Pest control is the steady management of insects and rodents in and around a building, which is not the same as a single blast from a spray can. A good service starts with an inspection, works out what is living where and why, treats it with the least product that will do the job, and then checks that it worked. Send one request with your property type, its size and the pest, and registered pest controllers near you quote you directly. It is free, there is no obligation, and you choose who comes.
What a service visit includes
A proper visit is far more than spraying the skirting boards. The operator first inspects the kitchen, bathrooms, behind the fridge, the roof void, the meter box and the garden, looking for droppings, egg cases, mud tubes and gaps around pipes. Treatment then follows what was found: gel bait in hinges and cupboard corners, a residual spray on outside walls and window frames, dust in the roof void, and bait stations along the boundary.
The visit ends with a short service report that lists the products used, the areas treated and what you should change. Ask for it every time. It is your proof for a landlord, a buyer or an insurer.
IPM: treat the cause, not only the pest
Integrated pest management, or IPM, starts from the fact that every pest needs food, water and shelter. Remove those and the problem shrinks before any product goes down. A leaking tap under the sink, pet food left out overnight, a stack of cardboard in the garage and branches touching the roof each feed a different infestation.
Chemicals are then used where habits and repairs fall short, and matched to the pest: gel bait for cockroaches, bait for ants, traps for rodents, dust for voids. A visit that ignores the cause usually has to be repeated every few months.
Once-off treatment or a service contract
A once-off treatment suits a specific problem, such as cockroaches in a new rental or ants after the first rains. Expect roughly R600 to R1,200 for a flat and R900 to R2,500 for a three bedroom house, more if the roof void and garden are included.
A contract sends the operator back every one to three months. Per visit it costs less, and problems are caught while they are small. Homes often choose quarterly visits, while restaurants and shops need monthly ones with records, which is covered under commercial pest control. Ask what a call-out between scheduled visits costs.
Choosing an operator and preparing the home
Operators who apply pesticides for payment must be registered under Act 36 of 1947, so ask for the registration number before the visit. Then prepare:
- Clear under sinks and empty the cupboards that will be treated.
- Wash dishes, and put away food, pet bowls and toys.
- Cover fish tanks and move bird cages to another room.
- Leave access to the roof void and garden gate.
- Skip your own spraying for a week before. It scatters cockroaches and spoils the bait.
What to include in your request
- The pest, or a photo of it
- Property type and floor area in m²
- Rooms and outside areas affected
- Once-off or a regular contract
- Pets, babies or allergies at home
Pest Control for different properties
- Homes and families: a once-off treatment with a follow-up, then a quarterly visit to keep cockroaches and ants away
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a treatment between tenants and a service report to put on the lease file
- Restaurants and food businesses: monthly visits with bait station maps and records for audits and health inspections
- Hotels, guesthouses and lodges: quiet scheduled visits for guesthouses and lodges, with rooms treated while guests are out
- Offices, schools, clinics and shops: after-hours service of kitchens, storerooms and ceiling voids using low-odour products
- Factories, warehouses and mines: warehouse and plant visits covering rodents, stored product insects and flies
- Farms, grain stores and smallholdings: treatment of farmhouses, workers' quarters and feed stores, with rodent control around sheds
- Exporters and freight forwarders: pest checks of packing areas and depots so cargo is not rejected for live insects
Frequently asked questions
How much does pest control cost?
Is pest control safe with pets and children?
Why do pests come back after a treatment?
Do I need to be home during the visit?
Pest Control by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg