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.
The local picture in Bishop Lavis
Brown rats burrow under walls and live in rubble and around bins. Mice get into roofs and cupboards in colder months.
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.
The area is flat Cape Flats sand with a high water table, so winter flooding and blocked stormwater drains are common. Open land near the airport and along the highways gives rodents room to breed. The South-Easter blows hard in summer.
Tell-tale signs
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- 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
Landlords often get the call from tenants about noises in the ceiling. Proofing the roof is a one-time investment that saves repeated call-outs.
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.
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.
- 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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- 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.
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
What affects the price
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 Bishop Lavis
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
Does being near the airport bring more rats into Bishop Lavis?
The open land around the airport and highways does give rats room to breed, so homes on the edges see more activity. Perimeter baiting and closing gaps under doors keeps them out.
Do you come out to Bishop Lavis for squirrel control?
Yes. Bishop Lavis is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Bonteheuwel, Elsies River, Belhar, Delft. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
How do I stop cockroaches spreading between flats in Bishop Lavis?
Treat as many neighbouring units as possible at the same time, because German cockroaches move through shared walls and pipes. Keeping food sealed and dishes washed overnight makes the treatment last longer.
How do I know it is squirrels and not rats?
Squirrels are active during the day, especially early morning, while rats are mostly active at night.
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