Lansdowne is a busy, settled suburb where Lansdowne Road and Jan Smuts Drive bring a steady stream of traffic and trade. Shops, mosques, schools and family homes all sit close together, so pest pressure is a mix of household and commercial.
Rodents in Lansdowne: what we see
Mice nest in the gap between an old roof and a newer extension, and rats move along canals and the backs of shops on Lansdowne Road. Check the ceiling above the kitchen first if you hear scratching at night.
The housing is mostly single-storey brick homes and semi-detached houses on modest stands, many extended over the years with extra rooms at the back. Every add-on creates new joins in the roof and walls, and those gaps are where mice and cockroaches get in. Along the main roads, shops with flats above share walls and ceilings, which lets rodents travel between them.
It's flat Cape Flats country with sandy soil that drains fast in summer and stays soggy in a wet winter. Stormwater canals run through the wider area and carry water most of the rainy season. Strong South-Easter winds in summer blow litter into corners and against fences, giving rodents cover.
House mice and rats are the most common call, followed by German cockroaches in kitchens and shops. Ants march in every summer. Flies are a nuisance near takeaways and around bins.
How to tell you have a problem
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
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.
How we handle squirrel control in Lansdowne
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.
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
- Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
- Fit squirrel guards on bird feeders, or move them away from the house.
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
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Do you come out to Lansdowne for squirrel control?
Yes. Lansdowne is part of our regular Southern Suburbs route, along with Crawford, Kenwyn, Rondebosch East, Athlone. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
Why do I hear mice in my ceiling but never see them in the house?
They are probably nesting in the roof space and feeding outside or in the kitchen at night. In Lansdowne this often happens where an extension joins the original roof, so we start our inspection there.
Do you treat shops and restaurants on Lansdowne Road?
Yes. We do cockroach, rodent and fly control for food businesses and provide a post-treatment report you can keep on file.
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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