Here's the short version: when you call us about insects in Bothastrand, we come out, find where they're living and how they're getting in, treat those spots with baits and odourless residual sprays, and put a barrier around the outside of the house. You stay home throughout, there's nothing to unpack, and the work carries a 3-month guarantee.
What a visit involves
1. Finding the source
We don't start spraying the minute we arrive. First we ask what you've been seeing and where, then we go looking: along skirtings and window frames, under sinks, in the roof space if needed, around the outside walls and into the garden. An ant trail across the kitchen floor always leads somewhere, and that somewhere is what we want to treat.
2. Treating the right way for each insect
Different insects need different tools. Ants get bait that the workers carry back to the nest, which takes out the colony rather than the few on your counter. Cockroaches get gel bait in the places they hide and feed. Fishmoths, spiders and fleas are dealt with using residual sprays applied into cracks, cupboards, carpets and the corners where they shelter.
3. A barrier inside and out
The final step is a protective treatment around the outside of the house and at the entry points inside: door frames, window sills, gaps where pipes come through. It keeps working after we've gone, which matters a lot in a place like this.
Why Bothastrand needs the outside treatment
Bothastrand is a small seaside community near Groot Brak, and many homes sit right up against coastal bush. That bush is full of life. Ants nest in the sandy ground, spiders hunt along the edges, and plenty of small beetles and crickets wander in on warm evenings. Add salt air and humidity that keep cupboards slightly damp, and you've got good conditions for fishmoths and cockroaches indoors too.
Because the insects keep arriving from outside, treating only inside the house is like mopping with the tap still running.
How to tell what you've got
- Ants: lines of tiny insects, usually worse after rain or on hot days, heading for anything sweet or a pet bowl.
- Fishmoths: silvery, fast, wingless insects in bookshelves and linen cupboards, with small holes chewed in paper or fabric.
- Fleas: itchy bites around the ankles, and pets scratching more than usual.
- Spiders: webs in the eaves, garage and around outside lights, often in numbers.
- Cockroaches: brown droppings like ground pepper in cupboard corners, or roaches scattering when the light goes on.
Not sure? Our pest identification guide will help, or simply WhatsApp us a photo.
Prevention that works near the bush
Keep a strip of clear ground between the house and the bush. Branches and shrubs touching walls and gutters give ants and spiders a bridge straight onto the roof. Move firewood stacks away from the house too, because they're a favourite hiding place for spiders and beetles. Inside, store dry food in sealed containers and fix dripping taps, since insects follow water as much as food. Wipe down the braai area after use, because fat and scraps draw ants and flies within hours.
Lights matter more than most people think. Bright outside lights near the door draw flying insects at night, and spiders follow. A warm, yellow globe or a light set slightly away from the door makes a noticeable difference.
The mistake we see most
Spraying ants with a household insecticide. It kills the ones you can see, but it also breaks up the trail and with some species can cause the colony to split into several new nests. The result is more ants in more places. Baits are slower to look at, but they finish the job.
What it costs
The price depends on how big the house and garden are, which insects we're treating and how established they are. A single ant problem in a small house is a straightforward job, usually done in one visit with a check on the baits if needed. Fleas through the whole house and garden, or cockroaches in a kitchen that's had them for a while, take longer and may need a follow-up. We'll give you a free quote first. And if it's genuinely a small, one-off trail you can trace to a gap, sealing the gap and using a shop ant bait may be all you need.
We also look after general pest control in Bothastrand, including cockroach control. For more detail on our insect treatments, see insect control in George.
We're SAPCA registered and have worked in the Garden Route for more than 25 years. Call us on 044 012 5011 and tell us what's coming in.
Questions we get asked
Do I have to take everything out of my cupboards?
No. For a normal insect treatment you can leave your cupboards as they are. We treat the cracks and corners where insects hide without you having to unpack.
Why do ants get worse after rain?
Rain floods their nests in the ground, so they move to higher, drier places, and your house is often the nearest one. That's when trails suddenly appear indoors.
Will the outside treatment harm my garden?
No. It's applied along the walls, door frames and entry points of the house, not sprayed over your beds and shrubs.
Can you treat for fleas if I have pets?
Yes. We treat the house and the areas where pets sleep, and we'll ask you to have the animals treated by your vet at the same time so they don't bring fleas straight back.
How long does the barrier treatment last?
It keeps working well after we have left, and the whole treatment is covered by our 3-month guarantee. If the insects we treated come back in that time, so do we.
Do you come out to Bothastrand from George?
Yes. Our office is in Denneoord, George, and Bothastrand is part of the area we cover regularly.