Mitchells Plain is one of the biggest suburbs in Cape Town, stretching from the Town Centre down to the False Bay coast at Strandfontein. With so many homes, schools and shops, pests here are a daily part of life, and we deal with everything from rats to bed bugs.
The local picture in Mitchells Plain
Wooden Wendy houses and roof timbers can get wood borer over time. Check for small holes and fine dust.
Homes are mostly semi-detached and row houses built in the 1970s and 80s, many extended with extra rooms or Wendy houses in the backyard. Shared walls let cockroaches and rodents travel between homes. The Town Centre and local shopping strips have food outlets and markets that attract rodents and flies.
The area sits on Cape Flats sand close to False Bay, with dunes along the coast and the Strandfontein wastewater ponds to the west. Winter rain often pools on the flat ground, and the South-Easter blows sand and litter around in summer. Wetlands and ponds nearby are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and midges.
Rats, German cockroaches and flies are the most common pests. Mosquitoes and midges come from the nearby ponds and vleis. Fleas and bed bugs are regular calls in busy households.
Signs to look for
- Tunnels or loose patches in the thatch where rodents have been moving.
- Rustling or scratching in the roof at night.
- Fine powder dropping from the poles or laths onto floors and furniture below.
- Birds pulling reed out of the roof or nesting under the eaves.
- Droppings on beams or along the top of walls under the thatch.
Borer in the poles and laths weakens the timbers that carry the weight of the thatch, which is heavy, and serious damage can mean replacing structural members. Rodents nesting in thatch chew electrical cables, and in a thatch roof that is a fire risk to take seriously. Insects dropping from an open thatch ceiling are a nuisance in homes and a real problem in guest lodges and restaurants. Bird nests in thatch can bring mites into bedrooms below.
From the technician
Cables running through thatch should be in conduit. Rodent damage to a bare cable in a thatch roof is a fire risk that is easy to prevent.
If you have a pool or pond next to a lapa, mention it. We plan treatments under thatch so nothing drifts into the water.
What happens when we come out
We start by inspecting the underside of the roof, the poles, the laths and the eaves, looking for borer exit holes, frass and rodent or bird activity. Affected poles and laths are treated with a borer spray or injection designed for timber, applied to the wood rather than soaked through the thatch. For insects living in the thatch, we use a targeted residual treatment on the underside, keeping it as light as will do the job. Rodents are handled with traps and tamper-resistant bait stations placed at wall plates and entry points, and we advise on bird netting or proofing at the eaves. Fire safety of the thatch itself, such as retardant treatment, is a separate specialist job and we will tell you if it looks overdue.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our thatch treatment service works.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Have open thatch ceilings in lapas and lodges checked once a year, since problems are easy to see early.
- Keep trees and creepers trimmed back from the thatch so rodents cannot step straight onto the roof.
- Ask your thatcher to check the poles and laths for borer whenever the roof is being repaired or re-combed.
- Do not store firewood or boxes against the walls under the thatch, as they give insects and rodents cover.
- Have electrical wiring in the roof inspected regularly, especially if you have had rodents.
Pricing, honestly
The price depends on the size of the roof, how much of the structure is exposed and how many poles and laths show borer activity. A small lapa with an open underside is a very different job from a double-storey home with a closed ceiling. Rodent and bird work is added where needed, and timber that is too damaged to treat has to be replaced by a builder or thatcher.
Spraying the underside of your own thatch with a garden insecticide does very little for borer, which lives inside the poles, and soaking thatch in products not meant for it can do more harm than good. We would leave borer and rodent work in thatch to someone who does it regularly. Keeping the roof clear of overhanging trees is the one thing every owner can do themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Can you treat a whole row of houses for rats?
Yes, and it works far better than doing one house. We can set up bait stations along the row and seal common entry points.
How do I know if the borer is still active?
Fresh, pale powder below the poles and clean-edged holes point to active borer. We can tell you on inspection, or send us a photo on WhatsApp first.
Do you treat the thatch for fire?
No, fire retardant treatment is a specialist job for thatching contractors. We treat the pests in the roof and will point out if the thatch looks like it needs attention.
Can you treat a lapa or braai area?
Yes, lapas are often the easiest to treat because the whole structure is open underneath.
Do you come out to Mitchells Plain for thatch treatment?
Yes. Mitchells Plain is part of our regular Cape Flats route, along with Strandfontein, Khayelitsha, Philippi. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Are the midges in Mitchells Plain coming from the Strandfontein ponds?
Many of them are. The wastewater ponds and nearby vleis are big breeding areas, so homes closest to the coast notice them most on warm evenings.
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