Pest control in Illovo is split between offices and apartments. For businesses we handle cockroaches in staff kitchens, rats and mice in basements, pigeons on ledges and flies in canteens. For residents in flats, townhouses and older houses, it's ants, cockroaches, rodents and the odd wasp nest. We inspect first and fit the treatment to the building.
An office suburb that people also live in
Illovo sits between Rosebank, Melrose and Sandton, and over the years it has become as much a business address as a residential one. Office blocks, corporate headquarters and converted houses now used as offices sit alongside apartment buildings, townhouse complexes and a shrinking number of original family homes. Restaurants, coffee shops and gyms serve the workday crowd, and basement parking runs under many of the newer buildings.
That gives Illovo a pest profile that is half commercial and half domestic. The same rat can live in an office basement during the week and raid a townhouse bin at night. Pigeons that roost on office ledges also nest under apartment balconies. And cockroaches arrive in office kitchens with deliveries just as easily as they arrive in a home with the groceries.
For office and building managers
Cockroaches in staff kitchens
Office kitchenettes are warm, have dishwashers and fridges, and get cleaned in a hurry. German cockroaches settle in fridge seals, dishwasher kickplates, coffee machine housings and cupboard hinges. Gel bait placed in those spots clears them without closing the kitchen.
Rodents in basements and service areas
Basement parking, refuse rooms and plant rooms give rats and mice shelter close to food. Lockable, tamper-resistant stations around the perimeter and in the refuse area, checked on a schedule, keep numbers down. We provide a written service record for each visit, which tenants, landlords and auditors often ask for.
Pigeons and bird droppings
Ledges, signage and air-conditioning units are favourite roosts. Droppings stain facades, block gutters and bring in bird mites. We fit spikes and netting and seal gaps; our page on bird proofing across Johannesburg shows the options.
Flies in canteens
Flies follow bins and food waste. Better refuse handling, sealed bins and treatment of breeding and resting areas do far more than an aerosol on the counter.
For residents
In apartments and townhouses the common calls are cockroaches in kitchens, ants coming in from the gardens before rain, and mice getting into garages in winter. Older houses on bigger stands add roof rats, harvester termites in lawns and wasps under eaves. In complexes we recommend treating the whole site through the body corporate, because units share walls, ducts and roofs. If mice are your main problem, our page on mouse control in Johannesburg explains how we handle them. Ground-floor flats with small gardens also get the odd spider or millipede wandering in under the door after summer rain.
Signs worth reporting early
- Cockroaches seen in daylight in an office kitchen, which usually means a large population hiding nearby.
- Droppings or gnawed cable sleeves in a basement, plant room or server room.
- Pigeons gathering on the same ledge every evening, with droppings building up below.
- Ant trails along skirting boards in ground-floor flats after the first summer rain.
How we work around the working day
For offices we can treat early in the morning, after hours or over weekends so staff aren't disrupted. Our treatments are odourless and non-staining, and nobody needs to leave the building for a normal insect treatment; people simply stay off treated surfaces until they're dry.
The mistake we see in offices
Leaving pest control to whoever notices the problem. One staff member buys a spray, another sets a trap, and nobody checks the basement. It also leaves nothing on file when a landlord or an auditor asks what has been done. A simple scheduled contract with someone accountable for the record usually costs less than repeated emergency call-outs.
An Illovo tip
Ask your cleaning team to pull out the office fridge and dishwasher once a month and clean behind them. It's the single place German cockroaches settle first in an office kitchen, and the one place nobody looks.
What it costs and why
For businesses, the price depends on the size of the building, the number of bait stations, how many kitchens or canteens there are and how often we visit. Bird proofing is quoted on the length of ledge and the materials needed. For homes, it depends on the size and the pest. Guide "from" prices for every service are on our pest control prices page, and we quote after an inspection.
Illovo falls within our Rosebank coverage area, and we also have a page for pest control in Melrose next door.
Combat Pest Control is owned and operated by Jason van Heerden, who has 25 years of experience in the industry. We're SAPCA registered and Department of Agriculture registered, offer service within 24 hours and guarantee general treatments for 3 months. Office managers and residents can call 084 200 2700 or WhatsApp us a photo.
Questions we get asked
Can you treat our office after hours?
Yes. We can work early, after hours or on weekends so staff and clients aren't disrupted.
Do you provide pest control records for audits?
Yes. Scheduled monitoring includes a written service record for every visit, with station checks noted.
How much does an office pest control contract cost?
It depends on the building size, the number of stations and kitchens, and how often we visit. We quote after a site inspection.
How do we stop pigeons roosting on our building?
Spikes, netting and sealing gaps, fitted to the ledges and units they use. Feeding them nearby undoes the work, so discourage that too.
Our townhouse complex has mice. Who should arrange treatment?
Ideally the body corporate, so all units and common areas are treated together. Mice move freely between garages and roof spaces.
Do staff need to leave the office during treatment?
No. Normal insect treatments are odourless; staff only need to avoid treated surfaces until they're dry.