The Bo-Kaap climbs up the slopes of Signal Hill above the city centre, with brightly painted houses, cobbled streets and the oldest mosque in South Africa on Dorp Street. Homes here are packed close together and often very old, so pests like rats, cockroaches and pigeons move easily from one roof to the next.
The local picture in Bo-Kaap
Brown rats come up the hill from the city's old drains and the restaurant lanes below, while roof rats travel along the joined parapets from house to house. Gaps in the old lime-mortar walls give them easy entry.
Most homes are flat-roofed terraced houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, many with thick walls, old timber beams and small backyards. Flat roofs and parapet walls give pigeons places to roost and nest. Shared walls and old drainage pipes let cockroaches and rodents travel between neighbours.
The suburb sits on the lower slopes of Signal Hill, with steep streets that catch the full force of the South-Easter as it comes off Table Mountain. Winter rain runs down the hill and can soak old walls, encouraging fishmoths and damp-loving insects. The city centre below provides food and shelter for rodents.
Tell-tale signs
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
- 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.
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
From the technician
The worst mistake is sealing the hole while the squirrels are still inside. They will chew a new way out, often through the ceiling.
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 Bo-Kaap
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
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
- Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Do you come out to Bo-Kaap for squirrel control?
Yes. Bo-Kaap is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Malay Quarter, Schotsche Kloof, De Waterkant, City Bowl. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Are Bo-Kaap's old houses more prone to wood borer?
They can be, because many still have original timber beams and floors. A proper inspection will show whether the beetles are active and what treatment is safe for heritage timber.
Why do pigeons like Bo-Kaap flat roofs so much?
The parapet walls and flat roofs give them sheltered ledges to roost and nest. Netting or spikes on parapets, plus clearing nests, usually move them on.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Are grey squirrels protected in Cape Town?
Grey squirrels are not an indigenous species. We still remove them humanely and do not use poison.
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