Grassy Park is wedged between Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei, with the Lotus River canal cutting through nearby, so standing water shapes life here more than in most Cape Flats suburbs. Summer evenings mean mosquitoes, and the canal banks mean rats, and between those two we stay busy.
Rodents in Grassy Park: what we see
Rats use the reedbeds and canal banks as a base and travel into gardens along fences and wall lines. Homes backing onto open land or the vlei edge get the most visits.
Most homes are freestanding brick houses on decent-sized plots, many with garages turned into rooms, carports and backyard flats. Prince George Drive and Victoria Road carry a long line of shops, takeaways and small businesses with storerooms behind them. Older homes have wooden floors in places and roof spaces that rats can reach from overhanging trees. Where plots back onto vlei edges or open land, rodents and insects arrive from the garden side rather than the street.
Mosquitoes are the seasonal standout, peaking from late spring into autumn. Rats follow the canal and vlei edges into yards and roofs. German cockroaches in kitchens and takeaways, plus ants in sandy gardens, are steady calls the rest of the year.
What gives them away
- 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.
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
- 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.
From the technician
Many people think squirrels are harmless, but they chew through cables and can cause real damage in a roof.
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 Grassy Park
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
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
- 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.
- 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.
Squirrel Control questions from Grassy Park
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.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
Do rats come from the canal into Grassy Park homes?
Yes, the canal and vlei edges are major rat habitat, and they move into gardens along walls and fences. Bait stations along your boundary help keep them out.
Why are the mosquitoes so bad in Grassy Park?
Zeekoevlei, Rondevlei and the Lotus River canal give them a huge amount of breeding water close to homes. Removing standing water at home and treating resting areas around the house makes a noticeable difference.
Do you come out to Grassy Park for squirrel control?
Yes. Grassy Park is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Lotus River, Pelican Park, Lavender Hill, Retreat. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp us
