Hanover Park is mostly blocks of flats with a lot of families under each roof. For a pest technician that means one thing: anything that starts in one unit, whether it is cockroaches, bed bugs or mice, has a stairwell and a shared wall to travel along.
Hanover Park: what drives rodents here
Rats nest in refuse areas and burrow in the sand around block foundations. Mice tend to get into ground-floor flats through gaps under doors and around pipes.
The three and four storey council flats are the defining feature, with shared stairwells, ducting and refuse areas at ground level. There are also semi-detached houses and backyard rooms around the edges. In flats, cockroaches and bed bugs move through plumbing gaps and electrical conduits between units, so treating one flat alone seldom solves it for good.
The ground is flat Cape Flats sand, and in winter stormwater can lie around the blocks for days. Open fields between the blocks collect windblown litter when the South-Easter is pumping. That combination of damp ground in winter and dry, windy, littered open space in summer keeps rodents comfortable all year.
Something most people miss
When a technician inspects for squirrels, the first thing he looks at is the trees around the house, because the branches show where the squirrels are jumping onto the roof.
Many people think squirrels are harmless, but they chew through cables and can cause real damage in a roof.
Tell-tale signs
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
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.
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.
- 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.
- Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.
How much will it cost?
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
Is it worth treating my flat in Hanover Park for bed bugs if the neighbours have them too?
Yes, but it works far better if the neighbours treat at the same time. We can schedule several units in one block together and give each household a post-treatment report.
Why are there so many cockroaches in the kitchen even though I clean every day?
In flats, cockroaches often live inside the walls and ducts and come out at night, so cleaning alone cannot reach them. Gel baiting along the pipes and plumbing gaps gets to the colony where it actually lives.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
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.
Do you come out to Hanover Park for squirrel control?
Yes. Hanover Park is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Manenberg, Lansdowne, Philippi, Athlone. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Do squirrels come back after removal?
They will try, which is why proper proofing with steel mesh is a key part of the job.
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