Zwide pest control: what you can do yourself, and when to call us

If you're dealing with pests in Zwide, the first question is usually whether you can sort it out yourself. Sometimes you can. A few ants in the kitchen, the odd cockroach that came in with a box, a mouse that found an open door: these can often be handled with good habits and a bit of effort. Other problems, like German cockroaches breeding in the kitchen, bed bugs in the beds or rats under the floor, almost never go away without proper treatment. Knowing which is which saves money and frustration.

Zwide homes and why pests spread

Zwide is a long-established township in Port Elizabeth's northern areas, with homes built close together and many families sharing a home across generations. Busy homes with children are full of life, and full of food, bedding and people coming and going. That's normal, but it does give pests more chances to arrive and more places to hide. Close neighbours mean pests can also move from house to house.

Pest by pest: DIY or call?

Cockroaches

You can try yourself if you see one or two large cockroaches occasionally, usually coming in from outside or a drain. Cover drains at night, keep bins closed and wipe up food. Call us if you see small, light brown cockroaches in the kitchen, especially in the daytime. That's a German cockroach population, and household spray only scatters them. Gel baits placed in the right cracks are what clear them. See our crawling insect treatments for more.

Bed bugs

Call us. Bed bugs hide in mattress seams, bed frames, cracks in the wall and even plug sockets. Over-the-counter sprays and bombs don't reach them and often push them into other rooms. Signs are bites in the morning, small blood spots on sheets and dark specks along seams. Treatment needs to be thorough and usually includes a follow-up. Our bed bug treatment in Despatch and nearby areas explains the process.

Fleas

You can start yourself by treating pets with a vet-recommended product and washing their bedding hot. Call us if you're still being bitten after a couple of weeks, because the eggs and larvae in carpets and floor gaps need treating too. See flea control for homes around Despatch.

Rats and mice

You can do a lot yourself by storing food in sealed containers, closing gaps under doors and keeping the yard clear. Call us if you hear them in the roof, find droppings in several rooms or see burrows in the yard. In winter, rodents move indoors looking for warmth, which is when calls go up; our article on why rodents move indoors in winter explains why.

Keeping children safe

In homes with small children, how pests are treated matters as much as whether they're treated. A few rules we always follow, and that we'd encourage you to follow too:

• Rodent bait only ever goes inside a lockable station that children can't open. Never put loose poison on the floor or in cupboards.
• Gel baits for cockroaches go deep into cracks and behind appliances, out of reach and out of sight.
• After a spray treatment, children and pets stay off treated surfaces until they're dry. You don't need to leave the house.
• Never use products in unlabelled bottles or from street sellers. You can't know what's in them.

How a visit works

1. We inspect the house and yard, and talk to you about what you've seen.
2. We identify the pest and where it's living.
3. We treat using the safest effective method for a home with children.
4. We leave you with a few practical steps so it doesn't come back.

The most common mistake

Using a strong spray on cockroaches every day. It kills the ones you see but scatters the rest into walls and appliances, and it makes gel baits less effective later. If you've decided to call us, stop spraying for a few days before we come.

A practical tip

Check second-hand beds, couches and mattresses carefully before bringing them home, looking along seams and in the joints of the frame for dark spots or small brown insects. It's one of the most common ways bed bugs arrive, and it takes two minutes to check.

What does it cost?

It depends on the size of the home, which pests we're treating and how established they are. A kitchen with German cockroaches is a smaller job than bed bugs in several rooms. If what you're dealing with can be handled yourself, we'll tell you so honestly rather than book a treatment you don't need. We'll quote once we know what we're dealing with.

For the wider area, see pest control around Despatch.

Call 087 012 5550, or WhatsApp us a photo of the insect and we'll tell you whether it's something you can handle or something we should treat.