Squirrel Control in Atlantic Seaboard

The Atlantic Seaboard runs from Mouille Point and Green Point down past Sea Point, Bantry Bay and Clifton to Camps Bay, squeezed between the mountain and the cold ocean. Pest work here is mostly in apartment blocks, restaurants and holiday rentals, where one problem flat can spread to the whole building.

Squirrel 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 BaySquirrel Control
• Bo-KaapSquirrel Control
• Camps BaySquirrel Control
• CliftonSquirrel Control
• De WaterkantSquirrel Control
• ForeshoreSquirrel Control
• FresnayeSquirrel Control
• GardensSquirrel Control
• Green PointSquirrel Control
• HiggovaleSquirrel Control
• Hout BaySquirrel Control
• Imizamo YethuSquirrel Control
• LlandudnoSquirrel Control
• Malay QuarterSquirrel Control
• Mouille PointSquirrel Control
• OranjezichtSquirrel Control
• Schotsche KloofSquirrel Control
• Sea PointSquirrel Control
• TamboerskloofSquirrel Control
• Three Anchor BaySquirrel Control
• University EstateSquirrel Control
• Upper WoodstockSquirrel Control
• VredehoekSquirrel Control
• Walmer EstateSquirrel Control
• WoodstockSquirrel Control
• ZonnebloemSquirrel Control

Atlantic Seaboard: what drives rodents here

Roof rats (black rats) climb and nest in roof spaces and parking basements, while brown rats live around the refuse rooms and storm drains near the promenade. Rodents also come down off the mountain slopes in winter.

Much of the coast is high-rise and mid-rise flats along Beach Road and Victoria Road, mixed with older semi-detached houses inland and big modern homes cut into the slopes higher up. Apartment blocks share refuse rooms, service ducts and basements, which is where rats and cockroaches settle. Holiday lets change guests every few days, and that turnover brings bed bugs in with the luggage.

The cold Atlantic keeps summers mild, but the air is salty and damp, so roof timbers and cupboards hold moisture. Lion's Head, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles rise right behind the houses, and the fynbos and rocky slopes are where rodents and some spiders come from. When the South-Easter drops in late summer, flies and mosquitoes become noticeable along the promenade.

Rats in refuse rooms and basements are the biggest call-out, followed by German cockroaches in restaurant kitchens and flats. Bed bugs are a recurring problem in short-term rentals and backpackers. Pigeons and gulls on balconies and roofs keep many body corporates busy.

How to tell you have a problem

1. Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
2. Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
3. Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
4. Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
5. Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
6. Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.

A note from the field

When a technician inspects for squirrels, the first thing he looks at is the trees around the house, because the branches show where the squirrels are jumping onto the roof.

Many people think squirrels are harmless, but they chew through cables and can cause real damage in a roof.

What happens when we come out

We do not use poison for squirrels. Our approach is exclusion: we find every entry point and fit one-way exclusion devices so the squirrels can get out but not back in. Where it makes sense, live cage traps are used to remove squirrels from the roof. Once the roof is empty, we close the gaps with steel mesh and repair chewed areas so they cannot get back in. We also advise on trimming branches that give squirrels easy access to the roof.

1. Roof inspection

   We check the roof space and outside roof line to find nests and every entry point.

2. Exclusion or trapping

   One-way exclusion devices or live traps are fitted so the squirrels leave the roof.

3. Confirm it is empty

   We check that no squirrels or babies are left inside before anything is sealed.

4. Proofing

   Entry points are sealed with steel mesh and repairs, so they cannot chew back in.

5. Report

   You get a report with details of the work done and any trees to trim.

Keeping them out afterwards

• Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
• Fit squirrel guards on bird feeders, or move them away from the house.
• Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
• Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
• Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.

Pricing, honestly

The cost depends on how many entry points there are, how high the roof is and how much repair and proofing is needed. A single gap is quick to deal with, but an older roof with many chewed areas takes longer. Trapping and follow-up visits are included in the free quote.

Squirrels in Cape Town breed mainly in late winter and spring, and again in summer, and that is when they look for sheltered nesting places such as roofs. Autumn is also busy, as they gather acorns and nuts from the oak trees.

Squirrel Control questions from Atlantic Seaboard

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