Table View is big, busy and windy, with the famous postcard view of Table Mountain across the bay. Between the beachfront, the Rietvlei wetland and the shopping strips along Blaauwberg Road, we see a bit of everything here.
Mice in Table View garages and wendy houses
House mice move into Table View's garages, wendy houses and outside storerooms when winter sets in, and from there into kitchens and roof spaces. Face-brick homes from the seventies and eighties often have weep holes, gaps around old garage doors and unsealed pipe entries that let them in. Townhouse complexes see them spreading between units through shared roof spaces.
We set traps and secured bait in garages, roofs and cupboards and seal gaps around doors and pipes. Clearing clutter and storing pet food and bird seed in sealed containers takes away what draws them in.
The South-Easter blasts across the flats in summer, carrying sand and grit into garages and sliding door tracks.
Rats and mice keep restaurants and complexes busy, and pigeons foul the shopping centres and flat roofs.
How to tell you have a problem
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Why it matters: Mice urinate constantly as they move, which contaminates food, crockery and work surfaces. They can carry salmonella and other bacteria into kitchen areas, which is a real problem for food businesses and homes with babies. They chew through wiring behind appliances and inside walls, and they ruin stored linen, paperwork and books. Because a female mouse can have a new litter every few weeks, a couple of mice quickly becomes a cupboard full.
Something most people miss
Mice do not need to drink much water, because they get most of it from their food. That is why they can live happily in a dry pantry.
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.
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.
Stopping a repeat visit
- 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.
- Fit brush strips to the bottom of garage and outside doors.
- Do not leave pet food out overnight in the kitchen.
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 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 Table View
If I see one mouse, are there more?
Usually, yes. Mice live in family groups and are shy, so if you see one in daylight there are probably others.
How do mice get into the house?
Through tiny gaps around pipes, under doors, through air vents and roof edges. A gap the width of a pencil is enough.
What is the best bait for a mouse trap?
Peanut butter works better than cheese, and only a small dab is needed so the mouse has to work at it.
Do you use poison in the kitchen?
We prefer traps in kitchens and food areas. If bait is needed, it is kept in sealed stations.
Are ultrasonic repellers worth it?
In our experience they do not solve a mouse problem. Mice get used to the sound quickly.
Why do mice get into my Table View garage every winter?
Garages are warm, dry and often hold pet food or seed. Sealing the door gaps and storing food properly stops them.
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