If you live in Silver Lakes, your pests probably come from outside the house: mosquitoes off the water on summer evenings, moles and harvester termites in the lawn, rodents moving in from the open ground, and paper wasps under the eaves. Indoors, ants and the odd cockroach follow. We treat all of these, book in through the estate's access system, and focus on the source rather than spraying everything.
A golf estate shapes its own pests
Silver Lakes is a large golf estate east of Pretoria with lakes and a lot of open space. Most houses back onto a fairway, a lake or a green belt, and that edge is where the pressure comes from. Water attracts mosquitoes and midges. Big, irrigated lawns attract moles. Open grassland supports rodents, which move closer to houses as the nights cool. The houses themselves are generally well built and well maintained, so we spend less time on structural problems and more on what's crossing the boundary.
Living on the water's edge
Homes facing a lake notice mosquitoes first. The lakes themselves aren't something a homeowner can treat, but most of the mosquitoes that bite you on the patio breed much closer: in blocked gutters, pot saucers, water features without fish, a pool cover holding rain or a wheelbarrow left upright. Clear those first. If they're still a problem, we treat the shady, sheltered spots around the house where adult mosquitoes rest during the day. See our flying insect treatments in the Faerie Glen area for more on how that works.
The fairway-side lawn
Moles
Golden moles love soft, watered soil full of grubs and earthworms, which describes almost every lawn in the estate. Raised ridges and soft spots that collapse underfoot are the sign. Flattening the ridges doesn't move them on. Our mole control near Faerie Glen deals with them without digging up the garden.
Harvester termites
In the dry months, harvester termites cut grass and carry it underground, leaving bare patches with small holes and loose soil. These termites don't damage houses, but they can undo a season's lawn care. We treat the active holes so the workers take the product down to the colony. The structural kind is a different problem, covered under termite control in Pretoria.
The house itself
Rats and mice from the open spaces look for warm roofs and garages from late autumn. Lockable bait stations along the boundary, with traps in the roof where needed, deal with them, but the lasting fix is closing gaps: garage door seals, pipe entries and branches touching the roof. Paper wasps build their small, open-celled nests under eaves, patio covers and pergolas in summer, and we remove and treat those directly. Ants follow irrigation lines and paving joints to the kitchen, and we bait them so the workers carry it home to the nest.
What homeowners often get wrong
Fogging the garden for mosquitoes before a braai is the usual one. It knocks down the insects in the air for an hour, kills the bees and other insects you want in the garden, and does nothing about where the mosquitoes are breeding. Finding and emptying standing water does more, costs nothing and lasts longer.
Working in the estate
We arrange gate access when we book and work within estate rules. Our treatments are odourless and non-staining, and you can stay at home. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry. Because pests move freely along shared fairways and green belts, neighbouring homes treated at the same time usually stay clear for longer. If the estate's management wants a scheduled monitoring programme for common areas, clubhouse kitchens or staff facilities, we can set that up too.
A local tip
Look at your irrigation timer before you call anyone about moles or ants. Lawns watered every evening stay soft and grub-rich, which moles love, and leaking drip lines give ants a water source right against the house. Watering deeply and less often helps the lawn and makes the garden less inviting to both.
What does it cost?
It depends on the pest and the area involved. A wasp nest or an ant problem is a small, quick job. Lawn treatments for harvester termites are priced on the affected area, and rodent work on the number of bait stations and visits. Mosquito treatments depend on how much of the property needs treating. We'll quote after an inspection, and if you can solve it by emptying a few water traps, we'll say so.
Silver Lakes sits closest to Faerie Glen, and everything we do on that side of the city is listed on our Faerie Glen pest control page. We're SAPCA registered, have 25 years behind us, and offer a 3-month guarantee: if the pest comes back within three months of treatment, so do we. Call 012 012 5526, or WhatsApp us a photo of the damage or the nest.
Questions we get asked
Can you treat the lake for mosquitoes?
No, and we wouldn't advise it. The lakes are managed by the estate. We focus on breeding sites on your property and the areas around the house where adult mosquitoes rest.
Is it moles or harvester termites in my lawn?
Moles leave raised ridges and soft tunnels, while harvester termites leave bare patches with small open holes and cut grass. We'll confirm which it is before treating.
Will the treatment affect the golf course or wildlife?
It's designed not to. We use targeted treatments and lockable bait stations rather than broad spraying, which keeps the effect on birds, fish and other wildlife low.
Do you need my permission to get through the gate?
Yes, we need you to log us in through the estate's visitor system. We arrange the date and time with you when we book.
Why do I get rats in the roof in a new house?
Because the open spaces around the estate support rodents, and a warm roof is attractive in winter. Small gaps at garage doors, pipes and eaves are enough to let them in.
Can the estate set up a contract for common areas?
Yes. We can service clubhouse kitchens, staff areas, guardhouses and common grounds on a schedule, with a record of every visit.