Belhar is a large, established suburb between Bellville and Delft, right next to the University of the Western Cape. It has a mix of family homes, flats and open land, and pests here often follow the open sandy areas and stormwater channels between neighbourhoods.
The local picture in Belhar
Brown rats burrow in the sand along walls and live under sheds, while house mice get into roofs in winter. Open fields nearby give them space to breed.
Housing ranges from freestanding and semi-detached brick homes to council flats and newer infill developments. Many homes have added backyard rooms or garages, and the joins between old and new roofs let mice and rats in. In flat blocks, cockroaches spread through shared walls and plumbing.
How to tell you have a problem
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
Squirrels in the roof chew cables, which is a fire risk, and they damage insulation and ceiling boards. Their urine and droppings can stain ceilings and cause smells. They also chew through irrigation pipes, damage fruit trees and dig up gardens. A squirrel that dies in the roof leaves an unpleasant smell for weeks.
A note from the field
Grey squirrels were brought to Cape Town in the late 1800s and have spread across the Southern Suburbs since then.
How we handle squirrel control in Belhar
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.
- Roof inspection
We check the roof space and outside roof line to find nests and every entry point.
- Exclusion or trapping
One-way exclusion devices or live traps are fitted so the squirrels leave the roof.
- Confirm it is empty
We check that no squirrels or babies are left inside before anything is sealed.
- Proofing
Entry points are sealed with steel mesh and repairs, so they cannot chew back in.
- Report
You get a report with details of the work done and any trees to trim.
Prevention that actually works
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
- Fit squirrel guards on bird feeders, or move them away from the house.
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.
Questions we get asked in Belhar
Why are there so many ants in my Belhar house after it rains?
Rain floods their nests in the sandy ground, so Argentine ants move indoors to stay dry. We treat the outside nest areas and entry points so the trails stop rather than just spraying the ones you see.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
What if there are babies in the roof?
We check for young before sealing, because sealing them in causes suffering, smells and more damage.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Do the open fields near UWC bring more rats into Belhar homes?
They can, because open land gives rats and mice somewhere to breed and they move into houses as the weather turns. Perimeter baiting plus sealing gaps under doors and roofs keeps them out.
Do you come out to Belhar for squirrel control?
Yes. Belhar is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Bellville, Delft, Kuils River, Elsies River. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp 074 697 2254