Simon's Town is a historic naval town on False Bay, with steep streets climbing the mountain behind St George's Street. Old buildings, the sea air and the mountain on the doorstep make for a very particular set of pest problems.
Simon's Town: what drives timber pests here
Historic timber floors, roof beams and window frames are prone to wood borer, and old buildings here often need beetle certificates when sold.
There are old stone and brick buildings from the naval history, Victorian cottages, guesthouses along the main road and newer homes on the slopes above. Many buildings have timber floors, roofs and joinery that have weathered for a long time. Guesthouses and restaurants serve a steady stream of visitors. Steep sites mean retaining walls and rockeries, which give rodents and spiders plenty of places to hide.
The town sits between False Bay and the mountains of Table Mountain National Park, with Boulders and its penguin colony on the southern side. Winters are wet and windy, and the South-Easter blows hard in summer. The mountain edge brings rodents, baboons and insects, and the sea air keeps buildings damp.
Rats and mice from the mountain edge and harbour are the main issue. Fishmoths and wood borer show up in old, damp buildings. Bed bugs are a risk in guesthouses, and gulls and pigeons are constant along the waterfront.
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.
A technician looking at a thatch roof checks the wall plates first. That is where rodents get in and where they nest, warm and dry, against the top of the wall.
Tell-tale signs
- Tunnels or loose patches in the thatch where rodents have been moving.
- Small round exit holes in the poles, especially in the paler sapwood.
- Rustling or scratching in the roof at night.
- Fine powder dropping from the poles or laths onto floors and furniture below.
- Droppings on beams or along the top of walls under the thatch.
- Birds pulling reed out of the roof or nesting under the eaves.
How the treatment works
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.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Keep trees and creepers trimmed back from the thatch so rodents cannot step straight onto the roof.
- Have electrical wiring in the roof inspected regularly, especially if you have had rodents.
- Have open thatch ceilings in lapas and lodges checked once a year, since problems are easy to see early.
- 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.
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.
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.
Thatch Treatment questions from Simon's Town
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.
Do you come out to Simon's Town for thatch treatment?
Yes. Simon's Town is part of our regular South Peninsula route, along with Glencairn, Fish Hoek, Scarborough. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Will the treatment damage my thatch?
No. We treat the timbers directly and keep any treatment of the thatch itself light and targeted.
Do rats in Simon's Town come from the harbour or the mountain?
Both. Homes near the waterfront tend to get rats from the harbour, while houses higher up get them from the mountain slopes.
Can you treat old heritage buildings in Simon's Town without damaging them?
Yes, we choose methods that don't harm old timber, plaster or stonework, and we focus on proofing gaps carefully. We'll talk you through the plan before starting.
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.
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