Claremont is the Southern Suburbs' shopping and office hub, built around Cavendish Square, Main Road and the station, with leafy residential streets running up towards the mountain. Our work here swings between commercial kitchens and retail on one side and older family homes with big trees on the other.
Claremont: what drives rodents here
Brown rats live around the refuse areas and service lanes behind Main Road shops, while roof rats and grey squirrels use the old street trees to get into ceilings in Upper Claremont. Squirrels chew through roof boards and wiring once they are in.
Upper Claremont has large older homes and newer cluster developments on generous, tree-filled plots, while the lower side near Main Road has flats, offices and shops packed close together. Big shopping centres and restaurant strips create the sort of food waste and service corridors rodents love. Older homes have wooden floors, sash windows and outbuildings that give pests plenty of hiding places.
Being close to Newlands and the mountain, Claremont is one of the wetter parts of Cape Town in winter, so damp walls and soggy gardens are normal. Large oaks and plane trees line the streets, and Arderne Gardens holds an old collection of big trees. That green canopy feeds roof rats and grey squirrels and gives wasps sheltered nesting spots.
Rats in the commercial area and roof rats in homes are the leading issues. Squirrels in roofs and pigeons around the shops are steady complaints.
Signs to look for
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Why it matters: Rats and mice contaminate food and surfaces with urine and droppings and can carry diseases such as leptospirosis and salmonella. Their constant gnawing damages wiring, which is a genuine fire risk in roof spaces, and they chew through water pipes and irrigation lines. For food businesses, a rodent sighting by a customer or health inspector can lead to closure and lasting damage to reputation. Left alone, a small population grows quickly, because both rats and mice breed many times a year.
Something most people miss
Poison alone is not rodent control. Without proofing the gaps and removing the food, new rodents simply move into the space the dead ones left.
Rodents need only a small gap to get in. A mouse fits through a hole about the size of a pencil, and young rats through not much more.
How the treatment works
Our rodent work follows a 6-step regime: we find the harbourage, look at food and water sources, proof entry points, do a bait risk assessment, set a tailored plan and leave you a report. Inside homes we lean on snap traps and sealed stations so there are no dying rodents in the walls. Outside and on commercial sites we use lockable, tamper-resistant bait stations placed and recorded so children, pets and wildlife cannot get to the bait. Proofing is where the long-term win is: steel mesh, door brushes and sealing gaps around pipes and cables. Commercial clients usually go onto a contract with scheduled checks.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our rodent control service works.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Store pet food, bird seed and chicken feed in sealed metal or thick plastic containers.
- Keep storerooms tidy and stock raised off the floor so you can see what is going on.
- Seal gaps around pipes, cables and air bricks with steel mesh or cement, not foam alone.
- Cut back branches and creepers that touch the roof, because roof rats use them as ladders.
- Keep refuse bins closed and away from the walls of the house or building.
How much will it cost?
The cost depends on the size of the property, how established the rodents are and how much proofing is needed. A house with a few mice in the kitchen is a smaller job than a warehouse or restaurant with rats in the ceiling and drains. Follow-up visits and ongoing contracts for businesses are built into the free quote.
Rodent activity indoors peaks in Cape Town's wet winters, from about May to August, when rain floods burrows and drives rats and mice into roofs and buildings looking for shelter. Harvest time on Boland farms also brings a spike as food sources change.
Questions we get asked in Claremont
Can you help on a farm or smallholding?
Yes, we cover the Boland and design the plan around livestock, feed stores and wildlife like owls.
Do you do rodent control for restaurants?
Yes. We set up a programme with station maps and reports, which is what health inspectors want to see.
Are the squirrels in Claremont roofs a pest problem?
They can be, because grey squirrels chew through roof boards and wiring once they get into a ceiling. We help by sealing entry points and trimming branches, so they stay in the trees instead of your roof.
Do you come out to Claremont for rodent control?
Yes. Claremont is part of our regular Southern Suburbs route, along with Newlands, Kenilworth, Harfield Village, Rondebosch. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Why do the rats keep coming back?
Usually because there is still food or an open entry point. That is why proofing is part of every job.
Do Main Road restaurants bring rats into nearby Claremont homes?
Rats do move from busy food areas into nearby properties, especially along lanes and stormwater lines. Good waste control on the commercial side and sealing gaps at home cuts the problem down.
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