Glencairn Squirrel Control

Glencairn is a quiet strip of False Bay coast where the Simon's Town train runs right past the beach and the houses step up the slopes toward the mountain. Behind the sand sits a reedy wetland, and that one feature explains a good share of the calls we get from here.

Rodents around Glencairn

Striped mice and rats come off the fynbos slopes into garages and under decks. Holiday homes that sit closed for weeks often have mice nesting in cupboards and linen when owners return.

Homes on the heights are mostly freestanding family houses with big windows and decks, some built into the slope with retaining walls and dark storerooms underneath. Down near the water there are older holiday cottages, some with timber floors and roofs that take a beating from salt air. Holiday lets stand empty for weeks and then fill up, which gives rodents time to settle in unnoticed.

Tell-tale signs

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

Worth knowing

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.

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.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our squirrel control service works.

Stopping a repeat visit

• 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.
• 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.
• Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.

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.

Frequently asked questions

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