Tamboerskloof climbs steeply up the slopes of Lion's Head and Signal Hill above Kloof Street. Old houses, tight streets and the mountain right behind them make it a suburb where rodents and timber pests are a fact of life.
Timber pests in Tamboerskloof: what we see
Wooden floors, staircases and roof timbers in the Victorian homes are prone to common furniture beetle. A beetle certificate is usually requested on sale, and older homes here often need treatment first.
Victorian and Edwardian homes with wooden floors, sash windows and pressed-ceiling interiors sit beside newer apartment blocks and converted guest houses. Many older houses have suspended timber floors with a crawl space underneath, which rats and mice use as a highway. Kloof Street's restaurants and shops add a busy commercial layer at the bottom of the suburb.
Signal Hill and Lion's Head are part of the Table Mountain National Park, and the greenbelt reaches right to the top streets. Winter rain runs down the slope and keeps old basements and retaining walls damp. The suburb is sheltered from some wind, which lets flies and mosquitoes linger on warm evenings.
Rats are the headline issue, coming off the mountain and moving between the restaurants and old homes. Wood borer in floors and roof timbers is common in the older houses. Cockroaches, fishmoths and pigeons fill most of the rest of the calendar.
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.
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.
How to tell you have a problem
- Rustling or scratching in the roof at night.
- Droppings on beams or along the top of walls under the thatch.
- Tunnels or loose patches in the thatch where rodents have been moving.
- Birds pulling reed out of the roof or nesting under the eaves.
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.
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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- 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.
- Fit bird netting or wire at the eaves if birds keep pulling reed or nesting there.
- Have open thatch ceilings in lapas and lodges checked once a year, since problems are easy to see early.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do you come out to Tamboerskloof for thatch treatment?
Yes. Tamboerskloof is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Gardens, Higgovale, Bo-Kaap, Schotsche Kloof. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
Do I need to move out?
Usually not. We will tell you which rooms to keep clear during treatment and for how long.
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 the rats in Tamboerskloof come from Lion's Head?
Some do, especially in the top streets near the greenbelt, but plenty also move between restaurants, bins and old homes lower down. Sealing roof and floor gaps on your house is the key step either way.
My Tamboerskloof Victorian has small holes in the floorboards. Is it wood borer?
Small round exit holes with fine powder underneath are a classic sign of borer. We can inspect, confirm whether it is active and treat it, which also helps when you need a beetle certificate for a sale.
Is there a guarantee?
Our treatments carry a minimum 3-month guarantee, and the report records exactly what was treated.
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