Loevenstein is a leafy Bellville suburb climbing up towards the Tygerberg Hills, with the nature reserve right on its doorstep. It's mostly quiet residential streets, so our work here is about family homes and the wildlife edge above them.
Rodents in Loevenstein: what we see
Grey squirrels run along the oak and pine branches onto roofs and chew their way in at the fascias. Rats and field mice come down from the reserve side when winter sets in.
Homes are largely spacious free-standing houses from the 1960s and 70s, many with tiled roofs, wooden ceilings and mature gardens. Swimming pools, thatched lapas and braai areas are common in the bigger yards. Older roofs often have gaps at the fascia boards that rats and squirrels use to get into the ceiling.
The Tygerberg Nature Reserve lies just up the hill, bringing renosterveld, rocks and wildlife close to back gardens. Winters are cold and wet on the slopes, summers hot and dry, and both push pests indoors at different times of the year. Big trees in older gardens connect to rooflines and give rodents an easy route up.
Rats, mice and squirrels in roofs are the main calls, with ants and spiders close behind. Wasps nest under eaves and in lapas during summer. Homes on the reserve edge see the occasional scorpion.
From the technician
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.
How to tell you have a problem
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
- 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.
Our process, step by step
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
- 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.
- 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.
Squirrel Control questions from Loevenstein
Do you come out to Loevenstein for squirrel control?
Yes. Loevenstein is part of our regular Northern Suburbs route, along with Bellville, Plattekloof, Durbanville, Parow. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Do animals from the Tygerberg Nature Reserve cause pest problems?
The reserve itself isn't a problem, but homes along its edge do get more field mice, spiders and the occasional scorpion. Sealing gaps and keeping the boundary tidy helps.
Do squirrels come back after removal?
They will try, which is why proper proofing with steel mesh is a key part of the job.
Is it squirrels or rats I hear in my Loevenstein ceiling?
If the noise is during the day, it's usually squirrels, and at night it's more likely rats. We inspect the roof and entry points to confirm before treating.
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.
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