Pest control in Bophelong, near Vanderbijlpark

Pest control in Bophelong mostly comes down to rats and mice moving in from open ground, bed bugs and cockroaches inside homes and backyard rooms, and fleas and flies in summer. Combat Pest Control serves Bophelong from Johannesburg. We find out how pests are getting in and where they're breeding, then deal with both.

A growing township on the Vaal

Bophelong lies west of Vanderbijlpark in the Emfuleni area of the Vaal Triangle, close to Boipatong and the industrial belt. Over the years it has expanded well beyond its original streets, with many newer RDP and government-subsidised houses, extensions and backyard rooms, plus informal areas on the fringes. Much of the newer housing sits right against open veld and vacant land.

That edge is important. New houses settle, and gaps appear where roof sheeting meets walls, around door frames and where pipes come through. Open land next door is full of rodents and insects. Put the two together and pests move in quickly, especially in the cold Vaal winters.

The pests that matter most

Rats and mice

Rodents come in from the veld, from rubbish heaps and from neighbouring yards. Mice slip through gaps the width of a pencil and nest in cupboards, roofs and behind stoves. Rats chew into food stores and wiring. We place lockable bait stations outside, use traps inside, and walk you around the house to show the gaps that need closing, such as under doors and where the roof meets the wall. The full method is on our rat removal page.

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are one of the most common calls in shared and backyard rooms. They arrive with second-hand mattresses, furniture, visitors' bags or a new tenant, and spread from room to room. You'll see small blood spots on sheets, dark marks on mattress seams and bites in lines. They need a careful treatment of every bed and nearby crack, then a follow-up. Read about treating bed bugs in homes and rooms.

Cockroaches

German cockroaches hide in kitchens, fridges and the cracks between cupboards. They spread in boxes and appliances. Gel baits clear them far better than spray.

Fleas

Fleas build up where dogs and cats sleep, in yards and inside. Children are often bitten worst. House, yard and animals need treating together.

Flies

In the hot months flies breed in uncollected rubbish and animal waste. Keeping bins covered and rubbish away from the house helps more than anything.

Signs worth calling about

• Scratching in the roof at night, or droppings behind the stove
• Holes chewed in bread, maize meal or other food packets
• Bites in a row after sleeping, or blood spots on the sheets
• Small cockroaches in the kitchen when the light goes on
• Bites around the ankles that keep coming back

For landlords with backyard rooms

If you rent out rooms, treat all of them on the same day. Bed bugs and cockroaches move between rooms easily, and treating one tenant's room just sends them next door. We can come back regularly and keep a record of each visit.

How we work

We inspect the house, every room on the stand, the yard and the boundary with the veld. Products are registered, odourless and won't stain, and you can stay at home; just keep children and animals off treated surfaces until they've dried.

Combat Pest Control's owner and operator is Jason van Heerden, who has 25 years of experience. The business is SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture. You'll get service within 24 hours, and if a treated pest comes back within 3 months, we return.

What often goes wrong

Throwing out a bed-bug-infested mattress and buying another one, then bringing the new one into the same room. The bugs are also in the bed frame, the wall cracks and the furniture nearby, and they'll move straight into the new mattress. Treat the room first, then replace what really needs replacing.

A Bophelong tip

Check where your roof sheeting sits on the walls. In many newer homes there's a gap along the top of the wall under the roof, and that's exactly how mice and rats get inside. Filling it with mortar or sealing it with mesh stops them at the source.

What it costs and why

The cost depends on the pest, the number of rooms or houses on the stand and how established the problem is. Mice or cockroaches in one house is a small job. Bed bugs cost more because each bed and room has to be treated and then checked again. Landlords get one price for all the rooms. Every page shows a guide "from" price, and the Combat price list explains how we work it out.

Bophelong neighbours Boipatong and Vanderbijlpark, and every service we offer is listed on the Johannesburg pest control page.

Call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a photo of the bites, droppings or insects.