Are there fire ants in Gladstone now?

We can't tell you that, and nobody should guess: biosecurity zones change. The national program can, so report anything that looks like a fire ant nest. Our form doesn't take fire ant jobs.

How often should a Gladstone home be checked for termites?

Yearly is the QBCC's baseline, with more frequent checks in places where termites are busier. Your termite inspector can say what suits your house, its age and the garden around it.

Does the council treat mosquitoes in my yard?

Gladstone Regional Council treats breeding sites across the region, but keeping your own land free of breeding sites is the owner's job. Clear containers, gutters and tank screens are most of it.

Pest control Gladstone: termites, mosquitoes, fire ants

What's different in Gladstone

Fire ants have been here before

Business Queensland says fire ants were found in Gladstone and were wiped out in 2016. Zones change, so if a mound in the yard looks like theirs, leave it alone and report it to Biosecurity Queensland, online or by phone.

Mosquito season, October to May

Gladstone Regional Council monitors and treats mosquito breeding sites all year, particularly from October to May. Numbers rise after rain, flooding and high tides.

Your yard is your responsibility

In the Gladstone Region, property owners and operators must make sure their land doesn't create mosquito breeding sites. The council lists the dengue mosquito among local species; it breeds in buckets, tyres, pot plants, rainwater tanks and plants that hold water.

Termites

Coptotermes and Schedorhinotermes termites, which move above ground inside enclosed mud galleries, occur throughout Queensland, Gladstone included.

Termite treatment and control in Gladstone

The inspection comes first. A termite inspector looks for live termites, damage and the state of any existing termite system, then writes up what they found and what they'd recommend. Treatment, if it's needed, is usually a chemical barrier in the soil around the house, a baiting system, or a mix, with return visits.

Whatever you find, don't disturb it. CSIRO warns that several control options rely on termites still being active when the technician arrives.

In Queensland, applying pesticides for a fee needs a pest management licence from Queensland Health, which carries endorsements such as timber pest control. Our Queensland page explains where the QBCC's termite licence classes fit.

Questions for the termite inspector

Did you find live termites, old damage, or both, and where?
What termite system does the house have, and is it working?
Which product would you use, and can I have its full name?
How often should this house be inspected after treatment?
Does the notice in the meter box need updating afterwards?

Renting in Gladstone

Queensland's minimum housing standards say a rental must be free from vermin, damp and mould unless the tenant caused it, and the owner or property manager must keep it free from pests through the tenancy. If rats, cockroaches or termites turn up, the tenant should tell the property manager or owner as soon as possible.

End of lease pest control is only needed if your lease or pet agreement requires it. Our end of lease rules guide goes through the Queensland detail.

If it were our place in Gladstone

We'd book the termite inspection before October, tip out water around the yard each week from October, and report anything that looks like a fire ant mound before calling anyone else. For termites or anything else, tap what you've seen and your postcode.

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?