Imizamo Yethu Mouse Control

Imizamo Yethu climbs the slope above the Hout Bay valley, with homes packed closely together on the hillside. Rats, cockroaches and flies are the everyday pests, and the steep ground makes stormwater and refuse a constant challenge.

Rodents in Imizamo Yethu: what we see

Rats nest under floors, in rubble and along drainage channels, and move between homes at night. Community-wide baiting gives much better results than treating single homes.

The area is a mix of informal structures built from zinc and timber, brick houses and some newer formal housing projects lower down. Homes are very close together, often sharing walls or sitting just a metre apart. Gaps in zinc and timber walls let rodents in easily, and they move quickly from one home to the next.

Rats are the main problem, followed by German cockroaches and flies in summer. Fleas and bed bugs come up in crowded homes. Mice get into food stores in shops and homes.

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.

Tell-tale signs

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

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

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

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 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.

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