Knysna's damp climate suits insects. Here's how we deal with them

The quickest way to deal with insects in a Knysna house is to identify exactly which one you have and find where it's breeding. Ants, cockroaches, fishmoths, fleas and spiders each need a different approach, and the damp that hangs around a forest-and-lagoon town affects every one of them. Below is how we handle each, plus what you can do to make the treatment last.

Why Knysna is different

Knysna is wrapped in indigenous forest and built around a lagoon. That means moisture: misty mornings, damp timber, gardens that stay green, and houses that feel humid inside for much of the year. Many homes are timber, many sit on hillsides with trees right up against them, and plenty are holiday rentals that are closed up for weeks at a time. Insects like damp, sheltered, undisturbed spaces, and Knysna has no shortage of them.

Insect by insect

Fishmoths

Also called silverfish, these thrive on humidity. You'll find them in bookshelves, linen cupboards, behind skirtings and in cardboard boxes, damaging paper, photos and fabric. We treat the cracks and voids where they hide with a residual spray. Cutting down damp in cupboards, with better airflow or simply leaving the doors ajar, helps a great deal.

Ants

Forest-edge gardens hold big colonies, and they head indoors after heavy rain or when food is easy to reach. We use baits that the workers carry back to the nest, plus a barrier around the outside of the house so new trails struggle to get going.

Cockroaches

German cockroaches are an indoor problem, mostly in kitchens, and common in restaurants, flats and rental units. Gel baits placed in the cracks behind appliances and inside cupboard hinges are the most effective tool we have. The larger cockroaches that wander in from drains and garden debris are handled with a perimeter treatment.

Fleas

Fleas turn up wherever pets meet the outdoors, and holiday homes often get a flare-up when people arrive after a quiet spell. We treat carpets, rugs, pet bedding areas and the shady parts of the garden where pets lie. Have your pets treated by the vet at the same time, or the fleas simply ride back in.

Spiders

Homes with forest at the back door see a lot of spiders, especially under timber decks, in eaves and around outside lights. A residual barrier outside reduces both the spiders and the insects they feed on.

Pantry pests

Weevils and pantry moths usually arrive in flour, rice, cereal or birdseed. Clearing out the infested food and treating the cupboard normally sorts it out. Bigger stores may need fumigation.

What to expect on the day

We start by asking what you've seen and where, then inspect inside and out. Treatments use odourless, non-staining residual sprays, gel baits and ant baits, depending on the job. You don't need to empty cupboards or leave the house, and once everything is dry it's safe for children and pets. For restaurants, guest houses and holiday rentals, we can work around trading hours or fit the visit in between bookings.

Make it last: a Knysna tip

Keep the air moving. A lot of insect problems in Knysna homes are really damp problems. Open up rooms that have been shut, run the extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen, fix dripping gutters, and stack firewood away from the walls and off the ground. Cut back branches touching the roof, because they act as highways for ants and spiders. A drier house with fewer bridges from the forest makes any treatment last longer.

The common mistake

Spraying everything with a household aerosol. It kills what it touches and very little else, and with cockroaches it can make baiting harder, because the insects learn to avoid sprayed areas. If you've been spraying, tell us before we bait so we can work around it.

How much will it cost?

The variables are the size of the house, which insects you're dealing with and how settled they are. A single ant or fishmoth treatment in a family home is a modest job. A heavy cockroach problem in a restaurant kitchen or a block of rentals usually needs follow-up visits, and businesses tend to go onto a scheduled contract. We quote free. If you're seeing two or three ants near the sugar bowl, cleaning the trail and sealing your food might be all it takes.

All our insect treatments carry a 3-month guarantee. We're SAPCA registered and have worked in the Garden Route for more than 25 years. If you're hearing things in the roof, see rodent control in Knysna; if it's cockroaches specifically, our Knysna cockroach page goes into more detail.

Not sure what you've found? Our identification guide may help, or call us on 044 012 5011 and describe it.