If you rent or own a flat in Sunnyside and you've got cockroaches, bed bugs or mice, you can get rid of them, but the treatment has to account for the building. Pests in high-density blocks travel through pipe ducts, electrical conduits, refuse chutes and the gaps under front doors. A treatment in your flat alone can work, but it lasts far longer when the units around you and the common areas are treated too.
Sunnyside's pest picture
Sunnyside is one of Pretoria's high-density inner-city areas, with blocks of flats alongside shops, takeaways and other businesses. Lots of people in a small area, shared services and plenty of food handling mean the same three or four pests come up again and again.
German cockroaches
These are the most common call from flats. Small, light brown and quick, they live in the warm, tight spaces around kitchens: behind stoves, under sinks, in fridge motors and in the cracks where cupboards meet walls. In a block they also run along pipe ducts from one kitchen to the next. Spraying sends them into the walls, and often into your neighbour's flat, then back again. We use gel baits placed where they hide, which they eat and carry back to the others. See cockroach control in Brooklyn and the inner suburbs for more.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs travel in luggage, second-hand furniture and clothing, and in a building with lots of people moving in and out, they get around. Signs to watch for:
- Itchy bites in lines or clusters, often on the arms, neck and shoulders, after sleeping.
- Small dark spots on mattress seams, the bed frame or the wall behind the headboard.
- Tiny pale shed skins and, sometimes, the bugs themselves in the seams.
Bed bugs need a thorough treatment and a follow-up, plus some preparation from you. Our bed bug treatments near Brooklyn explain what's involved, and the article on how to get rid of bed bugs covers what you can do while you wait.
Mice and rats
Refuse areas, bin rooms and the takeaways at street level supply plenty of food. Mice get into flats through gaps around pipes and under doors. In buildings we place lockable bait stations in common areas and bin rooms, and advise on sealing the gaps.
For landlords, body corporates and managing agents
A building-wide plan saves money in the end. Treating one complaint at a time means paying again and again as pests move around the block. We can treat every unit on a floor or in the whole building, the bin areas and the ducts, and set up scheduled monitoring after that. Businesses at ground level, especially food outlets, benefit from a regular contract too. Tenants who report early make it far easier to clear.
For tenants
Tell your landlord or agent as soon as you see a problem, ideally with a photo. Cockroaches and bed bugs are much easier to clear early. If you're treating your own flat, let your neighbours know, because they may need it too.
What people get wrong in flats
Using bug bombs. In a block of flats, a fogger drives cockroaches and bed bugs through the walls into other units and does little to the ones hiding deep in cracks. It also contaminates any gel bait already down. A targeted treatment works better.
A tip for Sunnyside flats
Look at where the pipes enter your kitchen and bathroom walls. In many older blocks there's a gap around the pipe, sometimes hidden behind a cupboard. Fill it with a sealant or steel wool. That one small job cuts down the cockroaches and mice reaching you from the duct.
How we treat
We inspect the flat and, where we're asked, the common areas. Then we treat with gel baits for cockroaches, a thorough bed bug treatment with follow-up, bait stations and proofing for rodents, and an odourless, non-staining residual spray where it helps. You don't need to move out for normal treatments. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until dry.
What does it cost?
A single flat with cockroaches in the kitchen is a small job. Bed bugs cost more, because they need preparation, a careful treatment and a follow-up. A whole building is quoted on the number of units and the common areas. We'll be straight about what's needed.
Sunnyside is covered by our Brooklyn team, and the Brooklyn pest control page has the wider picture. Our treatments come with a 3-month guarantee, backed by SAPCA registration and a quarter century in pest control. Call 012 012 5526, or WhatsApp us a photo of the insect.
Questions we get asked
Can you treat just my flat?
Yes. It works best when the neighbouring units and common areas are treated too, but a careful treatment of one flat still makes a big difference.
Do I have to leave my flat during treatment?
No, not for normal treatments. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry.
How do I prepare for a bed bug treatment?
Wash bedding and clothes from the bedroom on a hot cycle, clear the floor and under the bed, and don't move furniture to other rooms. We'll give you a full list when you book.
Can the building owner set up regular pest control?
Yes. We offer scheduled monitoring for buildings and businesses, covering bin rooms, ducts and common areas, with a record of each visit.
Why do cockroaches come back after I spray?
Spray kills the ones you see and scatters the rest into walls and neighbouring flats. Gel bait, which they carry back to the nest, is what clears them.