Scorpion Control in the City Bowl

The City Bowl is the CBD and the older residential suburbs packed into the bowl formed by Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, Lion's Head and Signal Hill. Pest work here is a mix of restaurant and office contracts in town and older homes and flats up the slopes, with rats tying the two together.

Scorpion 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.

• Bantry BayScorpion Control
• Bo-KaapScorpion Control
• Camps BayScorpion Control
• CliftonScorpion Control
• De WaterkantScorpion Control
• ForeshoreScorpion Control
• FresnayeScorpion Control
• GardensScorpion Control
• Green PointScorpion Control
• HiggovaleScorpion Control
• Hout BayScorpion Control
• Imizamo YethuScorpion Control
• LlandudnoScorpion Control
• Malay QuarterScorpion Control
• Mouille PointScorpion Control
• OranjezichtScorpion Control
• Schotsche KloofScorpion Control
• Sea PointScorpion Control
• TamboerskloofScorpion Control
• Three Anchor BayScorpion Control
• University EstateScorpion Control
• Upper WoodstockScorpion Control
• VredehoekScorpion Control
• Walmer EstateScorpion Control
• WoodstockScorpion Control
• ZonnebloemScorpion Control

Crawling insects around City Bowl

German cockroaches are the staple of restaurant and hotel kitchens, and they move between flats along shared risers. American cockroaches emerge from old floor drains at night, and fishmoths chew wallpaper and books in damp Victorian rooms.

In the CBD you have office towers, heritage buildings, hotels and hundreds of restaurants and cafés. Up the slopes are Victorian and Edwardian semis with wooden floors and corrugated iron roofs, along with newer apartment blocks. Old buildings have gaps, voids and old drains that rodents and cockroaches use, while flats share ducts and refuse rooms.

Rats are the big one, living in old drains, restaurant lanes and the Company's Garden. German cockroaches are common in restaurants and flats. Pigeons on buildings and bed bugs in hotels and rentals round out the main issues.

Worth knowing

For families with small children, simple habits like shaking out shoes, checking towels and keeping bedding off the floor are just as important as any treatment.

Tell-tale signs

1. Burrows with a crescent-shaped opening appear under rocks, at the base of walls or in sandy soil.
2. Scorpions are seen on walls, patios or in the garage at night.
3. Scorpions appear inside after building work, landscaping or clearing rubble nearby.
4. They turn up in shoes, towels or laundry left on the floor.
5. A UV torch at night reveals scorpions glowing blue-green in the garden or along the walls.
6. There are lots of crickets, cockroaches or other insects around, which gives scorpions plenty to eat.

Our process, step by step

Scorpions are harder to kill with contact sprays than most insects, so we focus on a combination of habitat reduction and targeted treatment. We apply a residual treatment to entry points, door thresholds, wall bases, airbricks and known hiding spots around the outside of the house. Because scorpions follow their food, we also treat for crickets, cockroaches and other insects that attract them. Where burrows are found, they can be treated directly. We pair this with practical advice on clearing debris and sealing gaps, which is often what makes the biggest difference.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our scorpion control service works.

Keeping them out afterwards

• Keep beds and cots away from walls and do not let bedding hang down to the floor.
• Move rubble, firewood, bricks and loose stones away from the walls of the house.
• Fit brush strips under doors and seal gaps around pipes, airbricks and window frames.
• Wear gloves when gardening, moving stones or clearing debris.
• Use yellow or warm-coloured outside lights to attract fewer insects, which means fewer scorpions hunting them.

What affects the price

The cost depends on the size of the property and garden, how much hiding space there is in rockeries and walls, and whether an insect treatment is needed to reduce their food. Properties on the edge of open veld or fynbos tend to have more ongoing pressure and may benefit from regular treatments. Follow-ups and any contract options are included in a free quote.

Clearing rubble, sealing gaps and using a UV torch to find scorpions at night can make a real difference without any chemicals. Sprays from the shop do little against scorpions because they are quite resistant to contact products. If you have small children or are finding thick-tailed scorpions, have a professional deal with it.

Frequently asked questions

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