The Atlantic Seaboard runs from Mouille Point and Green Point down past Sea Point, Bantry Bay and Clifton to Camps Bay, squeezed between the mountain and the cold ocean. Pest work here is mostly in apartment blocks, restaurants and holiday rentals, where one problem flat can spread to the whole building.
Rat Control by suburb
We cover all 26 suburbs on our City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route. Each suburb page covers what we find there and what works for those streets and buildings.
City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard 26 areas
Southern Suburbs 29 areas
South Peninsula 17 areas
Northern Suburbs 16 areas
Blaauwberg & West Coast 10 areas
Cape Flats 24 areas
Rats along the Atlantic Seaboard
From Mouille Point to Camps Bay, most rat call-outs come from apartment blocks. Brown rats live in refuse rooms, parking basements and the storm drains near the promenade, and they feed off the restaurant bins on Main Road and Regent Road. Roof rats climb, so they turn up in roof spaces and upper-floor service ducts, especially in winter when they come down off Lion's Head, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles.
In a block of flats, treating one unit rarely works. We bait the refuse room, basement and outside perimeter in lockable stations, trap inside where needed, and seal the gaps around pipes where rats get from the common areas into individual flats.
The cold Atlantic keeps summers mild, but the air is salty and damp, so roof timbers and cupboards hold moisture. Lion's Head, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles rise right behind the houses, and the fynbos and rocky slopes are where rodents and some spiders come from.
Rats in refuse rooms and basements are the biggest call-out, followed by German cockroaches in restaurant kitchens and flats.
Which rat is in your Atlantic Seaboard home?
Brown rat
Rattus norvegicus- Norway rat
- Sewer rat
- Family Muridae
- Body
- Heavy and thickset
- Nose
- Blunt and rounded
- Ears
- Small, furry, close to head
- Tail
- Shorter than its body
- Weight
- 250 to 500 g
- Droppings
- Up to 2 cm, blunt ends
- Burrow holes along walls, under paving and sheds
- Greasy rub marks low down along skirting and walls
- Gnawed bins, compost heaps and pet food bags
- Coming up through drains and broken sewer pipes
Black rat
Rattus rattus- Roof rat
- Ship rat
- Family Muridae
- Body
- Slim and agile
- Nose
- Pointed
- Ears
- Large, thin, almost bare
- Tail
- Longer than its body
- Weight
- 150 to 250 g
- Droppings
- About 1.2 cm, pointed
- Scratching and running in the ceiling at night
- Droppings in the roof space, cupboards and on beams
- Chewed cables, insulation and ceiling boards
- Running along fences, power lines and tree branches
ActiveBusierPeak, as rats move indoors in the cold, wet winter
How to tell you have a problem
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Worth knowing
Rats are neophobic, which means they avoid new things. A trap that has not been touched for a few days is not a failure; it often works after they get used to it.
Rats need water daily. Dripping taps, leaking irrigation and pet bowls left outside all help them survive on your property.
How the treatment works
First we identify the rat and track its route, because a roof rat problem is solved at the roof line and a Norway rat problem at ground level and in the drains. In the roof and inside the house we prefer heavy-duty snap traps, so there is no smell from a rat dying in the ceiling. Outdoors we use lockable, tamper-resistant bait stations, positioned along runs and fixed so they cannot be moved, and we do a bait risk assessment where pets, children or owls are around. Then we proof: steel mesh over vents, sealing gaps around pipes and cables, and advice on trimming branches. Burrows are treated and collapsed after the colony is dealt with.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our rat control service works.
Prevention that actually works
- Pick up fallen fruit, avocados and pet food every evening.
- Do not leave building rubble or wood piles against the house for months.
- Keep compost in a closed bin and do not add meat or cooked food.
- Store feed and bird seed in metal bins with tight lids.
- Trim back trees and creepers at least a metre from the roof, because roof rats jump from them.
Pricing, honestly
Price depends on the size of the property, which rat species you have and how many entry points need proofing. A roof rat problem with lots of overhanging trees takes more proofing work than a single burrow in the garden. Follow-up visits are part of most rat jobs and are included in the free quote.
Rat calls peak in Cape Town's rainy winter months, when burrows flood and rats head for dry roof spaces. Roof rats are busy again in late summer and autumn when fruit trees are loaded.
Questions we get asked in Atlantic Seaboard
Can you treat a whole Sea Point or Green Point apartment block for rats?
Yes, and it is the approach that works. We agree a plan with the managing agent or body corporate that covers the refuse room, basement and outside, and then deal with any flats that have rats inside.
Why does my Sea Point or Green Point flat get rats when I keep it clean?
Rats in apartment blocks usually live in the refuse room, basement or service ducts and move up through the building. We work with the building as a whole, baiting the common areas and sealing the routes into individual flats.
Are rats dangerous to my children?
Rats can bite and spread disease through urine and droppings, so it is worth dealing with them quickly.
Will poison make the rats smell in the ceiling?
It can, which is why we prefer traps in the roof and keep bait in outside stations.
How do I know if it is rats or mice?
Rat droppings are much larger, roughly raisin-sized, and rats are noisier. Send a photo of the droppings on WhatsApp and we will tell you.
How are rats getting into my roof?
Roof rats climb trees, walls and cables and squeeze in under roof tiles, fascia boards or through open eaves.
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