Southfield is the sort of suburb people drive through without noticing: neat bungalows, bikes on the stoep and the Cape Flats line trains rolling through Southfield station. The pests here are just as low-key, a mouse in the ceiling or an ant trail by the kettle, and they tend to build up quietly before anyone calls.
The local picture in Southfield
Roof rats climb trees and creepers onto roofs, and house mice move into ceilings once the cold sets in. Scratching in the ceiling at night in May or June is the classic sign.
Most homes are freestanding brick houses from the mid-twentieth century onward, many extended with granny flats, enclosed stoeps and garages. Tiled and asbestos-cement roofs with timber trusses give mice and rats warm space in winter. Older kitchens with built-in wooden cupboards and gaps behind units are where cockroaches and fishmoths settle in.
Southfield sits right where the leafy Southern Suburbs give way to the sandier Cape Flats, so gardens drain fast in summer and stay soggy through a wet winter. The railway reserve is a ready-made corridor for rodents moving between suburbs. Mature trees in the older gardens hang over roofs and give roof rats an easy climb to the eaves.
Mice and rats in roofs over winter are the most common call. Argentine and black ants trail indoors in summer, and German cockroaches settle into older kitchens. Fishmoths, fleas and the occasional wasp nest make up the rest.
Tell-tale signs
- Squirrels seen jumping from a tree onto the roof and disappearing under the tiles.
- Chewed electrical cables or damaged ceiling boards.
- Scratching and running in the ceiling in the early morning and late afternoon, rather than at night.
- Dug-up pot plants and bulbs, and nuts buried in garden beds.
- Shredded insulation, leaves and twigs found in the roof space.
- Chewed fascia boards, barge boards or roof edges with fresh wood exposed.
From the technician
The worst mistake is sealing the hole while the squirrels are still inside. They will chew a new way out, often through the ceiling.
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 we handle squirrel control in Southfield
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- 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.
- Trim tree branches so they are at least two metres away from the roof.
- Use metal mesh, not plastic, over roof vents and gaps.
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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Do squirrels come back after removal?
They will try, which is why proper proofing with steel mesh is a key part of the job.
Do you come out to Southfield for squirrel control?
Yes. Southfield is part of our regular Southern Suburbs route, along with Plumstead, Ottery, Diep River, Heathfield. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
What if there are babies in the roof?
We check for young before sealing, because sealing them in causes suffering, smells and more damage.
Do ants in Southfield come from the garden or the house?
Usually the garden. They nest in sandy soil and trail indoors looking for food or water, so treating the nests outside works better than spraying inside.
Why do I hear scratching in my Southfield ceiling every winter?
It is usually mice or roof rats moving in from the garden and trees when it turns cold and wet. Sealing entry points and a short baiting programme in the roof normally sorts it out.
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