Delft is one of Cape Town's more densely built areas, with families living close together and many extra rooms built onto the back of houses. Most calls here are about rats, cockroaches and fleas, and the best results come from treating a few neighbouring homes together.
The local picture in Delft
German cockroaches settle in kitchens and move through shared walls, and ants are common in sandy yards. Fishmoths show up where clothes and boxes are stored.
Housing is mostly government-built family homes on small plots, many extended with backyard rooms, wendy houses and informal structures. Homes stand close together, and extensions built with corrugated sheeting often leave gaps at the roofline. More people and more food in a small space gives pests plenty to work with. Spaza shops run from homes add stock rooms to the picture.
Rats are the main concern, feeding on waste and burrowing under structures in the soft sand. Cockroaches spread easily through shared walls and kitchens. Fleas with dogs and cats are a regular problem, and flies peak around bins and dumping spots in summer.
A note from the field
People often try to spray scorpions with household insecticide and are surprised when nothing happens. Scorpions are tough against contact sprays, so a treatment plan has to focus on hiding places, entry points and their food.
Dogs that dig and paw at things in the garden are often the ones that get stung. Keeping rockeries and woodpiles away from the areas where pets play helps a lot.
What gives them away
- There are lots of crickets, cockroaches or other insects around, which gives scorpions plenty to eat.
- A UV torch at night reveals scorpions glowing blue-green in the garden or along the walls.
- Scorpions are seen on walls, patios or in the garage at night.
- They turn up in shoes, towels or laundry left on the floor.
- Scorpions are found in pool filters, sumps or under pot plants after rain.
How we handle scorpion control in Delft
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.
- Identify the scorpion
A WhatsApp photo helps us tell whether it is a thick-tailed species that needs extra care.
- Inspect the property
We check walls, rockeries, woodpiles, paving and any gaps where scorpions shelter or get inside.
- Reduce their food
We treat for crickets, cockroaches and other insects that scorpions hunt.
- Treat hiding places and entry points
Residual products go along wall bases, thresholds, airbricks and other key spots outside.
- Remedial advice and report
You get a report with practical changes to the garden and building to make it less welcoming.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Keep beds and cots away from walls and do not let bedding hang down to the floor.
- Fit brush strips under doors and seal gaps around pipes, airbricks and window frames.
- Move rubble, firewood, bricks and loose stones away from the walls of the house.
- Use yellow or warm-coloured outside lights to attract fewer insects, which means fewer scorpions hunting them.
- Wear gloves when gardening, moving stones or clearing debris.
Pricing, honestly
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.
Questions we get asked in Delft
What should I do if someone is stung?
Keep the person calm, note what the scorpion looked like or take a photo, and get medical advice. If it was a thick-tailed scorpion or there are symptoms like weakness or breathing trouble, go to a doctor or emergency unit straight away.
Can you treat my whole row of houses in Delft for rats at once?
Yes, and it works better that way. Send us the addresses and we will give a free quote for treating the properties together.
Is the treatment safe for children and pets?
Products are applied outside around entry points and wall bases rather than in living areas. Keep children and pets off treated areas until dry, and we will advise you on the day.
Do you come out to Delft for scorpion control?
Yes. Delft is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Belhar, Bishop Lavis, Kuils River, Nyanga. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Why do scorpions come indoors?
They come in hunting insects or looking for shelter, often after rain floods their burrows or on hot nights. Gaps under doors and around pipes make it easy for them.
My children are getting bites at night in Delft. Is it fleas or bed bugs?
Bites around the ankles usually point to fleas, while rows of bites on arms, neck or back point to bed bugs. WhatsApp us a photo of any insect you find and we will help identify it.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254