What's different in Terrigal
A lagoon that holds its water
The NSW Government classes Terrigal Lagoon as intermittently closed, with the entrance opened artificially once water reaches a trigger level. Its catchment is only 8.9 square kilometres, mostly urban, with about 10% left forested.
Wamberal next door
Wamberal Lagoon Nature Reserve lies between Terrigal and The Entrance, and NPWS rates it among the finest coastal lagoon, wetland and dune systems left on the Central Coast. Great egrets and Pacific golden plovers use it, so nothing there is a pest job.
Ticks in spring
NSW Health Pathology says adult paralysis ticks are most likely from September to December. Long grass and bush edges are where to look after a walk.
Funnel-webs in the garden
The Central Coast is at the top of the Sydney funnel-web's main range. Rockeries, dense shrubs and leaf litter are the kind of cool, damp cover they burrow in.
Termite treatment, or a pest inspection first?
If you've found damaged timber or mud tubes, don't touch them, and get an inspector in before anyone quotes a treatment. If you're buying, or it's been a while, a pest inspection is the place to start anyway.
Homes near water can stay damp under the floor and around downpipes, and damp timber suits termites. Fix leaks quickly and keep garden beds clear of the walls. Our Central Coast termite page has the detail.
Be wary of
- A treatment quoted over the phone, sight unseen.
- Someone who knocks on the door saying they've spotted termites.
- Reassuring words about a product, instead of its full name.
- A warranty you can't get in writing.
A note on lagoon mosquitoes
A pest business can treat around a yard, but it can't do anything about the lagoon. What you control is your own standing water: pot bases, blocked gutters, and anything left out after rain. NSW Health says the coast also breeds mosquitoes after tidal flooding, not just rain.
Our take on pests in Terrigal
Have a termite inspection on the calendar if it's been a few years, keep shoes inside on humid nights, and do a tick check after any walk through long grass. Anything you're not sure of, take a photo and 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.
