Mamre Mouse Control

Mamre is an old Moravian mission village north of Atlantis, surrounded by open farmland and West Coast veld. Life here is quieter and more rural than the city, and the pests follow suit: field mice, crickets and grain pests more than city rats.

Rodents in Mamre: what we see

Field mice and multimammate mice move into homes and sheds after the harvest and when the rain starts. Rats follow grain and animal feed stored in outbuildings.

At its heart are the historic mission buildings with whitewashed walls and thatched roofs, and around them are family homes, newer subsidised housing and smallholdings. Thatch and old timber need regular checks for borer and nesting rodents. Outbuildings, sheds and chicken coops on bigger plots attract mice and rats.

Mamre is ringed by wheat fields, grazing land and sandy West Coast scrub. Summers are hot and dry with strong winds, and winters bring most of the year's rain. Harvest time and the first cold fronts push field mice from the farmland into homes.

Mice and rats from the surrounding farmland are the main concern, especially in autumn and winter. Flies are common in summer near livestock. Ants, crickets and scorpions come in from the dry veld.

Something most people miss

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.

Signs to look for

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

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.

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

Keeping them out afterwards

• Seal the gaps where pipes and cables come through walls, especially under the sink.
• 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.
• 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.

Questions we get asked in Mamre

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