Panorama is a hillside suburb with big homes, sloping gardens and views across to Table Mountain. The homes are mostly well kept, so problems here tend to be about access points: roof gaps, solar panels and garden edges.
Panorama: what drives stored product pests here
Pantry moths and weevils appear in kitchens with bulk-stored grains and pet food. Sealed containers solve most cases.
Most homes are large freestanding houses built from the seventies onward, many with double storeys, tiled roofs and big garages. Solar panels and roof additions create gaps that pigeons and rats use. Retaining walls and terraced gardens provide hiding places for rodents and insects. Some homes border open land on the hills.
Worth knowing
Throwing out the infested packet but leaving the shelves as they are is a common mistake. Eggs and larvae sit in the crumbs in corners and shelf joints, ready to start again.
In homes with small children and pets, we lean on clean-out, sealed storage and pheromone traps rather than chemical treatment near food.
Signs to look for
- Small brown or reddish beetles walk along pantry shelves or across the kitchen counter.
- Pheromone traps or glue boards in a warehouse catch more beetles or moths each week.
- Small moths flutter out when you open a cupboard, and rest on the ceiling at night.
- Insects collect in the folds of packaging or along the seams of sealed boxes and bags.
- Flour has a greyish tint, a musty smell or moves slightly when you look closely.
- Grains of rice or maize have tiny round exit holes, or the bag has fine dust at the bottom.
Infested food is contaminated with insect bodies, cast skins, droppings and webbing, and it has to be thrown out, which adds up quickly for a bakery, mill or food distributor. A single infested bag can spread to the rest of a pantry or storeroom, so losses grow fast if nobody checks. For manufacturers and exporters, an infestation can mean rejected consignments, failed audits and customer complaints. Some stored product beetles also cause damp, mouldy pockets in bulk grain, which encourages further spoilage.
What happens when we come out
The first and most important step is finding and removing every infested product, because no treatment works while the insects still have food. Shelves, cracks and crevices, and the gaps behind and under cupboards and racking are vacuumed out to remove spilt product and eggs. We then apply a targeted residual treatment into cracks and crevices, and an insect growth regulator where the pest is a moth or beetle that keeps cycling through. Pheromone traps for moths and beetles go in to monitor for survivors and new arrivals. In warehouses, mills and food factories, larger infestations of bulk commodities may need fumigation, which we plan and carry out separately under the right controls.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our stored product pest control service works.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Put new bags of flour or grain in the freezer for a few days if you have had weevils before, which kills eggs inside.
- Move flour, rice, cereal, pasta and pet food into sealed glass or hard plastic containers as soon as you get them home.
- In commercial stores, rotate stock on a first-in, first-out basis and keep pallets off walls so you can inspect behind them.
- Buy dry goods in amounts you will use within a month or two, rather than letting big bags sit at the back of the cupboard.
- Wipe and vacuum pantry shelves when you restock, paying attention to corners and the gaps behind shelf supports.
What affects the price
For homes, the cost depends mostly on how big the pantry is and how far the insects have spread into other cupboards. For commercial sites, the size of the storage area, the type of commodity, the level of infestation and whether fumigation is needed all affect the price. Food businesses that need regular monitoring and audit paperwork are usually best on a service contract, and we quote free after an inspection.
In a home pantry, throwing out infested food, a thorough clean and sealed containers fixes most problems, and we will happily talk you through that over the phone. Spraying insecticide in a cupboard full of food is a bad idea, so please do not. Where you need a professional is when the insects keep returning after a clean-out, or when you have a commercial store, bakery or factory where losses and audits are at stake.
Questions we get asked in Panorama
Do you come out to Panorama for stored product pest control?
Yes. Panorama is part of our regular Northern Suburbs route, along with Plattekloof, Parow, Monte Vista, Bellville. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Do I have to throw everything away?
Throw away anything infested and anything open that is close to it. Unopened tins and sealed jars are generally fine once wiped down.
Why do rats get into Panorama roofs if the house is well kept?
Even small gaps at roof joins, solar panel fittings or vents are enough. We inspect the roof line and seal the entry points as part of the treatment.
Can I spray inside the pantry?
We would not recommend it. A thorough clean-out and sealed storage do more, and any residual treatment should be targeted into cracks, not sprayed over shelves that hold food.
What are pheromone traps?
Small sticky traps baited with a scent that attracts a specific moth or beetle. They show whether the insects are still around and help us measure how well the treatment worked.
How do I stop pigeons nesting under my solar panels in Panorama?
Fit a mesh skirt around the panel edges after clearing out any nests. It is the most reliable fix and does not damage the panels.
Office 021 012 5825 · WhatsApp us
