The Cape Flats is the wide, flat sandy plain that stretches from the mountain towards False Bay, home to a huge share of Cape Town's people. Pest problems differ from suburb to suburb, but the common thread is sandy ground, a high water table in winter and a lot of homes built close together.
Squirrel Control by suburb
We cover all 24 suburbs on our Cape Flats route. Each suburb page covers what we find there and what works for those streets and buildings.
- AthloneSquirrel Control
- BelharSquirrel Control
- Bishop LavisSquirrel Control
- BonteheuwelSquirrel Control
- CrawfordSquirrel Control
- DelftSquirrel Control
- Electric CitySquirrel Control
- Elsies RiverSquirrel Control
- Grassy ParkSquirrel Control
- GugulethuSquirrel Control
- Hanover ParkSquirrel Control
- KalksteenfonteinSquirrel Control
- KhayelitshaSquirrel Control
- LangaSquirrel Control
- Lavender HillSquirrel Control
- Lotus RiverSquirrel Control
- ManenbergSquirrel Control
- Mitchells PlainSquirrel Control
- NyangaSquirrel Control
- Pelican ParkSquirrel Control
- PhilippiSquirrel Control
- Samora MachelSquirrel Control
- StrandfonteinSquirrel Control
- Valhalla ParkSquirrel Control
The local picture in Cape Flats
Brown rats dig straight into the soft sand along boundary walls and under shacks and Wendy houses, and they use the canals and open fields as highways between neighbourhoods. When a dumping site is cleared, they scatter into nearby homes, so baiting should start before the clean-up.
Housing ranges from older council semis and flat blocks to RDP homes, backyard rooms and informal structures. Where walls and roofs are shared, rodents and cockroaches move between households quickly, and informal structures with gaps at the base are hard to seal. Waste collection and stormwater that cannot cope after heavy rain make the job harder, which is why community-wide approaches work best.
The Flats were once dunes and wetlands, and in winter the water table rises, flooding yards and low streets. The Philippi Horticultural Area, the vleis like Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei, and the canals that feed them breed mosquitoes and shelter rodents. In summer the South-Easter blows sand and litter across the open land.
Tell-tale signs
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- 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
Many people think squirrels are harmless, but they chew through cables and can cause real damage in a roof.
Because we do not use poison for squirrels, there is no risk to children, pets or owls from the treatment.
Our process, step by step
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.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
- Fit squirrel guards on bird feeders, or move them away from the house.
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
- 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.
Questions we get asked in Cape Flats
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.
Why are mosquitoes so bad near the vleis on the Cape Flats?
Because Zeekoevlei, Rondevlei and the canals that feed them hold still, shallow water where mosquitoes breed easily. Fitting mesh to bedroom windows and tipping out any standing water in the yard each week makes the biggest difference at home.
Do squirrels come back after removal?
They will try, which is why proper proofing with steel mesh is a key part of the job.
Does winter flooding push rats into homes on the Cape Flats?
Yes. When the water table rises and drains back up, rats are flushed out of their burrows and look for dry shelter in houses and outbuildings, so baiting and sealing gaps in April or May, before the heavy rain, pays off.
Do you come out to Cape Flats for squirrel control?
Yes. Cape Flats is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Athlone. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
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