The City Bowl is the CBD and the older residential suburbs packed into the bowl formed by Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, Lion's Head and Signal Hill. Pest work here is a mix of restaurant and office contracts in town and older homes and flats up the slopes, with rats tying the two together.
Squirrel Control by suburb
We cover all 26 suburbs on our City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route. Each suburb page covers what we find there and what works for those streets and buildings.
- Bantry BaySquirrel Control
- Bo-KaapSquirrel Control
- Camps BaySquirrel Control
- CliftonSquirrel Control
- De WaterkantSquirrel Control
- ForeshoreSquirrel Control
- FresnayeSquirrel Control
- GardensSquirrel Control
- Green PointSquirrel Control
- HiggovaleSquirrel Control
- Hout BaySquirrel Control
- Imizamo YethuSquirrel Control
- LlandudnoSquirrel Control
- Malay QuarterSquirrel Control
- Mouille PointSquirrel Control
- OranjezichtSquirrel Control
- Schotsche KloofSquirrel Control
- Sea PointSquirrel Control
- TamboerskloofSquirrel Control
- Three Anchor BaySquirrel Control
- University EstateSquirrel Control
- Upper WoodstockSquirrel Control
- VredehoekSquirrel Control
- Walmer EstateSquirrel Control
- WoodstockSquirrel Control
- ZonnebloemSquirrel Control
Rodents in City Bowl: what we see
Brown rats live in the old sewer network and the service lanes behind Long and Bree Street restaurants, and the Company's Garden has long had a visible rat and squirrel population. On the slopes, roof rats run along the joined roofs of terraced semis and drop into ceilings.
In the CBD you have office towers, heritage buildings, hotels and hundreds of restaurants and cafés. Up the slopes are Victorian and Edwardian semis with wooden floors and corrugated iron roofs, along with newer apartment blocks. Old buildings have gaps, voids and old drains that rodents and cockroaches use, while flats share ducts and refuse rooms.
The mountain rises right behind the suburbs, with the Company's Garden and the slopes of Table Mountain National Park providing green corridors. Winter rain runs hard down the slopes, and the South-Easter brings the famous tablecloth and blows litter around the streets. The heat traps in the bowl on still summer days.
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.
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.
How to tell you have a problem
- 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.
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
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.
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.
Prevention that actually works
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
- Fit squirrel guards on bird feeders, or move them away from the house.
- Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
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.
You can trim the trees and fix obvious gaps yourself, but sealing a roof with squirrels still inside is a mistake that leads to trapped animals and more damage. Getting them out humanely and proofing the whole roof line properly is a job worth getting professional help for.
Frequently asked questions
Do you come out to City Bowl for squirrel control?
Yes. City Bowl is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Gardens, Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Vredehoek. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Why does my Gardens or Vredehoek flat keep getting cockroaches?
Usually because German cockroaches are moving in from neighbouring flats through shared plumbing risers and electrical ducts. Treating the units around yours at the same time, and sealing gaps around pipes under the sink, gives a far longer result.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Do squirrels come back after removal?
They will try, which is why proper proofing with steel mesh is a key part of the job.
Do the rats in the City Bowl come from the Company's Garden?
The garden does carry a lot of rats, but homes and businesses further away are usually dealing with rats from old drains and restaurant lanes. We find where they are actually living, then bait outside and seal the gaps they use to get in.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
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