Pest control in Atteridgeville is mainly about rats, cockroaches, bed bugs, flies and mice, the pests that spread quickly where homes, backyard rooms and small shops sit close together. Combat Pest Control serves Atteridgeville from Johannesburg. We inspect the yard as well as the house, then treat the places pests breed and hide.
Living close together
Atteridgeville is one of Pretoria's older townships, west of the city alongside Saulsville, with Pretoria West's industrial area not far off. It's a lively place, with family houses, extended homes, rows of backyard rooms that are rented out, schools, churches, taverns, spaza shops and street traders. Many yards have several households on one stand.
Pests do well where buildings touch and food is close by. Rats move along walls, under zinc sheeting and through gaps under doors. Cockroaches travel in boxes, groceries and appliances. Bed bugs move with people, mattresses and second-hand furniture. None of that is a sign of a dirty home. It just means one house or room is rarely the whole problem.
The pests we see most
Rats
Rats are the biggest complaint, especially in winter. Brown rats burrow under paving, in rubbish heaps and along stormwater channels, and come into kitchens and storerooms at night. They chew through doors, wiring and food packaging. We use lockable bait stations, which are safe around children and pets, and traps where needed, and we show you where the rats are getting in. See how we get rid of rats for the full method.
Cockroaches
German cockroaches in kitchens and backyard rooms, and bigger American cockroaches coming up from drains in summer. Gel bait placed in cracks, behind fridges and inside cupboard hinges is what clears German cockroaches. Surface spray from a can mostly scatters them.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs hide in mattress seams, bed frames, couches and the cracks in walls next to beds. They bite at night, usually in a line. Treating them properly means working on every bed and room involved, then coming back for a follow-up. Our bed bug control service explains how to prepare.
Flies
Flies breed in rubbish, animal waste and food scraps, and they're worst in the hot months. For taverns, food stalls and spaza shops, bin hygiene matters as much as treatment.
Mice and fleas
Mice get into food stores and cupboards, especially in shops. Fleas build up where dogs and cats sleep, and in rooms with carpets.
When pests are worst
Rats are most noticeable from late autumn to the end of winter, when cold nights drive them into kitchens and storerooms. Flies and American cockroaches peak in the hot, wet months from November to February, especially after storms fill the drains. German cockroaches and bed bugs don't follow the seasons much; they live indoors and breed all year, which is why they need treating as soon as you notice them rather than waiting for the weather to change.
Shops, taverns and landlords
Spaza shops and food sellers need regular treatment because stock attracts rodents and cockroaches all year. Landlords with several backyard rooms get the best result by treating all the rooms on the same day, so pests can't just move from one tenant to the next. We can set up regular visits with a record of each one, which helps if a health inspector asks.
How we work
We check the house, every room on the stand, the yard and the drains. Treatments are odourless and won't stain, and nobody needs to leave; keep children and pets away from treated surfaces until they're dry, and rodent bait stays locked inside stations.
Combat Pest Control is owned and run by Jason van Heerden, with 25 years in the trade. We're registered with SAPCA and the Department of Agriculture. We offer service within 24 hours, and our general treatments carry a 3-month guarantee.
What often goes wrong
Street poison. Loose rat poison sold on the roadside is often unregistered, it gets eaten by children, dogs and cats, and rats that die inside walls cause a smell that lasts for weeks. Bait in a locked station does the same job safely. If you've been using loose poison and still have rats, the problem is entry points, not the bait.
An Atteridgeville tip
Lift rubbish, old tyres, building rubble and firewood off the ground and away from the walls of the house and rooms. Rats nest underneath anything that's left lying in the yard. A clear yard does more than any amount of poison.
What it costs and why
The cost depends on the pest, the number of rooms or buildings and how bad the problem is. A cockroach treatment in one house is a small job. Bed bugs cost more because each bed and room has to be treated and followed up. Shops and landlords with several rooms get a price for the whole stand. Every page shows a guide "from" price, and our pest control price list explains how we work it out.
Atteridgeville sits right next to Saulsville, and our full set of services is on the main pest control page for Johannesburg.
To book, call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a photo of the pest.
Questions we get asked
How much does it cost to get rid of rats in Atteridgeville?
It depends on how many rooms and buildings are on the stand and how bad the activity is. We give you a clear price after a quick inspection.
Is your rat bait safe for my children?
Yes. The bait stays inside lockable stations that children and pets can't open, which is far safer than loose poison.
Can you treat all the backyard rooms at once?
Yes, and it's the best way. Treating every room on the same day stops cockroaches and bed bugs moving between tenants.
Do you treat spaza shops and taverns?
Yes. We do once-off treatments and regular visits with a record of each one, which helps with health inspections.
How long do bed bugs take to clear?
Usually two visits: a full treatment, then a follow-up a few weeks later to catch any that hatched from eggs.
Do I need to leave the house?
No. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry, but you can stay home.