Mamre is an old Moravian mission village north of Atlantis, surrounded by open farmland and West Coast veld. Life here is quieter and more rural than the city, and the pests follow suit: field mice, crickets and grain pests more than city rats.
Mamre: what drives rodents here
Field mice and multimammate mice move into homes and sheds after the harvest and when the rain starts. Rats follow grain and animal feed stored in outbuildings.
At its heart are the historic mission buildings with whitewashed walls and thatched roofs, and around them are family homes, newer subsidised housing and smallholdings. Thatch and old timber need regular checks for borer and nesting rodents. Outbuildings, sheds and chicken coops on bigger plots attract mice and rats.
Mamre is ringed by wheat fields, grazing land and sandy West Coast scrub. Summers are hot and dry with strong winds, and winters bring most of the year's rain. Harvest time and the first cold fronts push field mice from the farmland into homes.
Mice and rats from the surrounding farmland are the main concern, especially in autumn and winter. Flies are common in summer near livestock. Ants, crickets and scorpions come in from the dry veld.
Tell-tale signs
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- 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.
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.
Worth knowing
Grey squirrels were brought to Cape Town in the late 1800s and have spread across the Southern Suburbs since then.
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
- Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.
- 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.
- 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
Do you come out to Mamre for squirrel control?
Yes. Mamre is part of our regular Blaauwberg & West Coast route, along with Atlantis, Melkbosstrand, Bloubergstrand. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Why do we get so many mice in Mamre in autumn?
When the surrounding wheat fields are harvested and the weather cools, mice lose their cover and food and move into homes and sheds. Sealing gaps before the season starts makes a real difference.
Can you treat borer in a thatched roof?
Yes, we inspect thatch and roof timbers for beetle activity and treat it with methods suited to thatch. Older mission-era roofs especially benefit from a regular check.
Do squirrels come back after removal?
They will try, which is why proper proofing with steel mesh is a key part of the job.
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.
Will you hurt the squirrels?
No. We use one-way exclusion devices and live traps, not poison.
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