Does Alice Springs get termites?

We haven't found an official termite record specific to Alice Springs. CSIRO's warning about the giant northern termite is about the tropics, so ask a termite inspector which species they see locally before you agree to anything.

Is Murray Valley encephalitis a pest control job?

No. It's a public health matter for NT Health and your doctor, and no pest treatment prevents it. Covering up and removing standing water around the house is the part you control.

Pest control Alice Springs: what's local and who to call

Snake in the yard or house?

Keep everyone back and don't try to catch or kill it. Alice Springs Town Council can arrange a snake catcher. For a snake bite, healthdirect says call 000, apply a pressure bandage, keep the person still and don't wash the bite.

What's different in the Centre

Mosquitoes follow the monsoon

NT Health material from 2015 describes Ilparpa Swamp, near Alice Springs, as the most productive breeding site for the common banded mosquito, Culex annulirostris, which can carry Murray Valley encephalitis. In January 2015, after heavy monsoonal rain, the NT Department of Health ran an aerial mosquito control operation there.

Council rangers lend traps

Alice Springs Town Council's Ranger Unit takes requests for a trap to humanely catch pests, feral or stray animals on your property, 8am to 5pm on weekdays, with conditions. That covers animals; insects and rodents inside the house are a pest business's work.

Old records, honestly

The newest local mosquito records we found are from 2015, so we can't tell you this season's pattern. NT Health's Medical Entomology team in Darwin is the place to ask.

What turns up inside

Redbacks are found right across Australia, the Australian Museum says, and bites are most frequent over summer. For a redback bite, healthdirect says wash it, put on a cold pack for 15 minutes, see a doctor if symptoms are bad and go to hospital if the pain is very bad.

House mice live throughout Australia, and the museum says their numbers seem to rise after rainfall. CSIRO says cooler weather sends mice indoors for shelter, so after a wet spell, and again as the nights cool, check the pantry and the roof space for droppings.

Huntsman spiders also live all over the country. The museum says they have venom but aren't considered dangerous and are reluctant to bite; one on the wall can be shepherded out with a broom.

The NT rules, plainly

Pest control work in the NT needs a pest management technician licence under the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2012, issued through the Department of Health's Medicines and Poisons Control. A licence can carry conditions, such as working under a more qualified licence holder's direct supervision.

The Act also requires any advertisement for a business's pest control to carry a pest authorisation number. That's a handy test for a flyer or a social post: no number, more questions.

After big rain

Tip out water lying in buckets, tyres, pot bases and pet bowls at least once a week.
Check the fly screens on windows and doors for holes.
Store pet food and grain in sealed bins as the nights cool.
Wear gloves and check shoes and outdoor gear before you reach into stored things.

Our take on pests in Alice Springs

Sort the job by who it belongs to before ringing anyone: snakes to a snake catcher, feral animals to the rangers, insects and rodents to a pest business. Ask that business for its NT pest authorisation number before any treatment.

Want someone to look at it?

Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.

What have you seen?