Opening up the Plett house for the holidays and finding droppings in the drawers, an ant trail across the counter or a cockroach in the shower? You're not unlucky, and you don't need to live with it. A proper inspection will show what moved in while the house was quiet, and a targeted treatment will clear it before the guests arrive.
What a quiet house collects
Plettenberg Bay has a lot of homes that stand empty for long stretches. No footsteps, no lights, no one wiping the counters. To rats and mice, a still roof space above a warm geyser looks ideal. Ants find the forgotten sugar bowl. Spiders spin undisturbed in garages, outside lights and window frames. By the time December comes round, what started as a couple of visitors can be well settled.
The other half of the year causes its own problems. Full houses mean more food, more rubbish, more braais and more coming and going. Cockroaches arrive in grocery boxes and luggage, and bins that sit in the sun between collections draw flies and rodents.
What we treat in and around Plett
- Rats and mice in roofs, garages and storerooms, especially in homes that are closed for months. See our page on rodent control in Plettenberg Bay.
- Cockroaches in kitchens, holiday flats and restaurant kitchens. More on that at cockroach control in Plett.
- Ants, which can push into a kitchen in long trails within days of a house being opened up again.
- Fleas, often in rentals where previous guests brought a pet.
- Spiders and other crawling insects around outside walls, patios and garages.
- Stored product insects such as weevils and pantry moths in flour, rice and cereal left in the cupboard since last season.
Estates, luxury homes and hospitality
Larger homes and estate properties often have a lot going on behind the scenes: big roof voids, staff quarters, double garages, pool rooms and outbuildings. Each one is somewhere for pests to settle without being noticed. We include these areas in the inspection, not just the main living space.
For guesthouses, restaurants and holiday rental agencies, the peak season is no time to discover a problem. We can set up a regular service that fits around bookings and trading hours, with treatments done before opening or on changeover days. A guest finding a cockroach in the kitchen does more harm to a booking review than the cost of keeping on top of it.
How we handle a Plett job
We look first. We find out what the pest is, where it's living and why it chose your property. For rodents that means entry points, nesting spots and food. For insects it means trails, nests and breeding areas.
Then we treat the cause. Odourless, non-staining residual sprays go on as a barrier inside and out. Gel baits deal with cockroaches, and ant baits get carried back to the nest. Rodents are handled with lockable bait stations, traps or tracking powder, depending on who uses the house.
Then we tell you what will stop it happening again. Usually that's a few practical changes rather than a big job.
For normal treatments you don't need to clear cupboards or move out. Once things have dried, the house is safe for children and pets.
The pre-season check
This is the single most useful thing a Plett homeowner can do. Book a pest inspection and treatment a few weeks before you or your guests arrive for the summer season, rather than waiting until the house is full. It gives baits time to work, it gives you time to fix any entry points we find, and it means the first night of the holiday isn't spent listening to scratching in the ceiling.
Before you lock up at the end of the season, take every bit of open food out of the pantry, empty the bins, unplug and wedge open the fridge if it's being switched off, and close the garage properly. Those few minutes make a real difference over the months ahead.
What people get wrong
Assuming that an empty house has nothing to feed pests. Pet food in the garage, birdseed, a bag of potatoes in the scullery and crumbs in the toaster are more than enough. The quiet itself is part of the attraction.
How much will it cost?
It depends on the size of the property, what we're treating, how long the problem has been building and whether proofing is needed. A standard ant treatment in a family home is a small job. A large estate home with rodents in several roof sections, or a guesthouse that needs a contract through the season, takes more. Follow-up visits are sometimes part of the plan, especially for rodents. We'll tell you what's included before any work starts.
If it's a handful of ants after rain, wiping the trail and sealing the gap they're using might be all you need. If they keep coming back, the nest is still there and it's worth having it treated.
We work from our office in George and cover the whole Garden Route, including Keurboomstrand. For other services in town, see insect control and fumigation in Plettenberg Bay.
Call us on 044 012 5011. We're SAPCA registered, our treatments carry a 3-month guarantee, and we've been looking after Garden Route homes for more than 25 years.
Questions we get asked
Can you treat my Plett holiday home while I'm not there?
Yes, as long as someone can give us access, such as a caretaker, neighbour or rental agent. We'll report back on what we found and what we did.
When is the best time to book before the December season?
A few weeks before the house fills up. That gives the treatment time to work and leaves you time to fix any entry points we point out.
Do you work for rental agencies and guesthouses?
Yes. We can set up a regular service that covers several properties and is scheduled around bookings and changeover days.
Will the treatment leave a smell for my guests?
No. The residual sprays we use are odourless and non-staining, so the house can be used as normal once surfaces are dry.
Do you cover Keurboomstrand?
Yes. We cover Plettenberg Bay and the surrounding area, including Keurboomstrand, from our base in George.