What's different in Torquay
No termite designated areas
Surf Coast Shire says it has no designated areas where buildings are prone to termites, but that it's always recommended to build with termite protection. That's a building rule. It doesn't tell you whether termites are on your block.
Your nest, your job
The shire's role with bees, wasps and ants stops at council owned or managed land. On private land they're the owner's or occupier's responsibility.
Saltmarsh close by
The Karaaf is part of the Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve saltmarsh system, connected to the Thompson Creek estuary and the ocean at Point Impossible. Parks Victoria manages it.
Mosquitoes, October to April
The shire monitors and treats major breeding sites in peak season, and tests trapped mosquitoes for viruses such as Ross River. Landowners look after their own property. In 2024 it said no program can remove every mosquito.
Buruli ulcer
The Better Health Channel lists Torquay, Breamlea, Anglesea and Aireys Inlet among Surf Coast locations where it's being identified. That's one for your GP, not a pest business.
Termite inspection in Torquay
Don't take the shire's position to mean you can skip it. An NCC note calls parts of Victoria a lesser risk, but CSIRO counts Tasmania as the only state where the risk is negligible, and most people find termites through damaged timber.
See mud tubes or soft timber? Leave them for the inspector. Victoria's general authorisation including timber pests is the one to ask about. Our Geelong termite page has more, and the rules are on the Victoria page.
Possums
Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, and the shire doesn't lend or hire out traps. Trapping a ringtail without a permit is illegal. A brushtail can only be released on the same property, within 50 metres, after sunset. DEECA's wildlife officers can help, and proofing is usually the real fix.
Worth doing before October
- Check insect screens on windows, doors and vents.
- Change water in pet bowls, bird baths and vases weekly.
- Clear gutters and any stagnant water.
- Watch for wasps going in and out of one spot, from a distance.
Our take on pests in Torquay
We'd still have a termite inspection done every so often, whatever the shire's designations say, and clear standing water before October. For a wasp nest or anything in the roof, 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.
