Lakeside is squeezed between the mountain and Zandvlei, with Boyes Drive above and the railway line and Main Road running through the middle. Having both a mountain slope and a big vlei on your doorstep means you get pests from two very different directions.
The local picture in Lakeside
Older houses with wooden floors, timber decks and pine trusses are worth checking for borer. If you are selling, we can handle the beetle inspection the transfer needs.
Homes range from older cottages and family houses on the slopes to townhouses and small complexes nearer the vlei. A lot of the older houses have suspended timber floors and big trees in the garden, which gives rodents and borer something to work with. Garden flats and outside rooms are common and are usually the first place a pest problem gets noticed.
Expect mosquitoes and midges near the water, rats along the railway reserve, and ants almost everywhere in summer. Fishmoths and silverfish like the damp in older houses close to the vlei. Spiders and the occasional scorpion are more of a thing on the mountain side.
From the technician
Old exit holes do not mean you have a problem today. We see plenty of furniture with holes from decades ago and no live beetles at all.
How to tell you have a problem
- Small round or oval exit holes in timber, furniture or floorboards.
- A beetle inspection for a property transfer has flagged activity.
- Floorboards that feel soft or crumble at the edges when you press on them.
- Timber that breaks easily and shows a network of tunnels inside.
- Fine powder, called frass, building up under wooden items or on the floor below roof timbers.
How the treatment works
We start with an inspection to confirm the beetle species and whether the holes are active or old, because old damage does not need treating. Exposed timber such as roof trusses, beams and floor joists is treated with a residual borer spray that penetrates the surface and kills emerging beetles and young larvae. Where the wood is thick or the infestation is deep, we inject product directly into the flight holes and drilled galleries. Badly weakened timber should be replaced by a builder, and we tell you which pieces are past saving. Valuable furniture can be sealed and fumigated instead.
- Inspection
We check the roof space, floors and timber features with good lighting and probe suspect wood.
- Identify the beetle
We confirm the species from the holes, frass and any beetles found, and report European house borer where required.
- Mark the damage
Active areas are mapped, and any structurally weak timber is noted for replacement.
- Spray and inject
Exposed timber is sprayed and heavily infested pieces are injected through the exit holes.
- Report and certificate
You get a written report, and where needed a Certificate of Compliance for the property transfer.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Use treated timber for any roofing, decking or building work, and check the treatment marks on it.
- Check second-hand furniture for holes and fresh powder before you bring it home.
- Have the roof timbers looked at every few years in an older house.
- Keep the roof space ventilated and fix leaks quickly, since damp timber attracts borer.
- Seal or varnish bare wood surfaces, because beetles prefer to lay eggs in rough, untreated grain.
What affects the price
The price depends on how much timber needs treating, how easy the roof space is to get into and which beetle we are dealing with. A single piece of furniture is a very different job to a full roof of trusses. Injection work, replacement advice and certificates for transfers are all included in a free quote once we have seen the property.
You can brush a borer product onto a small piece of furniture yourself and it may do the job. Roof timbers are a different story: getting the product into every face of every truss in a hot, cramped roof is hard work, and missing the European house borer is a real problem. I would always get the roof looked at professionally.
Wood Borer Treatment questions from Lakeside
Are the mosquitoes in Lakeside coming from Zandvlei?
Mostly, yes. Zandvlei and its wetland edges are prime breeding water in warm weather, so homes nearby notice the swarms on calm summer evenings. Clearing standing water at home and treating resting spots like dense shrubs cuts the numbers down.
How do I know if the borer holes are still active?
Look for fresh, pale powder below the holes and clean, sharp edges on the holes themselves. Old holes are usually darker and dusty with no new frass.
I live near Boyes Drive. Should I worry about scorpions?
You may see the odd one, mostly after rain or in late summer when they move about. Keep rock piles and woodpiles away from the house and check shoes left outside, and call us if they keep coming indoors.
Can borer spread from furniture to my roof?
It can, which is why infested furniture should be treated or kept away from untreated timber.
Is the European house borer really that serious?
Yes. It attacks structural softwood and is a notifiable pest in the Western Cape, so suspected cases have to be reported and treated.
Do you come out to Lakeside for wood borer treatment?
Yes. Lakeside is part of our regular South Peninsula route, along with Muizenberg, Marina da Gama, Kirstenhof, Steenberg. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
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