Gardens takes its name from the Company's Garden, and the squirrels in there have been raising families in neighbouring roofs for generations. Add the restaurants on Kloof Street, old Victorian semis and a lot of flats, and you get a busy mix of pest work.
Rats in Gardens: Kloof Street and the old semis
Rats in Gardens come from two directions. Brown rats work the bins and back lanes behind the restaurants, coffee shops and bars on Kloof Street, and they move into the flats above and the houses behind. Roof rats use the same routes as the squirrels from the Company's Garden and the street trees, getting in at the fascias and between corrugated roof sheets and walls on the Victorian and Edwardian semis.
Old houses have hollow walls and suspended floors, so rats can move through without being seen. We trap in roofs and voids, bait outside in lockable stations, and mesh the gaps at fascias and air bricks.
Squirrels and roof rats in ceilings are the classic call.
Which rat is in your Gardens 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.
Why it matters: Rats spread leptospirosis through their urine, and they can carry salmonella and other diseases onto food surfaces. They gnaw on electrical cables in roofs, which can start fires, and chew through water pipes and geyser fittings. Rats also bite, especially when cornered or when a small child or sleeping person is involved. A couple of rats can become dozens within a season because they breed fast.
A note from the field
Tenants often find the rats, but the fix is usually structural, a broken vent or a gap under the roof. That is a landlord job, and a report from us helps sort it out.
Our process, step by step
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.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Trim back trees and creepers at least a metre from the roof, because roof rats jump from them.
- Store feed and bird seed in metal bins with tight lids.
- Pick up fallen fruit, avocados and pet food every evening.
- Keep compost in a closed bin and do not add meat or cooked food.
- Do not leave building rubble or wood piles against the house for months.
How much will it cost?
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.
Frequently asked questions
Are rats dangerous to my children?
Rats can bite and spread disease through urine and droppings, so it is worth dealing with them quickly.
Are the squirrels in my Gardens roof from the Company's Garden?
Very likely. Grey squirrels travel from the garden and the trees along the streets into roofs, often through gaps at the fascia. Sealing those gaps once the roof is empty is the lasting fix.
Why do rats get into my Gardens flat above a Kloof Street shop?
Rats feed from restaurant bins and move up through shared walls and service ducts. Baiting the back lanes and sealing the gaps into your flat keeps them out.
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 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.
Can you get rid of rats near a river or canal?
Yes, but properties near water usually need ongoing stations and good proofing, because new rats keep arriving.
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