Pest control in Tarlton is farm and plot work: rats and mice in sheds, feed stores and pack houses, ticks and fleas on dogs and livestock, flies around animal pens, harvester termites in grazing and wasps under roof overhangs. Combat Pest Control serves Tarlton from Johannesburg, and we build every treatment around how your property is used.
Tarlton's farming landscape
Tarlton lies in the farming belt between Krugersdorp and Magaliesburg on the West Rand. It's an area of farms, smallholdings and agricultural plots, with crop fields, livestock, poultry, stables and the occasional small business working out of a shed. Distances are bigger than in town, and most properties have several buildings rather than one house.
Agriculture brings a lot of food into one place: grain, animal feed, stored produce and seed. Rodents follow it. Livestock and pets bring ticks and fleas, while manure and wet feed breed flies. The open veld and cultivated land around each property supply a constant flow of field mice and insects, so on a farm the aim is protection of the house and stores, with numbers kept low elsewhere.
Main pests on Tarlton properties
Rodents in stores and sheds
Rats and mice spoil far more than they eat. They contaminate stored feed and produce with droppings and urine, chew bags and wiring, and nest in machinery and tractor cabs. After a harvest, or when fields are ploughed, rodents move into buildings in large numbers. We install lockable, tamper-resistant bait stations around the outside of stores and sheds, keep traps inside sensitive areas, and set up regular checks. More on our approach is on the rodent control for Gauteng properties page.
Ticks
Dogs that roam the property collect ticks in the grass and bring them to kennels, verandas and the house. Ticks also affect horses and livestock. We treat kennels, lawns near the house, outbuilding floors and resting spots, working alongside the animal treatments recommended by your vet. Our page on tick treatments around Johannesburg explains more.
Flies
Flies breed in manure, wet bedding, spilled feed and rubbish, and in summer they swarm stables, pens and kitchens. Good manure management is the base, and we add targeted treatment around resting surfaces and the house.
Harvester termites and wasps
Harvester termites cut grass and carry it underground, leaving bare patches in grazing and lawns. Paper wasps nest under the eaves of farmhouses and sheds, and their stings are a hazard to workers and visitors. We treat the termite nests in affected areas and remove wasp nests safely.
How we handle a farm visit
We walk through the property with you: the house, workers' accommodation, feed and produce stores, sheds, pens and stables. We look for how rodents get in, where feed is exposed and where flies breed. Then we put together a plan that fits the property, from a once-off treatment to monthly monitoring with service records. Workers' houses and cottages are included in the plan, because pests that live in staff accommodation move easily into stores next door, and the people living there deserve the same protection as the farmhouse. Where produce is packed or stored for sale, we keep any bait well away from it and rely on traps inside. Treatments are odourless, and nobody needs to leave. Keep children and animals off treated surfaces until they're dry, and move livestock to another paddock while we treat their pens.
A mistake farmers often make
Using rodent bait in open trays or scattering it in stores is common on farms. It's dangerous to dogs, cats, poultry and the owls and raptors that help keep rodents down. It also leaves bait where it can contaminate stock. Lockable stations protect everything else while still reaching the rats.
A Tarlton tip
Keep a clear strip around feed stores and sheds, mowing the grass short and clearing rubble, old equipment and timber piles. Rodents moving in from the fields hate crossing open ground, and a clean strip pushes them towards the bait stations where they belong.
What it costs and why
A farm or smallholding costs more than a town house because of the number of buildings, the length of perimeter and the travel out to Tarlton. The pest matters too: a wasp nest is a short job, while rodent monitoring across several stores is an ongoing service. Monitoring contracts are priced on the number of stations and how often we visit. You'll see a guide "from" price on this page, and our Johannesburg and Gauteng price guide explains how quotes are worked out.
Jason van Heerden owns Combat Pest Control and has 25 years of experience in the field. We're registered with SAPCA and with the Department of Agriculture under Act 36 of 1947. We offer service within 24 hours, and general treatments carry a 3-month guarantee. We also work in Magaliesburg further west and in Krugersdorp, and our main pest control service in Johannesburg page lists everything we do.
Call 084 200 2700 to arrange a visit to your farm, or WhatsApp us a photo of the damage or droppings and we'll tell you what you're dealing with.
Questions we get asked
How much does pest control on a Tarlton farm cost?
It depends on the number of buildings, the size of the property and the pest. A once-off treatment and a monthly monitoring plan are priced differently. We visit, then quote; the guide 'from' price on this page is the starting point for standard treatments.
Is the rodent bait safe around my livestock and dogs?
It's kept inside locked, tamper-resistant stations, so animals can't reach it. We place them away from feeding areas.
Can you set up monthly monitoring for our stores?
Yes. We install numbered stations, check them on a set schedule and give you a service record after each visit.
Why do mice flood into the sheds at certain times?
When fields are harvested or ploughed, rodents lose their cover and food, and they move into the nearest buildings. Having stations in place beforehand helps a lot.
Do I need to move the animals during treatment?
Move them out of pens and stables while we treat, and let them back once the surfaces are dry.
Do you really travel out to Tarlton?
Yes. We serve Tarlton and the West Rand farming areas from Johannesburg, with service within 24 hours.