Most pest control in Moregloed involves older family homes: cockroaches in kitchens, fishmoths in cupboards, roof rats, bird mites from nests in the roof, and termites or wood borer in old timber. Combat Pest Control comes out from Johannesburg to this north-eastern Pretoria suburb, inspects to find the source, and treats it without making a mess of your home.
About Moregloed
Moregloed is one of the older north-eastern suburbs of Pretoria, near Villieria and Queenswood. It is mainly made up of family houses on good-sized stands, many built in the middle of the last century, with tiled or iron roofs, wooden trusses and ceilings, built-in cupboards and mature gardens full of trees and shrubs. It is a settled, quiet area where people often stay for decades.
Age is what defines the pest picture. Older roofs have gaps where birds and rats get in. Cupboards and wall cavities that haven't been emptied in years make perfect homes for fishmoths and cockroaches. Timber that has been in place since the house was built is what termites and wood borer look for. And Pretoria's warm climate keeps everything active for much of the year.
What we find in Moregloed homes
German and American cockroaches
German cockroaches live in kitchens, behind fridges, inside appliance motors and in the cracks of old cupboards. American cockroaches are the large ones that come up from drains and outside manholes on warm nights. We use gel bait inside for the first and treat drains and the perimeter for the second.
Fishmoths
These silvery insects feed on starch: book bindings, wallpaper glue, cardboard boxes and stored clothing. They love dark, slightly damp linen cupboards, storerooms and garages. Treating the hiding places, and reducing the damp and the cardboard, gets rid of them. Our fishmoth treatments page explains more.
Bird mites
This one surprises people. When mynas, pigeons or sparrows nest in the roof and the chicks leave, the tiny mites that fed on them come down through light fittings and ceiling gaps looking for a new host, and they bite. You need to remove the nest, treat the roof space and the rooms below, and close the gap the birds used. See bird mite control for the full process.
Roof rats
Mature trees and creepers give roof rats an easy climb into older roofs. Scratching at night and droppings in the ceiling are the usual signs. We bait outside in lockable stations, trap in the roof and show you where to seal.
Termites and wood borer
Mud tubes and hollow skirting boards mean subterranean termites; small round holes and powder in roof timbers or old furniture mean wood borer. We confirm which before quoting, because they are treated in completely different ways.
When ants arrive
Ants are the other seasonal visitor in Moregloed's gardens. They nest under paving and in flowerbeds, then trail into kitchens and pantries as the summer storms build. Baits placed where the workers travel get carried back to the nest, which clears the colony far better than spraying the trail you can see.
How a Moregloed visit goes
We check the kitchen, cupboards, storerooms, garage and the roof space if there's a trap door, then walk the garden and look at the drains, trees and roof edges. Treatments are odourless and won't mark floors or furniture. You can stay at home throughout; keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry. Where birds are getting into the roof, we can also advise on bird proofing so the problem does not repeat.
The mistake behind repeat problems
Spraying a cockroach or fishmoth problem with an aerosol from the shop. It kills the insects you can see, but the eggs and the ones deep in the cracks survive, and in an older kitchen there are a lot of cracks. Within weeks you're back where you started, and the insects have learned to avoid the sprayed areas.
Our Moregloed tip
Go into the roof, or ask someone to, once a year in late winter before the breeding season. Look for nests, droppings and daylight showing through gaps at the eaves. Closing those gaps before spring keeps out both birds and rats, and with them the bird mites.
What it costs and why
The cost depends on the pest and how much of the house is involved. Cockroaches or fishmoths in a kitchen and a few cupboards are a modest job. Bird mites need the nest removed, the roof treated and the rooms below done, so they cost a bit more. Termite or wood borer work depends on how much timber is affected. Our guide to pest control prices shows where each service starts, and we confirm after the inspection.
We also work in Villieria and Queenswood nearby, and right across Gauteng through our Johannesburg pest control service.
Combat is SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture, with 25 years of experience. We offer service within 24 hours and a 3-month guarantee on general treatments. Call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a photo of the insect, the bite marks or the droppings.
Questions we get asked
What does pest control cost in Moregloed?
It depends on the pest and how much of the house we treat. Cockroaches or fishmoths in a kitchen are a modest job; bird mites or termites cost more because of the roof and timber work involved. We quote after a look.
Something is biting me at night but it isn't mosquitoes. What could it be?
If birds have recently nested in your roof, it is often bird mites. Bed bugs and fleas are the other usual suspects. Send us a photo of the bites and any tiny insects you find.
How do I get rid of fishmoths in my cupboards?
Clear out old cardboard and paper, reduce damp and have the hiding places treated. Sprays alone rarely reach where they breed.
Do I need to leave the house for treatment?
No. You can stay home during normal treatments, as long as children and pets stay off treated areas until the product has dried.
Will the cockroaches come back?
Not if the colony is properly baited and food sources are controlled. Our general treatments carry a 3-month guarantee; if they come back in that time, so do we.
Can you stop birds getting into my roof?
Yes. We remove old nests and advise on bird proofing, such as sealing gaps at the eaves, so they can't get back in.