Does a building inspection cover termites in NSW?

Not reliably. NSW Government advice says a building report won't show whether termites are still active, so get a separate pest inspection, especially where termites are known. A seller's report can help, but it's no substitute for your own.

Should I get the yard sprayed because of Ross River virus?

Ross River virus is a health matter for NSW Health and your doctor, and no pest treatment prevents it. Emptying standing water at least weekly and using fly screens, as NSW Health advises, does more around the house.

Do you cover Sawtell, Toormina and Woolgoolga?

Give us your postcode with what you've seen, and we look for a local pest business that does that job near you.

Pest control Coffs Harbour: termites, mosquitoes, mynas

What's different on the Coffs Coast

Mosquitoes are monitored here

NSW Health traps mosquitoes in Coffs Harbour as part of its November to April surveillance. In the week ending 7 February 2026 it rated numbers at the Coffs traps as medium, and on 22 April 2025 it found Ross River virus in mosquitoes caught at the Botanic Gardens. A virus in a trap isn't a human case; it's a reason to cover up at dusk.

A very wet 2025

NSW Health reported very much above average rainfall on the mid north coast from April to June 2025. Mosquitoes need water to breed, and on the coast big tides matter as much as rain.

Mynas have their own program

A Coffs Harbour City Council flyer for the Mid North Coast Indian Myna Project describes a trapping program across the Nambucca, Coffs and Bellingen council areas. The Australian Museum says mynas breed from October to March and favour the walls and ceilings of buildings for nests.

Ticks in the long grass

NSW Health says ticks are common in bushland, long grass and other humid places along the east coast. NSW Health Pathology says the adult paralysis tick, its most dangerous stage, is most likely from September to December.

Buying a house in Coffs Harbour

NSW Government advice is blunt about this: a building inspection report won't show whether termites and other timber pests are still around, so get a pest inspection as well. The same advice suggests a licensed builder, a surveyor or an architect for the building report, while a timber pest inspector covers the termite side. They're two different jobs.

Timing matters. In NSW the cooling-off period is 5 business days after exchange, ending at 5pm on the fifth, and there's none at all if you buy at auction. The same advice says most inspectors want 2 to 3 days' notice, so book as soon as you're serious about a house.

Termites, further up the coast

CSIRO says termite risk on the mainland generally rises the further north you go, and is highest in the subtropics and tropics. That doesn't put a number on any one street, and nobody should tell you a suburb is free of them.

Anyone in NSW who first got or renewed a pest licence after 17 December 2021 needs the timber pest category to treat termites. Inspections that use no pesticide don't need an EPA licence at all, which is why it's worth asking an inspector about their training and insurance.

Before the inspector arrives at a house you're buying

Ask the agent for access to the roof space, the subfloor and any sheds or garages.
Look in the meter box for a termite notice, and photograph it.
Ask the seller whether there's a past timber pest report or treatment record.
Read the report before your cooling-off period ends, not after.

Where we'd start with pests in Coffs Harbour

If you're buying, we'd book the timber pest inspection the day your offer is accepted. If you already live here, we'd empty every pot base and bucket each week through summer and keep long grass short where kids play.

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?