Protecting food and homes from pests in KwaZakhele

Most of the pest calls we get from KwaZakhele come down to one thing: food. A sack of maize meal chewed open by rats, cockroaches in the stock of a spaza shop, mice in the cupboard where the month's groceries are kept. Protecting that food, and the money spent on it, is the heart of the job. That means dealing with the pests you have and making it much harder for them to get to the food in future.

KwaZakhele homes and home businesses

KwaZakhele is one of the long-established townships in Port Elizabeth's northern areas, with homes built close together. Many households buy in bulk to save money, and many people run a business from home: a spaza shop in the front room, cooking for sale, or a small catering business. That's good sense, but it also means more food in one place than a typical suburban kitchen, and pests notice.

Homes close together also mean that pests move easily between properties, so what your neighbour does affects you too.

The pests that matter most here

Rats

Rats are the biggest worry for most households. They live in drains, under rubble and in gaps under floors and sheds, and come out at night to feed. They chew through bags, cardboard and even plastic tubs, and they contaminate food with urine and droppings. They can also carry disease. Signs are droppings the size of a raisin, gnawed bags, greasy marks along walls and scratching at night.

We use lockable bait stations that children and pets can't open, placed along the routes rats use, and we show you where they're getting in. See our rat control in Despatch and the northern areas for the same approach.

Mice

Mice are smaller and can squeeze through a gap the width of a pencil. They nest inside cupboards, behind fridges and in stored stock, and nibble a little from many packets. For a spaza shop, that means damaged stock you can't sell. Our rodent control service covers both rats and mice.

Cockroaches

German cockroaches in the kitchen and American cockroaches from the drains are both common. German cockroaches breed quickly in warm gaps behind fridges, stoves and shelving. American cockroaches come up through drains at night. Gel baits in cracks and targeted treatment of drains clear them. More on our cockroach treatment page.

Flies

Where food is cooked or sold, flies follow, especially in summer. Covered food, sealed bins and regular removal of waste do most of the work; we treat where flies are breeding.

For spaza shops and home food businesses

If you sell food, a pest problem can cost you stock and customers. A regular service, where we check bait stations and treat for cockroaches on a schedule, keeps it under control and gives you a record of what's been done. We can come at a time that doesn't interrupt trade.

How a visit works

1. We look at the kitchen, storeroom or shop, the outside walls and any drains.
2. We work out which pests you have and where they're getting in and hiding.
3. We treat with gel baits, targeted sprays or lockable stations as needed.
4. We show you simple changes that protect your food and stock.

You don't need to leave home for normal insect treatments. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry.

What people often get wrong

Buying loose rat poison from a street seller. Some of these products are not registered and can be very dangerous to children and pets, and poisoned rats often die under floors where they can't be removed. Bait should always be in a locked station.

A practical tip

Move bulk food out of sacks and boxes and into sealed plastic drums or metal bins with tight lids, and keep them off the floor on a shelf or crate. Rats and mice can't get into a sealed drum, and food off the floor makes it easier to spot droppings early.

What does it cost?

It depends on the size of the home or shop, which pests we're treating and whether a regular service makes sense. A home kitchen with cockroaches is a smaller job than a shop with rats in the stockroom. Sometimes sealing food and closing gaps is most of the answer, and we'll tell you if that's the case. We'll quote once we've seen what's needed.

For the wider area, see pest control around Despatch, our nearest main service area.

Call 087 012 5550, or WhatsApp us a photo of the droppings or insect and we'll tell you what it is.