What's different in Gungahlin
Newer suburbs, older land
The ACT Government calls Gungahlin one of the newer areas for suburban development in the ACT, with numerous conservation areas, open grasslands and parks around it.
Ponds that do a job
Yerrabi Pond is part of a chain of water bodies that treat urban runoff, with the water reused on nearby parks and ovals. Your own gutters and pot bases are the part you can control.
Woodland to the east
Goorooyarroo and Mulligans Flat together protect more than 18 square kilometres of woodland in north eastern Canberra. Bull ants live in gardens and bushland, so yards near the reserves see more of them.
Which ant is on the lawn?
| Meat ant | Bull ant | Black house ant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looks like | 12 to 14 mm, red or purple and black | About 20 mm, red body, black abdomen | Small and dark |
| Where it lives | Sunny spots, often large gravelly mounds | Gardens and bushland | Rockeries, paths, wall cavities and pots |
| Bite or sting | Can bite, doesn't sting | A painful sting | Mostly a kitchen nuisance |
| In the house? | Rarely | Rarely | Often: it also nests in wall cavities |
New home, first summer
The National Construction Code requires a notice of the termite management system in modern buildings, usually in the meter box. Find it and keep a photo. Ask your builder what's installed and how often it should be inspected.
European wasps usually nest in the ground in Canberra, so fresh lawns and garden beds are worth watching from a distance. Bees generally swarm here between August and December, and the ACT Government says a settled swarm is usually calm and moves on within a few days. For one on private property, it suggests a swarm collector.
Keeping a new yard easy
- Keep mulch and soil below the slab edge and clear of weep holes.
- Change bird bath water weekly, and clear gutters.
- Keep pet food inside while wasps are about.
- Wipe up ant trails, and move sweet food off the bench.
- Save the builder's termite paperwork somewhere you'll find it.
Where we'd start with pests in Gungahlin
Find the termite notice today, because it's the job you'll forget otherwise. Then keep soil and mulch off the slab, and walk the yard on warm afternoons. If something's nesting or won't budge, tell us what you've seen.
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.
