Rondebosch Wasp Control

Rondebosch is old Cape Town: oak trees, Victorian houses, big schools and the UCT campus spilling down the slope toward Main Road.

Wasp nests in Rondebosch

Paper wasps nest under the eaves of Rondebosch's older Victorian and Edwardian homes, in garden sheds, under pergolas and in the thick hedges under the big oaks. Schools, residences and sports fields around the suburb see them under roof overhangs and stands. They're most active from late spring to late summer, and nests are often found when a gardener trims a hedge or someone opens a shed.

We treat and remove nests and check nearby eaves, sheds and hedges for others. For schools and residences we can come after hours or during the holidays, when students aren't around.

There's a real mix. Victorian and Edwardian homes with timber floors and pressed-ceiling roofs sit next to student digs, blocks of flats and large school and university buildings.

Tell-tale signs

Worth knowing

For body corporates and estate managers, one property owner removing nests while the neighbours do nothing just means wasps move next door. A coordinated plan works far better.

How the treatment works

For ongoing wasp control we combine nest treatment with prevention rather than coming out once a year to remove whatever has grown. Active nests are treated with an insecticidal dust or spray applied directly into the comb, usually early in the morning or late in the day when the wasps are on the nest, and the comb is taken down once the colony is dead. On properties with repeat problems we do a sweep in early spring to find and remove young founding nests while they are small, and we can apply a residual treatment to favourite nesting spots such as eaves and pergolas. We also look at what is drawing wasps in, like water points, fallen fruit and open bins, and give practical advice on fixing it. For farms, estates and complexes, scheduled visits through the wasp season keep numbers under control instead of letting them build up.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our wasp control service works.

Keeping them out afterwards

• Keep outdoor bins closed and clean up after a braai, as wasps scavenge meat and sweet drinks.
• Fix dripping taps and irrigation leaks, since wasps need a steady water source to build nests.
• Seal holes in hollow gate posts, steel poles and roller door channels with a cap or sealant.
• Walk around the house once a week from September and knock down any nest smaller than a coin with a long pole, at dusk, wearing long sleeves.
• Pick up fallen fruit and grapes promptly, because ripe fruit draws foraging wasps in late summer.

What affects the price

Wasp control is priced on how many nests there are, how high and hard to reach they are, and whether you want a once-off treatment or ongoing visits through the season. A house with one or two nests at ladder height is a straightforward job, while farms, estates and complexes with nests spread over many buildings take longer. For properties that get wasps every year, a seasonal plan usually saves money compared to repeated call-outs, and the quote is free.

Knocking down a tiny new nest in spring is a reasonable DIY job if you are not allergic and you do it at dusk. Once a nest is bigger than your palm, or it is high up, inside a wall or near where children play, we would rather you left it to us, because most of the stings we hear about come from people tackling a big nest with a can of spray in daylight. And if wasps keep coming back every year, the problem is the property and the neighbourhood, not one nest.

Frequently asked questions

Wasp Control nearby and related