Tamboerskloof climbs steeply up the slopes of Lion's Head and Signal Hill above Kloof Street. Old houses, tight streets and the mountain right behind them make it a suburb where rodents and timber pests are a fact of life.
Crawling insects around Tamboerskloof
American cockroaches come up through old drainage, and German roaches are a restaurant kitchen problem. Fishmoths thrive in damp bookshelves and built-in cupboards.
Victorian and Edwardian homes with wooden floors, sash windows and pressed-ceiling interiors sit beside newer apartment blocks and converted guest houses. Many older houses have suspended timber floors with a crawl space underneath, which rats and mice use as a highway. Kloof Street's restaurants and shops add a busy commercial layer at the bottom of the suburb.
Worth knowing
Spraying the skirting boards in every room is usually a waste. Spiders spend the day in voids, roof spaces and behind fitted units, so that is where the treatment needs to go.
How to tell you have a problem
- You keep finding small pale spiders in bedding, curtains or clothing that has been left folded.
- Fresh webs reappear in the same corners, window frames and eaves within days of being brushed down.
- Untidy, tangled webs show up under outdoor chairs, in the meter box or around the pool pump.
- Someone in the house wakes with a small, red, sometimes blistered bite that was not there the night before.
The vast majority of local spiders pose no real threat to people, and they do a decent job of keeping insect numbers down. Violin and sac spider bites can cause tissue damage that needs medical attention, and button spider venom is neurotoxic, so a bite from one should always be seen by a doctor. In businesses such as guest houses, clinics and food premises, visible webs and spiders lead to complaints and can count against you on a hygiene inspection.
How the treatment works
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
- Brush down webs regularly and vacuum the corners and the backs of cupboards, which gets rid of egg sacs before they hatch.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Spider Control questions from Tamboerskloof
Do you come out to Tamboerskloof for spider control?
Yes. Tamboerskloof is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Gardens, Higgovale, Bo-Kaap, Schotsche Kloof. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
My Tamboerskloof Victorian has small holes in the floorboards. Is it wood borer?
Small round exit holes with fine powder underneath are a classic sign of borer. We can inspect, confirm whether it is active and treat it, which also helps when you need a beetle certificate for a sale.
Will the treatment harm my pets?
We treat cracks, voids and roof spaces rather than open floors, and we ask that pets are kept out until surfaces are dry. We will explain any specific precautions on the day.
How long does a spider treatment last?
A residual treatment keeps working for a good while, and our treatments carry a minimum 3-month guarantee. New spiders can still wander in from the garden, which is why sealing gaps and fixing outdoor lighting matters.
Do the rats in Tamboerskloof come from Lion's Head?
Some do, especially in the top streets near the greenbelt, but plenty also move between restaurants, bins and old homes lower down. Sealing roof and floor gaps on your house is the key step either way.
How do I know if I have violin spiders?
They are light brown with long legs and a darker violin-shaped mark on the front of the body, and they hide in undisturbed storerooms, cupboards and garages. Send us a clear photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you what it is.
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