Rugby is a small, older residential pocket squeezed between Brooklyn, the Ysterplaat air base and the industry of Paarden Eiland. Homes here sit very close to warehouses and busy roads, so rodents are never far away.
Rodents around Rugby
Brown rats spill over from the warehouses and yards in Paarden Eiland and burrow under boundary walls. Roof rats get into older homes through broken eaves and vent gaps.
Most houses are modest, older brick homes and semis on small plots, often with backyard rooms or workshops added on. A few streets have small flats and businesses mixed in. Old roofs and outbuildings give rats somewhere to nest, and shared boundary walls let them move from yard to yard. The neighbouring industrial zone has warehouses, yards and food storage that keep rodent numbers high.
A note from the field
Many people think squirrels are harmless, but they chew through cables and can cause real damage in a roof.
Because we do not use poison for squirrels, there is no risk to children, pets or owls from the treatment.
What gives them away
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- 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.
How the treatment works
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
- Pick up acorns and fallen fruit regularly if you have big trees close to the house.
- 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.
- Fit squirrel guards on bird feeders, or move them away from the house.
- Check fascia boards and roof edges each year for chewed spots and repair them quickly.
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.
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.
Squirrel Control questions from Rugby
Do you come out to Rugby for squirrel control?
Yes. Rugby is part of our regular Blaauwberg & West Coast route, along with Brooklyn, Milnerton, Maitland, Kensington. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Do the rats in Rugby come from the Paarden Eiland warehouses?
A lot of them do. Industrial yards hold food and shelter, and rats move into nearby homes when conditions change, so proofing your boundary is important.
Can you treat my Rugby home and my small workshop together?
Yes, we can cover both in one visit and tailor the treatment to each building. You'll get a post-treatment report for both.
Are grey squirrels protected in Cape Town?
Grey squirrels are not an indigenous species. We still remove them humanely and do not use poison.
Can squirrels damage my roof?
Yes. They chew fascia boards, roof edges and cables, and they nest in insulation.
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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