Pest control in Alan Manor's established family homes

Pest control in Alan Manor centres on the problems that come with established homes in the south: subterranean termites in the soil and timber, wood borer in older roof trusses and floors, harvester termites in winter lawns, roof rats, and cockroaches in kitchens and drains. We inspect thoroughly, confirm what's there and treat the cause rather than the symptoms.

What Alan Manor homes are like

Alan Manor is one of Johannesburg South's established residential suburbs, close to Mondeor and Meredale. It's mostly freestanding family homes on proper stands, many of them several decades old, with face-brick or plastered walls, pitched tiled or sheet roofs over timber trusses, and some original timber floors. Gardens are mature: fruit trees, hedges, lawns, the odd vegetable patch and plenty of outbuildings.

The south of Johannesburg has a reputation among pest controllers for termite pressure, and Alan Manor fits that picture. Older timber, years of buried garden material and soil that holds moisture after summer storms give subterranean termites everything they need. Add the dry, sunny Highveld winter, and harvester termites go to work on the lawns. Rats and cockroaches round out the list, as they do in most established suburbs.

Termites: the main concern

Subterranean termites live in the soil and build sealed mud tubes up walls and through cracks to reach timber. In an older Alan Manor house, they go for skirting boards, door and window frames, built-in cupboards that sit on the floor slab and, in some cases, roof timbers. Signs are mud tubes on foundations or inside cupboards, timber that sounds hollow, bubbling paint along a line, and winged swarmers coming from a wall or floor after the first summer rains.

We treat by applying a registered termiticide to the soil around and, where needed, beneath the building through drilled paving, and by baiting active colonies. Structural treatment comes with a 5-year guarantee and a treatment certificate, which is also useful when you sell. For more detail, our termite control in Johannesburg South page covers the local picture.

Harvester termites are separate. They leave bare patches with small holes and loose soil in lawns between May and September, and are treated in the lawn itself.

Wood borer in older timber

Wood borer beetles lay eggs in timber, and the larvae tunnel inside for years before emerging as adults through small round holes. In older roofs and floors, look for those exit holes with fine, pale, powdery dust (frass) beneath them, especially on the underside of floorboards, in roof trusses and in old furniture. Fresh, light-coloured dust means the infestation is still active. Treatment involves applying a registered product to the affected timber; badly weakened timber may need replacing. See our wood borer treatment in the southern suburbs for more.

Rats and cockroaches

Roof rats climb fruit trees and creepers into the ceiling; brown rats burrow under paving, outbuildings and compost. We use lockable bait stations outside and traps inside the roof. German cockroaches live in kitchens and spread through cupboards and appliances, while American cockroaches come up from drains and manholes on warm summer nights. Gel baits deal with the first; drain and perimeter treatment with the second.

How we approach an Alan Manor property

We start with a full walk-round: foundations, paving, outbuildings, the roof space where accessible, timber floors, cupboards and the kitchen. Termite and wood borer damage can look similar to an untrained eye, and the treatments are quite different, so we confirm before we quote. Normal treatments don't require you to leave the house and won't stain or smell; children and pets can use treated areas again once they're dry.

What owners get wrong

Painting over or filling the damage. A crumbling skirting board or a soft door frame gets filled and repainted, and the termites carry on behind it. Or an old floor is sanded and sealed while wood borer is still active underneath. Always find out what caused the damage before repairing it.

An Alan Manor tip

Check the timber in your outbuildings. Garages, staff rooms and sheds in older southern homes often have untreated door frames and roof timbers sitting close to the soil, and they're frequently the first place termites appear before moving to the main house.

What it costs and why

Termite work is priced on the perimeter of the building, the amount of paving we need to drill and whether baiting is needed. Wood borer depends on how much timber is affected and how easy it is to reach. Harvester termite treatment depends on lawn area. Rat and cockroach treatments in a family home are more modest. A guide "from" price appears on this page and our pest control price guide lists each service. We quote after the inspection, and we'll tell you if a problem is minor.

Alan Manor is covered by our Johannesburg South pest control service, and nearby Mondeor has its own page.

Jason van Heerden owns and runs Combat Pest Control and has worked in pest control for 25 years. We're SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture under Act 36, offer service within 24 hours, and give a 3-month guarantee on general treatments. Call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a photo of the tubes, holes or dust you've found.