Pest Control in University Estate

Living with pests in University Estate

Homes are a mix of older semi-detached houses, small freestanding homes and a few newer builds squeezed onto the slope. Many are built close together with shared walls, so a mouse problem rarely stays at one address. Retaining walls, terraced gardens and storage spaces under the house all give pests shelter.

Devil's Peak and the Table Mountain National Park greenbelt sit just above, and in summer the South-Easter tumbles down the slope hard. Winter rain runs off the mountain and through the streets, keeping retaining walls and low rooms damp. Fire-scarred slopes higher up occasionally push rodents downhill.

The pests we get called out for most in University Estate

Rats and mice from the mountain edge and older drains are the main concern. Cockroaches, fishmoths and ants are frequent in damp lower rooms. Pigeons and timber borer turn up in the older houses.

Rats and mice

Roof rats come down from the greenbelt and run along walls and gutters into ceilings. Shared walls in the semis mean we often treat a few houses on the same row together.

Cockroaches, ants and other crawlers

American cockroaches live in the old drainage, and fishmoths like damp under-house storerooms. Argentine ants trail up through terraced gardens in summer.

Flies, mosquitoes and wasps

Paper wasps build under eaves, and mosquitoes breed in pot saucers and blocked gutters on windless days. Flies are mostly a bin issue in summer.

Fleas and bed bugs

Fleas tend to follow pets and rodents in the roof. Students renting rooms sometimes bring bed bugs in second-hand furniture.

Wood borer and timber

Older semis can have borer in roof timbers, floors and door frames. If you plan to sell, a beetle inspection early on saves a last-minute rush.

Pantry pests

Weevils and pantry moths show up in small kitchens where dry food is kept in open packets. Sealed jars and a regular cupboard clear-out keep it under control.

Hygiene and disinfection

Rooms let to students and shared houses ask for disinfection between occupants. Small community facilities in the area use sanitising in winter.

Birds

Pigeons nest in roof gaps and on window ledges of older houses. Sealing roof openings is usually enough to stop it.

How a visit works

We start with an inspection, because the right answer for ants is different from the right answer for rats, and guessing wastes money. Where we can, we go least-toxic first: gel baits for cockroaches and ants, tamper-resistant bait stations and snap traps for rodents, and insect growth regulators that break the breeding cycle. Residual sprays and dusts are applied only where they are needed, such as wall voids, cracks and roof spaces, not sprayed across every surface. Proofing is part of the job, so we point out or seal the gaps that let pests in. You get a post-treatment report so you know what was used and where.

Worth knowing

People often assume that a clean house cannot have pests. Rodents and cockroaches care about warmth, shelter and access, and even a spotless home can give them all three through a gap behind the stove.

Everything we treat in University Estate

Questions from University Estate

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