Can a possum be taken out of my roof and moved somewhere else?

Not in Victoria. Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, and a trapped brushtail has to be let go on the same property, within 50 metres, after sunset on the day it was caught. Trapping a ringtail needs a permit. Proofing the entry points is the fix that lasts; our possums page explains it.

Does the local law mean I have to destroy a wasp nest myself?

It means the owner or occupier is responsible for having it done once directed. We'd never suggest doing it yourself: a European wasp nest defends itself, and wasps can sting more than once. A pest business does it from a safe position.

Pest control Bendigo: wasp law, bees and mosquito season

What's different in Greater Bendigo

A five day clock on wasps

The Community Local Law, in force since 1 September 2018, says owners or occupiers must destroy a European wasp colony within five days of being directed to by an authorised officer.

Abandoned hives count too

The same law covers an unmanaged or abandoned bee colony: once an authorised officer directs it, the colony has to be removed or destroyed within five days.

Hands off council land

Pests on private land are the owner's or occupier's to control, the City of Greater Bendigo says, and residents may not treat pests on land the council manages.

Mosquitoes, as public health

In November 2026, Greater Bendigo was one of 24 Victorian council areas the Department of Health listed as high risk for Japanese encephalitis, where eligible people can get the vaccine. The City lists Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus as mosquito-borne diseases in Victoria. Vaccine and health questions go to the Department of Health or your GP, never a pest business.

If an officer has directed you to deal with a nest

Note the date
Five days runs from the direction, so write down when you received it and where the nest is.
Keep everyone back
Close nearby doors and windows and keep children and pets away. Don't spray, block or dig at the entrance: it stirs up the colony.
Work out what it is
Wasps with a hidden nest go to a pest business. An abandoned bee colony usually goes to a beekeeper first, since Victoria's Department of Health tells pest businesses to refer bee enquiries to a beekeeper or the Victorian Apiarists Association.
Keep the paperwork
Ask whoever does the job for a written record of what was done and when, in case the council follows up.

The other jobs Bendigo calls about

Termites, and the timber pest inspection before you buy, are the jobs people plan ahead for; our Bendigo termites page covers the signs. Bees settling into a wall or roof have their own Bendigo bees page.

Rodents are the season's job. CSIRO says cooler weather pushes mice to look for shelter inside, so scratching in the ceiling tends to start as the nights get cold. Possums make the heavier thumping, and because they're protected wildlife in Victoria, the fix is proofing the roof once they've gone out to feed.

Mosquitoes: the council's part and yours

Victoria's Department of Health says inland mosquitoes breed from about November to April. The City manages them on council land and asks residents to report suspected breeding in parks and gardens, with the exact address. At home, the useful work is tipping out water in pot bases, buckets, tyres and blocked gutters.

If it were our house in Bendigo

We wouldn't wait for an officer's knock. A wasp nest near the back door gets a pest business this week, an abandoned hive gets a beekeeper's call first, and everything else can be planned. Tap what you've found and your postcode.

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?