Montague Gardens is mostly warehouses, showrooms and distribution yards, so the calls we get here are about stock, loading bays and compliance rather than bedrooms. A rat in a food warehouse is a bigger problem than a rat in a garage, because one gnawed pallet can mean a rejected consignment.
Rodents around Montague Gardens
We set up bait station programmes around the outside walls of warehouses here and log every station, because auditors want to see the records. Inside, trapping is preferred near stock so there is no risk of a poisoned rodent dying in a carton.
Big steel-framed sheds with roller doors, mezzanine offices and long racking aisles make up most of the area, with a few trade counters and factory shops mixed in. Roller doors that stand open all day are the main entry point for rodents and birds. Racking that goes up to the roof gives mice somewhere quiet to nest where nobody looks for months. Ceiling voids above the offices tend to be where the droppings turn up first.
Rodents come first by a long way, mostly roof rats in the racking and Norway rats around bins and drains. Stored product insects follow wherever grain, pet food or packaged goods are kept. Pigeons roosting in the roof trusses and flies around waste skips round out the usual list.
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.
How to tell you have a problem
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
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.
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.
- Roof inspection
We check the roof space and outside roof line to find nests and every entry point.
- Exclusion or trapping
One-way exclusion devices or live traps are fitted so the squirrels leave the roof.
- Confirm it is empty
We check that no squirrels or babies are left inside before anything is sealed.
- Proofing
Entry points are sealed with steel mesh and repairs, so they cannot chew back in.
- Report
You get a report with details of the work done and any trees to trim.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
- Do not feed squirrels in the garden, however cute they are.
- 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.
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.
Questions we get asked in Montague Gardens
What if there are babies in the roof?
We check for young before sealing, because sealing them in causes suffering, smells and more damage.
Our auditor wants pest control records for our Montague Gardens premises. Do you provide those?
Yes, every treatment comes with a post-treatment report. For ongoing service we can keep a bait station map and inspection log to show the auditor.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
Can you do pest control in Montague Gardens warehouses after hours?
Yes, after-hours and weekend visits are available on request, which suits sites that cannot stop operations during the day. Let us know your shift times when you ask for a quote.
Do you come out to Montague Gardens for squirrel control?
Yes. Montague Gardens is part of our regular Blaauwberg & West Coast route, along with Milnerton, Table View, Goodwood, Maitland. 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.
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