Pest control in Waterkloof Glen homes

Pest control in Waterkloof Glen tends to follow the seasons: cockroaches and ants through the hot summer, fleas when the garden is at its busiest, termites after the first rains, rats and mice as winter sets in, and fish moths in old cupboards all year. Combat Pest Control serves Waterkloof Glen from Johannesburg and plans treatment around that cycle.

About Waterkloof Glen

Waterkloof Glen is an established Pretoria East suburb, close to Menlo Park, Lynnwood and Waterkloof. It is mostly free-standing family homes on good-sized stands, many built several decades ago with face brick, tiled roofs, parquet or timber floors and large built-in cupboards. Gardens are mature, with big trees, lawns and the family dogs. Some homes have been divided or extended, and a few townhouse developments have gone up on subdivided stands.

Homes of this age have particular weak points. Old clay or cast-iron drains crack, and cockroaches use the gaps. Built-in cupboards against outside walls stay dark and slightly damp. Roof timbers and floors are old enough to interest termites and wood borer. And a big, shady garden full of dogs is ideal flea country.

A Waterkloof Glen pest year

Spring: ants and the first termites

As temperatures rise in September and October, ant colonies wake up and start foraging indoors, often through the kitchen and the pantry. The first heavy storms bring termite swarmers out of the ground. A swarm on the lawn is normal. Winged termites coming out of a skirting board, a door frame or a crack in the floor inside the house is not, and it means a colony has reached the building. Our termite control in Johannesburg page explains what happens next.

Summer: cockroaches and fleas

Large American cockroaches come up through floor drains, bathroom traps and outside manholes on hot nights, especially where the old pipes have cracked. German cockroaches are a separate, indoor problem in kitchens. We treat drains and outside manholes for the big ones and gel bait for the small ones, and our cockroach treatment across Johannesburg page compares the two. Fleas peak in summer too. Treating the house, the dog beds and the shady parts of the garden on the same day, while the dogs get a vet-approved product, is the only way to break the cycle.

Autumn and winter: rats and mice

From about April, roof rats and house mice move indoors as the nights get cold. Garages, roof spaces over the kitchen and the gap behind old built-in units are favourites. Lockable bait stations outside, and traps in the roof, sort it out, followed by closing the gaps around pipes and under garage doors.

All year: fish moths and booklice

Silver fish moths eat paper, book bindings, wallpaper paste and starched clothing in dark cupboards and studies. Booklice turn up on damp papers and in pantries. Both are a sign of a little extra humidity. A crack and crevice treatment plus better airflow in the cupboard usually solves them.

How we treat an older family home

We inspect inside and out first, including the roof space if there is a hatch, the garage, outside drains and the garden. Older homes often need a few small repairs as much as they need a treatment, and we will point those out. Our sprays are odourless and do not stain, so parquet floors and carpets are safe. You stay at home throughout; just keep children and the dogs off treated areas until they dry.

Where owners go wrong

Pouring bleach or drain cleaner down the floor drain to stop cockroaches. It may kill a few, but the cockroaches are living in the broken pipe and the manhole outside, not in the trap. They come straight back. Treating the manholes and having a plumber look at cracked pipes is what lasts.

A local tip

Lift the lid of your outside sewer manhole on a warm evening and shine a torch inside. If you see cockroaches on the walls, that is where your kitchen and bathroom visitors are coming from, and it is the first place we will treat.

What it costs and why

Price depends on the pest, the size of the home and how many areas need attention. A seasonal ant or cockroach treatment is a modest job. Flea treatment that covers the house and garden costs a little more. Termite work depends on the type of termite and the perimeter of the house. The pest control prices page lists guide "from" prices, and we quote after seeing the property, with an honest word if you can manage a small problem yourself.

We also work in neighbouring Menlo Park and across Lynnwood, and the full range of our services is on our pest control page for Johannesburg and Gauteng.

Jason van Heerden owns Combat Pest Control and still does the work himself, with 25 years of experience behind him. We are SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture under Act 36, offer service within 24 hours, and general treatments carry a 3-month guarantee. Call 084 200 2700 or WhatsApp a photo of the problem.