Pest control in Meadowlands homes

Pest control in Meadowlands often comes down to older houses that have grown over the years. Termites and wood borer get into decades-old door frames and roof timber, rats use the gaps where extensions meet the original roof, and cockroaches, bed bugs and ants move between the main house and backyard rooms. We find those weak points and treat them.

A township built in the 1950s

Meadowlands was established in the 1950s, and many of its first residents were families forcibly removed from Sophiatown. It's laid out in numbered zones, and most of the original houses were small, standard brick homes. Over the decades families have added rooms, garages, upper floors, verandas and backyard rooms for relatives and tenants. Many homes now look nothing like they did when they were built.

That history leaves its mark on pests. Original door frames, window frames and roof timbers can be sixty years old or more. Extensions were often built in stages, sometimes with different materials, leaving gaps where the new roof meets the old one and cracks where a new slab joins an old floor. Those joins are the entry points we look for first.

Termites and wood borer in older timber

Subterranean termites come up from the soil and work through door frames, skirting boards, built-in cupboards and roof timbers, often through a crack where an extension meets the original house. Signs are mud tubes on walls, soil packed into cracks and timber that sounds hollow. Wood borer is a different insect: it leaves small round holes and fine, flour-like dust under the wood. The treatments differ, so we always confirm which one it is. See our termite control in Soweto page for details on soil treatment, baiting and the 5-year guarantee with certificate.

Rats in roofs and yards

Roof rats climb walls and trees and squeeze in where the new roof sheets don't quite meet the old ones. You'll hear them at night above the ceiling. Brown rats burrow in the yard, under paving and around drains. Lockable bait stations, traps in the roof and closing the gaps are the answer; loose poison in the ceiling just leaves a dead rat you can't reach.

Cockroaches in kitchens and rooms

German cockroaches are common in kitchens and backyard rooms, while big American cockroaches come out of drains in summer. Gel bait in cracks, hinges and behind appliances clears German cockroaches; drain and perimeter treatments deal with the American ones. Our cockroach treatments in Soweto explain the difference.

Bed bugs

Bed bugs spread when furniture, mattresses or luggage move between homes, and they quickly travel between rooms that share walls. The main house and backyard rooms should be treated together, with a follow-up visit after about two weeks.

Ants and fish moths

Fish moths turn up in older homes too, in wardrobes, boxes of papers and stored blankets, especially in rooms that stay cool and slightly damp. A targeted treatment of cupboards and less damp keeps them in check.

Small black ants and pugnacious ants come in along paving cracks and window frames, especially before summer rains. Bait, which the workers carry back to the nest, is the lasting answer.

How we treat a Meadowlands home

We look at the whole property: the original house, every extension, the roof space, the backyard rooms and the yard. We'll point out where old meets new, because that's often where the problem started. Our products are odourless, nobody has to leave, and children and pets just stay off treated surfaces until they're dry.

What people commonly get wrong

Replacing a termite-damaged door frame without treating the termites. The new frame goes in, looks fine for a year or two, and then the termites, still living in the soil below, start eating that one too. Treat first, then repair.

A Meadowlands tip

When you build an extension, don't bury rubble, timber offcuts or old frames under the new floor or in the yard. Buried wood feeds termite colonies for years, right next to your house.

What it costs and why

The cost depends on what we're treating and how big the home has become. A cockroach or ant treatment in the kitchen is affordable. Rats in the roof need bait stations, traps and sometimes a return visit. Termite work costs more because it involves treating the soil around the affected walls, and the price depends on how much of the house is involved. There's a guide "from" price on this page, and our pest control price page lists the starting point for each service. We'll explain the cost clearly before we begin.

Meadowlands is part of our Soweto pest control area. Nearby, Dobsonville has its own page.

Jason van Heerden owns and runs Combat Pest Control, with 25 years of experience. We're SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture, offer service within 24 hours, and give a 3-month guarantee on general treatments. Call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp us a photo of the damage or the pest.