Pest control in Lotus Gardens, Pretoria West

Pest control in Lotus Gardens usually comes down to German cockroaches in kitchens, bed bugs in bedrooms, mice coming in from open ground, ants in summer and harvester termites in yards. Combat Pest Control serves Lotus Gardens from Johannesburg, and we treat the source rather than just the pests you can see.

A young suburb on open land

Lotus Gardens lies west of central Pretoria, next to Atteridgeville, and has been developed fairly recently, mostly as rows of compact family homes, some complexes and blocks of rental units. Much of the land around it was open grassland, and parts still are. Shops, schools and churches have grown up as the area filled in.

Newer homes on open land have a predictable set of pest problems. Ants and termites lived on that grassland long before the houses did, and they're still there under the yards. Mice move from the open ground into homes when the veld dries out in winter. Compact homes and rental units close together make it easy for cockroaches and bed bugs to spread from one household to the next, usually carried in boxes, furniture or luggage.

What we treat most in Lotus Gardens

German cockroaches

German cockroaches are small, light brown and live inside, in the warmest corners of the kitchen: behind the fridge, under the stove, in the kettle base and cupboard hinges. They're often brought home in grocery boxes and secondhand appliances. Gel bait in those hiding places, and a follow-up, clears them.

Bed bugs

Bed bugs travel in bags, clothes, secondhand beds and couches. They hide in mattress seams, the bed base and cracks near the bed, and bite at night. Every bed in the affected rooms needs to be treated, usually twice, to catch the eggs that hatch later. Our bed bug treatments page explains how to prepare.

Mice

Mice come in under doors and through gaps around pipes, especially from April to August. They chew food packets and leave droppings in cupboards. Lockable bait stations outside and traps inside keep them out of the house.

Ants

Ants nest under paving and in the yard and come inside along skirting boards and window frames before rain. We use baits that workers carry back to the nest, which clears the colony instead of moving it. See our ant control service for the details.

Harvester termites

Bare patches with small holes and loose soil in a yard usually mean harvester termites. They're common on open Highveld grassland, and new lawns struggle to establish when they're active. A targeted treatment of active areas protects the grass.

Rental units and landlords

Landlords with several units on one property should treat them all on the same day. Cockroaches and bed bugs move between units through shared walls, and if one tenant isn't treated, the problem returns to everyone else within weeks. We can also visit on a schedule for landlords and body corporates, with a written record after each visit.

Signs to watch for

Tiny black specks in cupboard corners and a musty smell mean cockroaches. Rusty spots on sheets and mattress seams mean bed bugs. Small droppings and chewed corners on food packets mean mice. A line of ants usually leads straight back to a gap at the bottom of a wall or window frame.

What people commonly get wrong

Bombs and foggers bought at the shop are a popular choice for cockroaches and bed bugs. They fill the room with spray but don't reach the cracks and seams where the insects actually hide, and they often push them into the next room or the neighbour's unit. A targeted treatment does far more.

Keeping a newer home pest-free

Newer homes are often built quickly, and small gaps are common: under the front and back doors, where pipes and cables enter the walls, around the geyser outlet and under roof sheets at the eaves. Fitting door brushes, filling pipe gaps with sealant or steel wool and closing the eaves with mesh keeps out most mice and a lot of insects. Keep the yard clear of old building rubble and stacked bricks, too, because rodents and termites shelter there first.

A Lotus Gardens tip

Before you bring a secondhand bed, couch or fridge into the house, check it carefully outside in good light: mattress seams and corners for bed bugs, the back and motor area of a fridge for cockroaches. It takes ten minutes and saves a lot of trouble.

How a visit works

We inspect the kitchen, bedrooms, yard and any outside units. You can stay at home during normal treatments; just keep little ones and animals away from sprayed areas until those have dried. We'll explain what we found and what to do afterwards.

What it costs and why

The price depends on the pest, the number of rooms or units and how many visits are needed. Cockroaches in one kitchen are a fairly quick job; bed bugs in several rooms take longer and need a second visit. Mice depend on how many stations are needed. Treating several units together brings the cost per unit down. This page shows a guide "from" price, and our pest control price guide lists the main treatments.

We also work in Atteridgeville next door and in Pretoria West, and the rest of our services are on our Johannesburg pest control page.

Jason van Heerden owns and runs Combat Pest Control and has been doing this work for 25 years. We're registered with SAPCA and the Department of Agriculture, we offer service within 24 hours, and if a treated pest comes back within three months, so do we, at no extra cost. Ring 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a picture of what's bothering you.