The pests that keep Faerie Glen residents phoning us are fairly predictable: termites in lawns and occasionally in timber, rats and mice when the nights get cold, scorpions and spiders along rocky ground, cockroaches in complex kitchens, and moles in well-watered gardens. Most of them have a direct link to the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve and the open grassland, ridges and stream it protects. We've worked in Pretoria East for 25 years, and in this suburb the first question is usually how close you are to that open ground.
Three kinds of property, three different pest pictures
Freestanding homes near the reserve
Houses that back onto or sit close to the reserve get the most pressure from outside. Grassland is natural termite country, rocky ridges shelter scorpions, and the stream corridor gives rodents water and cover all year. Here the job is mostly about the boundary: what's crossing the wall, where it hides once it's in your garden, and which gaps lead from the garden into the house.
Townhouse complexes
In complexes the problem moves indoors and spreads sideways. Units share roof voids, walls, plumbing runs and refuse areas, so cockroaches in Faerie Glen complexes and rodents in the ceiling rarely stay in one home. Treating one unit while the neighbours do nothing usually buys a few quiet weeks, then it starts again. We'd much rather work with the body corporate on a whole-site plan.
Retirement villages
Faerie Glen has retirement villages, and they have their own needs. Communal kitchens and dining rooms need proper cockroach and fly control, residents may not be able to clear cupboards or climb into roofs, and everyone wants treatments that don't leave a smell. We use odourless, non-staining products, and we plan visits with management so residents know what's happening and when.
The pests we treat most here
- Harvester and subterranean termites. Bare, sandy patches in winter lawns are the usual sign. Our page on termite treatment in Faerie Glen explains how we tell the lawn species from the one that eats roof timbers.
- Rats and mice. Roof rats climb in via trees and creepers, and field mice drift in from the grassland in autumn. See our approach to rats in Faerie Glen.
- Scorpions and spiders. Rockeries, stone retaining walls and paving on the ridges give them shelter. Scorpion control for Faerie Glen homes covers how we find and treat their hiding places.
- Cockroaches and ants. Mostly an indoor, kitchen-and-bathroom problem, worst in summer.
- Moles. Raised ridges across lawns and flowerbeds, usually in irrigated gardens. Read about getting moles out of a Faerie Glen garden.
- Wasps, flies and mosquitoes. Paper wasp nests under eaves, and more flying insects for homes near the stream on summer evenings.
How a visit works
We inspect before we treat. That means walking the garden and the house, checking the roof void where there's access, and looking for the reason the pest is there: food, water, shelter or a way in. Then we treat what we find, using gel baits for cockroaches, ant baits that go back to the nest, lockable bait stations and traps for rodents, registered soil treatments for termites, and targeted treatments for scorpions and wasp nests. You don't need to move out for any of this. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry. If a follow-up is needed, we book it before we leave.
The mistake we see most in this suburb
People assume that because the reserve is next door, there's nothing they can do. That isn't true. You can't stop termites living in the grassland or rats using the stream, but you can make your property a poor place to settle. Clear stacked rocks and timber away from the house, cut back branches that touch the roof, keep soil below the damp-proof course, and don't leave pet food out overnight. Those four habits remove most of the reasons pests cross the wall.
A local tip
If your garden backs onto open ground, walk that boundary once a month with a torch after dark in summer. You'll see which corners scorpions, rodents and cockroaches use, and you'll know exactly where to clear cover or where to ask us to focus.
What does it cost?
That depends on the pest, the size of the property and whether one visit will do it. A single cockroach treatment in a flat is a small job. A termite treatment around a large house, or rodent work across a complex, is quoted after we've seen the site. Businesses, complexes and villages can take a scheduled monitoring contract instead of paying for call-outs. If we think a hardware-store trap or bait will sort out your problem, we'll tell you.
Faerie Glen shares a lot with the suburbs around it, and you'll find similar advice on our Lynnwood pest control page. We're SAPCA registered, and our treatments carry a 3-month guarantee: if the pest comes back within three months, we come back too. Call 012 012 5526, or send us a photo on WhatsApp and we'll help you work out what you've got.
Questions we get asked
Do you work inside Faerie Glen retirement villages?
Yes. We arrange visits with village management, use odourless products, and work around residents who can't move furniture or clear cupboards themselves.
Is living next to the nature reserve the reason I have so many pests?
It's a big part of it. The grassland, ridges and stream support termites, rodents and scorpions, and homes on the edge of open ground see more of them than homes deeper in the suburb.
Can you treat our whole complex at once?
Yes, and for cockroaches and rodents it's the approach we recommend. Units share roofs, walls and drains, so treating them together lasts far longer.
Will the treatment harm wildlife from the reserve?
We keep that risk low by using lockable bait stations and targeted treatments instead of broad spraying across the garden.
Do I need to leave the house during treatment?
No, not for normal insect and rodent treatments. Only gas fumigation requires an area to be empty, and that's rarely needed in a home.
Do you remove snakes?
No, we don't handle snakes. If you find one, keep your distance and call a registered snake handler.