If you live or work in Pretoria East and something has moved in, the quickest way to fix it is to work out what kind of property you're in and where the pest is coming from. A townhouse in a complex, a family home on a big stand and a shop in a strip centre all get different pests for different reasons. We've been treating them across the east of the city for 25 years, and the inspection always comes before the treatment.
One side of the city, four kinds of pest problem
Security estates on the edge of the veld
Newer estates on the eastern fringe tend to have solid, modern houses, so the trouble comes from outside. Open veld and green belts bring harvester termites into the lawns, rodents to the boundary walls when it gets cold, and the odd scorpion around rockeries. Irrigated gardens also suit moles and ants.
Townhouse complexes
Complexes share walls, roofs, drains and refuse areas. That's why cockroaches and mice can move from unit to unit, and why spraying one kitchen often just pushes them next door. A body corporate plan that covers the whole complex, or at least a whole block, usually does far better than one owner acting alone.
Older freestanding homes
The established parts of the east have mature trees, bigger gardens and roofs that have had decades to develop gaps. Roof rats use overhanging branches, paper wasps build under the eaves, and older timber can attract subterranean termites.
Shops, offices and restaurants
Food outlets and offices in the shopping centres and along the main roads mostly deal with German cockroaches, flies and rodents around bin areas. These sites do best on a scheduled monitoring contract rather than waiting for a problem to show.
The pests we treat most often in the east
- Harvester termites cutting kikuyu lawns down to bare sand in dry months. The holes and small soil dumps are easy to spot once you know to look.
- Ants trailing in along paving and irrigation lines, especially just before a summer storm.
- Cockroaches behind fridges, under sinks and in the motors of appliances, mostly in complexes and food businesses.
- Rats and mice in roofs and garages from late autumn onwards.
- Wasps nesting under eaves, patio roofs and carports through summer.
Garsfontein is the closest of our key areas and it covers most of these, so pest control in Garsfontein is a good next read. If your main worry is the lawn, our page on harvester and structural termites in Moreleta Park explains both types.
How a visit works
We arrange a time and, for estates, get the gate access sorted when we book. Then we walk the property inside and out: kitchen, roof space where we can reach it, garage, garden, boundary walls. We're looking for where the pest lives, what it's eating and how it gets in. Only then do we choose the treatment.
For cockroaches that's usually gel bait placed where they hide, not a fog. For ants it's bait the workers carry home. Rodents get lockable bait stations outside and traps in the roof, with advice on which gaps to close. Lawns with harvester termites get a treatment at the active openings. Our sprays are odourless and don't stain, and you don't need to leave the house. Keep kids and pets off treated areas until they're dry.
A common mistake in complexes
An owner sees cockroaches, buys a can of spray and fogs the kitchen. The cockroaches scatter into the wall cavities and the unit next door, the gel bait that would have worked is now contaminated by spray, and a few weeks later they're back. If you're in a complex, speak to your neighbours or your managing agent first. Our cockroach treatments for Garsfontein complexes show how we handle a whole block.
One tip that suits Pretoria East
Many eastern gardens have paving laid right up to the house and lawn running to the boundary wall. Every few months, lift the edge of the doormat and check the joints along the kitchen door and the garage. Ants and harvester termites both leave fine soil there long before you see a trail or a bare patch. Catch it early and the job is smaller.
What does it cost?
The price depends on the pest, the size of the property and how established the problem is. A single kitchen with a few cockroaches is a small job. A whole complex, a lawn badly hit by harvester termites, or a restaurant that needs regular monitoring is quoted to the site. If what you have can be handled with a bait from the hardware store, we'll tell you that honestly. For ants in particular, our ant control in Faerie Glen has a few things worth trying first.
We're SAPCA registered, and our treatments carry a 3-month guarantee: if the pest comes back within three months, we come back. Call 012 012 5526 to book an inspection, or WhatsApp us a photo of what you're finding and we'll tell you what it is.
Questions we get asked
Which parts of Pretoria East do you cover?
All of it, from the older suburbs to the newer estates on the eastern edge. We also work in the surrounding areas, including Garsfontein, Moreleta Park, Faerie Glen and Elardus Park.
Can our body corporate book one treatment for the whole complex?
Yes, and it's usually the better option. We can treat the common areas, refuse rooms and every unit in a block, so pests have nowhere to retreat to.
Why are ants suddenly coming inside before it rains?
Ants move their nests and forage harder when a storm is coming, so a trail often appears in the kitchen a day or two before the rain. Bait, not spray, is what clears the nest.
Do you need to get into the roof?
For rodents and some wasp or bird mite problems, yes, if there's a safe trapdoor. For ants, cockroaches and lawn termites we usually don't.
Is it safe to treat with a baby in the house?
Yes. Gel baits and bait stations are placed out of reach, and residual sprays are only used where needed. Keep the baby and pets away from sprayed surfaces until they've dried.
How can I tell harvester termite damage from a dying lawn?
Look for small round holes with loose soil around them and short, cut grass pieces lying on the surface. Plain drought or disease doesn't leave holes.