What's different in Belconnen
Lake Ginninderra
Established in 1974 beside the Town Centre, it's a stormwater retention lake as well as a place to walk. Parks ACT says many species of water birds can be seen there, none of them a pest job.
A woodland corridor
Mount Painter Nature Reserve is 93 hectares in the south of the district, reached on foot from Cook. Parks ACT says it links through to Black Mountain, The Pinnacle and the Molonglo River reserves, a long run of remnant woodland behind the suburbs.
No council to call
The ACT Government looks after public land here. Mosquito advice is the same across Canberra: even small amounts of standing water can attract them.
Rats and mice: what the ACT expects
In the ACT, owners and occupiers must take reasonable precautions to stop rodents living and breeding on their property at levels that may cause insanitary conditions. ACT Health's Health Protection Service can investigate, though it says that's likely only where large populations come into close contact with people.
Look for black, moist droppings, urine smells, gnawing, worn runs and greasy marks. Rodents are mostly active at night, so seeing one by day usually points to high numbers or a food supply nearby.
Who does what with rodents
You can
- Stack wood and bricks at least 30 cm off the ground.
- Clear fallen fruit and seeds, and waste from aviaries and chook pens.
- Put vermin mesh over floor vents and tank openings.
- Talk to the neighbours if it's coming from next door.
Leave to a pest business
- Finding how they're getting in.
- Bait stations as part of a wider plan: ACT Health says chemical control alone is generally short term.
- Treatment and proofing for anything that keeps coming back.
Possums in the ceiling
The ACT Government says possums seek dark places such as the space between ceiling and roof. It suggests a waterproof nest box 4 to 5 metres above the ground, and blocking the entry point while the possum's out feeding.
Possums are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014, and trapping one without a licence brings severe penalties. The ACT Government publishes the list of licence holders, and Access Canberra's Animal Regulation team confirms details. Our Canberra possums page has the rest.
What we'd do about pests in Belconnen
Start with the droppings: they tell you whether it's rodents or a possum overhead. Clear what's feeding them, then check the roofline at dusk. If you're still hearing it after a fortnight, tell us what you've noticed.
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.
