Bishop Lavis Spider Control

Bishop Lavis sits close to Cape Town International Airport and Robert Sobukwe Road (the old Modderdam Road). It is densely built with flats, semis and backyard dwellings, and most pest problems here come from crowding, shared walls and waste that piles up between collections.

Crawling insects around Bishop Lavis

German cockroaches are in most flats and shops, while American cockroaches come up from drains. Ants and crickets live in the sand around houses.

Housing is mostly council flats, semi-detached houses and backyard structures added over the years. Shared walls and roofs mean cockroaches and mice move easily between homes. Backyard rooms often have gaps at the walls and roof where rats can get in.

Signs to look for

1. Fresh webs reappear in the same corners, window frames and eaves within days of being brushed down.
2. Someone in the house wakes with a small, red, sometimes blistered bite that was not there the night before.
3. You keep finding small pale spiders in bedding, curtains or clothing that has been left folded.
4. Egg sacs, often round and papery or spiky in the case of the brown button spider, are stuck to brickwork or furniture.

Something most people miss

Daddy longlegs are often said to be the most venomous spider in the world with fangs too weak to bite. It is a myth. They are harmless to people and actually prey on other spiders, so a few in the corners of the house are not worth losing sleep over.

The first thing a technician checks is not the spider but what it is eating. Bright security lights, damp areas with lots of small insects, or an ant trail along the wall will keep drawing spiders in no matter how often you spray.

Our process, step by step

We start by identifying the species, because a rain spider on the wall and a nest of button spiders by the jungle gym call for very different responses. Webs and egg sacs are removed by hand or vacuum first, which takes out a surprising amount of the next generation. We then apply a residual spray or a fine insecticide dust into the places spiders actually live: roof voids, behind fitted units, wall cavities, garages, eaves and window reveals, keeping it away from where children and pets play. Where insects are drawing the spiders in, we treat or advise on that food source too, because spiders follow their prey. Finally we point out gaps around doors, vents and pipes that need sealing.

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

Keeping them out afterwards

• Swap white outdoor bulbs for warm yellow or LED ones so fewer insects gather, which means fewer spiders setting up around your doors.
• Fit fine mesh to vents and seal the gaps around pipes and under doors with sealant or brush strips.
• Shake out shoes, gardening gloves and clothes that have been left on the floor or in the garage before you put them on.
• Pull beds slightly away from the wall and keep bedding off the floor to reduce night-time bites from sac spiders.
• Keep stacked wood, bricks and old pots away from the house walls, because these are prime spots for button spiders.

How much will it cost?

The cost depends mainly on the size of the property and how many outbuildings, garages and roof spaces need treatment. A house with a heavy insect problem feeding the spiders takes more work than one with a few webs in the corners. We give a free quote after a quick look or a WhatsApp photo, and contract clients get spiders covered as part of their routine visits.

Spider activity climbs from late spring and peaks in the hot, dry months from January to March, which is exactly when rain spiders come indoors and people start to notice them. Button spiders are most visible in summer around gardens and pools. In the wet winter months many spiders retreat into roof spaces and garages, so a treatment then catches them where they shelter.

Questions we get asked in Bishop Lavis

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