a while and clean the crumbs and grease behind them.

Pricing, honestly

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 move indoors when Cape Town's winter rains and colder nights start, usually from late April, and the numbers stay high until spring. In the Boland, harvest time and ploughing can push field mice towards farm buildings too.

Mouse Control questions from Gordon's Bay

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