Wood Borer Treatment in Salt River

Salt River is old industrial Cape Town: terraced cottages, converted factories, the rail yards and Voortrekker Road traffic. It's a working neighbourhood with lots of food businesses, and that combination means rodents and cockroaches are always on the agenda.

The local picture in Salt River

Old pine floors and roof timbers in the Victorian terraces are prone to wood borer, and sales often call for a beetle certificate.

Rows of narrow Victorian terraced houses share walls and roofs, so a rat or cockroach problem in one house quickly reaches the next. Old factories and warehouses have been turned into studios, offices and flats, and many still have old drains and gaps around pipes. Shops, bakeries and takeaways on Voortrekker and Victoria roads need ongoing commercial control.

The Black River and Liesbeek join near here and flow out through the Salt River canal into Table Bay. The canal and the rail reserve are rodent corridors right through the suburb. The ground is low and flat, so stormwater and drains back up in heavy winter rain.

Rats are the biggest pressure, followed closely by German cockroaches in kitchens and food businesses. Flies and pigeons are steady problems around commercial buildings. Bed bugs turn up in rented rooms and backpacker accommodation.

Tell-tale signs

1. Adult beetles found on windowsills or near lights in late spring and summer.
2. Small round or oval exit holes in timber, furniture or floorboards.
3. Timber that breaks easily and shows a network of tunnels inside.
4. Faint scratching or ticking sounds from roof timbers on quiet nights.
5. A beetle inspection for a property transfer has flagged activity.
6. Fine powder, called frass, building up under wooden items or on the floor below roof timbers.

From the technician

For sellers, borer is often discovered at the worst moment, a week before transfer. Booking the inspection as soon as the house goes on the market takes the pressure off.

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.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our wood borer treatment service works.

Stopping a repeat visit

• Seal or varnish bare wood surfaces, because beetles prefer to lay eggs in rough, untreated grain.
• If you are buying or selling, book the beetle inspection early so it does not delay the transfer.
• Check second-hand furniture for holes and fresh powder before you bring it home.
• Keep the roof space ventilated and fix leaks quickly, since damp timber attracts borer.
• Have the roof timbers looked at every few years in an older house.

How much will it cost?

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.

Frequently asked questions

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