Pest control in La Montagne mostly involves wasps nesting under eaves, roof rats coming in from trees and koppies, subterranean and harvester termites, molerats tunnelling under lawns, and cockroaches in kitchens. Combat Pest Control serves La Montagne from Johannesburg, inspecting each home first so the treatment matches the real cause.
Living on the slope
La Montagne lies in the east of Pretoria, between Meyerspark and Mamelodi, on rising ground at the foot of the hills that run along that side of the city. Most of the suburb is made up of freestanding family homes with established gardens, with townhouse complexes added over the years. Many stands slope, with retaining walls, rockeries and terraced beds. There's open, rocky ground nearby on the higher slopes.
Slopes and rockeries create a lot of places to hide. Rats and mice shelter in rock walls and come down to houses at night. Wasps find sheltered eaves, carports and patio roofs. Lawns on deep, soft soil suit molerats, and the open ground nearby is home to harvester termites. Pretoria's warm summers mean wasps and cockroaches have a long season.
The pests La Montagne homes deal with
Wasps and bees
Paper wasps build open, umbrella-shaped nests under eaves, gutters, patio roofs and in dense shrubs. They're aggressive when disturbed, which is a real worry with children playing in the garden. We treat and remove wasp nests directly, early or late in the day when the wasps are settled. Bee swarms in walls or roofs are referred to or handled with a beekeeper wherever possible. More on our wasp nest removal page.
Roof rats
Roof rats travel along trees, creepers and walls and get in under eaves and roof sheeting. Scratching in the ceiling at night and droppings in the roof space are the giveaways. Outside bait in lockable stations, traps inside and sealing the gaps does the job. Our rodent control in Gauteng page goes into detail.
Molerats
Molerats push up lines of soil mounds across lawns and flowerbeds and eat bulbs and roots. People often mistake them for termites. We handle them with the right traps and methods for moles and molerats, which is a very different job from termite treatment.
Termites
Subterranean termites can damage door frames, skirting and cupboards, especially where soil has built up against outside walls. Harvester termites strip lawns in dry spells. We identify the species before treating.
Cockroaches
German cockroaches settle in kitchens, particularly in complexes where units share plumbing. American cockroaches come up from drains in summer. Gel baits and a follow-up check clear them.
Telling the lawn problems apart
Raised, crumbly mounds in a line, often with no open hole, mean molerats. Flat bare patches with small open holes and loose soil mean harvester termites. Brown patches with no holes at all are often just drought, lawn grubs or a fungal problem, which a garden service can sort out. A WhatsApp photo usually tells us which it is.
The mistake we see most
People knock wasp nests down with a broom or spray them with a household can in the middle of the day. Many get stung, and the wasps often rebuild in the same spot a few days later. Treating the nest properly, and at the right time of day, is safer and stops them coming back.
A La Montagne tip
Check your rockeries and retaining walls in autumn. Fill the gaps between stones near the house, and keep creepers and branches off the roof. On sloping stands, those walls are the first place rodents move into when the nights get cold.
Through the seasons on the slope
Wasps start building small nests in early spring and by midsummer some are the size of a saucer, so finding and removing them early is easier on everyone. Termites and ants wake up with the first warm, humid days and winged termites swarm after the first big storms. Molerats are active most of the year but are most noticeable after rain, when the soil is soft and fresh mounds appear overnight. Rats and mice move into roofs and garages once the nights turn cold in April and May.
How we work
We walk the garden and slopes, look at the eaves and roof, and check the kitchen and garage. You don't need to leave home for normal treatments; keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry, and away from any wasp nest until it's been removed. Complexes can book scheduled visits for common areas with a service record.
What it costs and why
The cost depends on what we're treating and how much of it there is. A single wasp nest is a quick job; several nests, or nests high up, take longer. Rodent control depends on how many stations and roof visits are needed. Termite work depends on the area and type of termite, and comes with a certificate and a 5-year guarantee. Mole work depends on how large the lawn is and how active they are. Look for the guide "from" price on this page, and see the Combat price list for the main services.
We also treat homes in neighbouring Meyerspark and in Mamelodi, and the rest of what we do is on our pest control page for Johannesburg.
Combat Pest Control is owned and operated by Jason van Heerden, who has 25 years in pest control. We're a SAPCA-registered business, registered with the Department of Agriculture under Act 36 of 1947, with service within 24 hours and a three-month guarantee on general treatments. Call us on 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp a photo of the nest, mound or droppings.
Questions we get asked
How much does pest control cost in La Montagne?
It depends on the pest and how much needs treating, from a single wasp nest to a full termite treatment. The guide price on this page gives the starting point; we quote after looking.
Should I remove a wasp nest myself?
It's safer not to. Wasps defend the nest and sting repeatedly. We treat and remove it at the right time of day so they don't rebuild.
Do you kill bees?
We'd rather save them, so we pass bee swarms to a beekeeper, or work alongside one, whenever we can.
Are the mounds in my lawn termites or moles?
Raised mounds in a line are usually molerats. Bare patches with small open holes are harvester termites. Send us a photo and we'll tell you.
I hear noises in the roof at night. What is it?
Most often roof rats, which come in from trees and rockeries. Droppings in the roof space confirm it.
Is it safe for my dogs?
Yes, when used correctly. Keep them off treated surfaces until dry, and rodent bait stays inside locked stations.