Oudtshoorn's pest problems change with the seasons more sharply than anywhere on the coast. The hot, dry summers bring scorpions, ants and harvester termites into the open. The cold winters drive rats and mice into roofs and outbuildings. And anywhere feed, grain or lucerne is stored, insects are working away all year. Good pest control here means treating the pest in front of you and preparing for the next one.
An Oudtshoorn pest calendar
Summer: heat-driven pests
When the Klein Karoo heats up, scorpions become active at night and look for cool, sheltered spots, which can mean shoes, towels on the floor, gaps under doors and piles of wood or stone near the house. Ants push indoors for water and food. Harvester termites strip grass in lawns and veld, leaving bare patches and small heaps of soil and cut grass. Cockroaches breed faster in hot kitchens and come up from drains.
Winter: the move indoors
Oudtshoorn's winters are properly cold, and that's when rats and mice head for warm roof spaces, ceilings, garages and storerooms. On farms they move into sheds, feed rooms and anywhere there's shelter and something to eat.
All year: stored product insects
With ostrich farming, lucerne and feed stores part of daily life, weevils, flour beetles, grain borers and moths are a constant risk in feed, grain, seed and pantry goods. They don't take the winter off inside a warm store.
What we do
- Find the cause. We look for how pests are getting in, where they're sheltering and what they're feeding on. In the Karoo that often means looking at outbuildings and yards as well as the house.
- Treat to suit the pest. For scorpions, ants and other crawling insects, we apply odourless, non-staining residual sprays as a protective barrier around the house, doors, windows and foundations, inside and out. Ants get baits they carry back to the nest. Cockroaches get gel bait. Harvester termites are treated in the affected areas of lawn or veld.
- Rodent programmes. Lockable bait stations, traps and tracking powder, plus proofing advice and sanitising once activity has stopped.
- Stored product pests. We treat the store and advise on stock handling. Where insects are deep inside bags, stacks or bulk grain, fumigation in Oudtshoorn is often the right answer.
For normal treatments in the house, you don't need to unpack anything or move out. Once dry, the treated areas are safe for children and pets.
Signs to watch for
- Scorpions found indoors more than once, especially in bathrooms, under doors or in shoes
- Bare, cropped patches in the lawn with little heaps of cut grass and soil
- Droppings in the roof, the garage or along the walls of a feed room
- Fine dust, webbing or small holes in grain and feed bags
- Ant trails heading for the kitchen or a pet's water bowl during a hot spell
Homes, farms and town businesses
We work in town houses, on farms and smallholdings around Oudtshoorn, and in commercial premises such as feed stores, shops, guesthouses and restaurants that serve the tourists heading to the Cango Caves and the ostrich farms. Businesses that handle food or feed usually do best on a regular service contract.
A practical Karoo tip
Keep a clear, bare strip right around the house, with no stacked wood, loose stones, building rubble or thick plants against the walls. Scorpions shelter under exactly that kind of cover by day and walk into the house at night. Combine that with door seals that close the gap at the bottom, and shaking out shoes and boots before you put them on, and you'll see far fewer scorpions indoors.
What people get wrong
Treating only the inside of the house. Most Karoo pests, from scorpions to harvester termites to rodents, start outside. A barrier around the outside of the house and attention to the yard and sheds does more than spraying skirting boards indoors.
How much will it cost?
The price depends on what we're treating, how big the property is, how far out of town it is and how established the problem has become. A town house with ants is a quick job. A farmhouse with scorpions, rodents in the outbuildings and weevils in the feed store is a bigger visit, and may need a follow-up or a contract. We'll explain what's involved before we start.
Honestly, some problems don't need us. One mouse in the pantry can often be handled with a couple of traps and sealing the gap. If you're seeing scorpions indoors regularly, droppings in the roof or insects spreading through your feed, it's worth calling us.
See also insect control in Oudtshoorn and rodent control in Oudtshoorn. We also work in nearby Dysseldorp.
Give us a call on 044 012 5011 and we'll plan a visit over the Outeniqua Pass. We're SAPCA registered, our treatments carry a 3-month guarantee, and we've worked across the Garden Route and Klein Karoo for more than 25 years.
Questions we get asked
Can you get rid of scorpions completely?
No one can promise that in the Karoo, but a barrier treatment around the house combined with clearing cover near the walls cuts the number coming indoors substantially.
What are the bare patches in my lawn?
In Oudtshoorn, bare patches with small heaps of cut grass and soil are often harvester termites. They need a targeted insect treatment rather than a general spray.
Do you treat farms outside Oudtshoorn?
Yes. We work on farms and smallholdings around Oudtshoorn, including homes, sheds and feed stores.
When is the best time to deal with rodents?
Late autumn, before the cold sets in. That's when rodents start looking for warm shelter, so it's the right time to put stations out and close gaps.
Is a barrier treatment safe for my dogs?
Yes, once it has dried. Keep pets off treated areas until then.