Blouberg is all about the wind, the sand and that postcard view of Table Mountain across the bay. Pests here are shaped by coastal strandveld, holiday flats that stand empty for weeks, and a lot of newer complexes built on what used to be dune.
Rodents around Bloubergstrand
House mice and striped mice slip in from the dune scrub, and roof rats use the beachfront blocks' service ducts. Rusted vent covers are a classic entry point near the sea.
You get a mix of older beach cottages near Small Bay, blocks of holiday apartments along the beachfront and newer townhouse estates stretching back towards Big Bay and Parklands. Lock-up flats and seasonal homes are where pantry moths and cockroaches quietly build up while nobody is looking. In the estates, mice and rats move along shared boundary walls and under the timber decks that so many homes have.
Mice and rats coming in from the strandveld are the biggest issue, particularly in autumn. Fishmoths, ants and German cockroaches do well in closed-up holiday flats. Gulls and pigeons on balconies and roofs keep many body corporates busy.
What gives them away
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
Worth knowing
Grey squirrels were brought to Cape Town in the late 1800s and have spread across the Southern Suburbs since then.
How the treatment works
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.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our squirrel control service works.
Keeping them out afterwards
- 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.
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
Do the dunes behind Bloubergstrand bring pests into homes?
Yes, the strandveld and nature reserve are home to mice, spiders and crickets that move into houses as the weather changes. Sealing gaps under doors and around vents cuts most of it out.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Do you come out to Bloubergstrand for squirrel control?
Yes. Bloubergstrand is part of our regular Blaauwberg & West Coast route, along with Table View, Parklands, West Beach, Melkbosstrand. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Why do I get mice in my Blouberg flat when it is on the third floor?
Mice and rats climb through service ducts, lift shafts and gaps around pipes, especially in older beachfront blocks. Treating the building's common areas along with your unit works best.
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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