Thatch Treatment in Panorama

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 timber pests here

Wooden decks and pergolas on the sloped gardens weather fast and can pick up borer, as can roof trusses in the older homes. Banks and buyers usually want a beetle certificate before transfer.

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.

The suburb sits on the slopes of the Tygerberg hills, where summers are hot and dry and winters cold and wet. The wind can be strong on exposed ridges. Open veld and nature areas nearby bring wildlife and insects close to homes.

Rats in roofs, ants in summer and pigeons under solar panels are the most frequent calls. Wasps, fleas and fishmoths also come up regularly. Scorpions occasionally appear in homes near the veld.

Tell-tale signs

1. Insects such as cockroaches or spiders falling from the ceiling.
2. Droppings on beams or along the top of walls under the thatch.
3. Birds pulling reed out of the roof or nesting under the eaves.
4. Rustling or scratching in the roof at night.

A note from the field

If you have a pool or pond next to a lapa, mention it. We plan treatments under thatch so nothing drifts into the water.

How we handle thatch treatment in Panorama

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.

1. Roof inspection

   We look at the underside of the thatch, every accessible pole and lath, and the eaves and ridge.

2. Identify the problem

   We separate active borer from old damage and confirm which insects, rodents or birds are involved.

3. Timber treatment

   Affected poles and laths are treated with borer spray or injection.

4. Thatch and pest treatment

   Insects in the thatch are treated from below and rodent stations or traps are placed.

5. Report and recommendations

   You get a report noting what was treated and any timber that a thatcher or builder should replace.

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.
• 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.
• Ask your thatcher to check the poles and laths for borer whenever the roof is being repaired or re-combed.

How much will it cost?

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.

Adult borer beetles emerge mainly in the warmer months, so fresh powder and holes often appear from late spring into summer. Rodents move into thatch most during the wet Cape winters when it offers dry shelter. Treatment can be done at any time of year, though a dry day makes inspecting the roof easier.

Questions we get asked in Panorama

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