Squirrel Control in Epping

Epping is where a lot of Cape Town's food passes through on its way to the shelves, from the fresh produce market to cold stores and distribution warehouses. Our work here is almost all commercial, and it is shaped by audit schedules, delivery bays and the sheer volume of product coming and going.

Rodents in Epping: what we see

Rats travel along rail sidings and verges and slip in through open roller doors and gaps under dock levellers. A numbered bait station grid around the perimeter, with internal traps, is what most auditors expect to see.

Industria 1 and 2 are a mix of large steel-framed warehouses, older brick factories, cold storage and smaller workshop units. Roller doors stay open for long stretches while trucks load, which is the main entry point for rats, birds and flies. High roof trusses and racking give pigeons and roof rats plenty of hidden space. Older factory buildings often have floor drains and cable trenches that cockroaches use as highways.

Something most people miss

Grey squirrels were brought to Cape Town in the late 1800s and have spread across the Southern Suburbs since then.

The worst mistake is sealing the hole while the squirrels are still inside. They will chew a new way out, often through the ceiling.

Signs to look for

1. Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
2. Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
3. Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
4. Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
5. Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
6. Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.

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.

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.

1. Roof inspection

   We check the roof space and outside roof line to find nests and every entry point.

2. Exclusion or trapping

   One-way exclusion devices or live traps are fitted so the squirrels leave the roof.

3. Confirm it is empty

   We check that no squirrels or babies are left inside before anything is sealed.

4. Proofing

   Entry points are sealed with steel mesh and repairs, so they cannot chew back in.

5. Report

   You get a report with details of the work done and any trees to trim.

Keeping them out afterwards

• 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.
• 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.

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.

Squirrel Control questions from Epping

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