A handful of houses on the dunes, a long beach, a nature reserve next door and not much else. Buffalo Bay is about as quiet as the Garden Route gets, which is exactly why pests settle in when the houses are empty.
Many Buffalo Bay houses are holiday homes, and their pests are the ones that come with standing empty: rats and mice that move in while the house is closed, fleas waiting in the carpet from the last visit with the dog, fishmoths in damp linen cupboards, and wasp nests under the eaves by December. We treat them with a visit before you arrive, or as soon as you find them, and you don't need to be there for us to do it. An ordinary treatment has no smell, dries in a few hours and is then safe for children and pets, and it's covered by our 3-month guarantee.
A quiet village next to a nature reserve
Buffalo Bay sits on the coast between Sedgefield and Brenton-on-Sea, a short drive from Knysna, with the Goukamma Nature Reserve right alongside. Coastal fynbos, dune bush and the reserve surround the houses. For wildlife that's wonderful. For a house that stands empty for months, it means there's a large reservoir of rodents, insects and spiders just over the garden wall, and nothing to disturb them when they move in.
Rodents in empty houses
Mice and rats in the bush slip into quiet houses under doors, through open vents, around pipes and up into the roof. With nobody home, they settle in the kitchen and the roof space, chew through packets left in the cupboards and nest in linen and insulation. The first sign is often droppings on the counter on arrival day. We place tamper-resistant bait stations and find how they're getting in, ideally a few weeks before you arrive so the problem is gone by the time you are. See rodent control.
When you lock up after a holiday, empty the cupboards of every bit of food, unopened packets included, since a mouse makes short work of packaging. It's the simplest way to make the house less interesting.
Fleas after the last visit
If a dog stayed in the house over the last holiday, flea eggs fell into the carpets and sofa, and the pupae can wait for months. Walk in after a long absence and they hatch all at once. Treating the house before you arrive breaks that cycle. Our fleas profile explains why it happens.
Fishmoths and damp
Sea air, dune mist and closed windows keep a beach house damp. Fishmoths and booklice settle into the linen cupboard, the bookshelf and the box of beach toys. Treating cracks and cupboards deals with the insects, and leaving cupboard doors open and moisture absorbers in closed rooms helps keep them away.
Wasps, bees and spiders
A house that's quiet from Easter to December gives paper wasps months to build nests under the eaves, around the braai area and on the deck. Bees find gaps in walls and roofs. Spiders spin webs over every outside light and window. A pre-season visit takes care of all three. See wasp nest removal and bee removal.
Ticks for dogs
Walks through the dune bush and the reserve's edges are a favourite with dogs, and they come back with ticks. Check them after every walk, use a vet's tick product, and keep an eye out for ticks in the house.
Boats, braais and outdoor showers
Life at Buffalo Bay happens outside, and that's where some of the pests are too. Paper wasps love the underside of an outdoor shower roof and the corner of a braai area. Mice nest in boat covers, beach umbrellas and the cushions stored in the garage. Bait and fish scraps left in the sun bring flies. Store cushions and covers sealed, freeze bait and scraps until you leave, and ask us to check outdoor areas as well as the house.
How a Buffalo Bay visit works
- Access We arrange it with you, a neighbour, a caretaker or the rental agent. You don't need to be there.
- A look round The roof, the kitchen and cupboards, bedrooms, the deck, eaves and any outbuildings.
- Treatment Whatever we find: bait stations for rodents, a general insect treatment, a flea treatment, wasp nests removed.
- Report What we found and did, and anything that needs fixing before you arrive.
For more, see holiday home pest control; whoever looks after the house will find our pre-December checklist handy.
Permanent residents in Buffalo Bay get the same problems all year rather than all at once. Treating the outside walls in spring and autumn keeps most of them out.
What it costs
A quote for Buffalo Bay rests on the size of the house, what turns up on the inspection, and how much treating it calls for. A pre-season check and general treatment is a modest job. A house with rats established in the roof needs more visits. Travel is part of the price for the smaller coastal villages, and booking several neighbouring houses on the same day keeps that down. You'll have a price before we set off.
We also work in Sedgefield, Brenton-on-Sea and Knysna. Let us know when you're coming down, on 044 012 5011 or via the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you treat the house while we're away?
Yes. Whoever holds your key, a neighbour, caretaker or agent, opens up for us, and you'll get a rundown of what we found and did.
Why are there mouse droppings every time we arrive?
Mice from the reserve move into houses while they're quiet. Take every scrap of food home when you leave, and have a treatment done before you come back.
Why do we get flea bites on the first night?
Flea pupae left behind by a visiting dog can lie in the carpet for months, then hatch the moment people walk in again. A treatment a week or two before you arrive stops it.
There's a wasp nest under the outdoor shower. Can you remove it?
Yes. Outdoor showers, braai areas and boat sheds are just the sheltered spots wasps choose. We treat the nest and take it down.
Our dog came back from the beach with ticks. What should we do?
Pull them off with fine tweezers, gripping close to the skin, and keep up the dog's vet-recommended tick treatment. If ticks start showing up indoors, call us.
Can we book along with the house next door?
Yes. Sharing a visit day keeps the travel cost down and stops pests moving between houses.