Do I need a termite inspection to buy in Hobart?

Termites are not considered a risk in Tasmania under the building code, so they're rarely the focus. Ask any inspector what their pre-purchase report covers, and what it doesn't, before you book.

What should I do after a wasp sting?

healthdirect says to wash the area with soap and water, then hold an ice pack wrapped in cloth on it for 15 minutes. Call 000 straight away for noisy breathing, a swollen tongue or throat, wheeze, dizziness or collapse.

Do you cover Glenorchy, Clarence and Kingston?

Yes. Tell us your postcode and what you've seen, anywhere around greater Hobart.

Pest control Hobart: wasps first, then rats and possums

What's different in Hobart

Where Australia's European wasps began

NRE Tasmania says the European wasp was first found in Tasmania in a Hobart suburb in 1959, and has since spread to every part of the state. The English wasp, a relative newcomer believed to have arrived around 1995, is less widespread.

Autumn is wasp season

Tasmanian colonies reach full size towards the end of summer, and the wasps are most troublesome in autumn. Biosecurity Tasmania says some nests are kept going through winter and grow further the next season.

Exotic paper wasps: report, don't treat

Exotic paper wasps are declared pests in Tasmania; NRE Tasmania reports finds at Sorell, Launceston, East Devonport and Latrobe. Report a sighting to Biosecurity Tasmania, and don't disturb the nest.

Termites aren't the worry here

The National Construction Code says termites are not considered a risk in Tasmania, and CSIRO calls it the only Australian state with negligible termite risk. That changes what a Hobart pest inspection focuses on.

Rats and mice: council baits public land only

The City of Hobart runs a rat baiting and monitoring program on public land, but does no pest or vermin control on private land or inside homes. For rats, mice, wasps or bees on private property, it tells residents to contact a pest controller.

Mice get more noticeable as the weather cools, because, as CSIRO puts it, cooler weather encourages them to find shelter inside homes.

Possums in the roof

Brushtail possums are protected in Tasmania and can't be taken or kept without a permit. NRE Tasmania says trapping a possum and moving it elsewhere doesn't generally work: competition for food and shelter usually means the moved animal dies.

Its advice is to find where the possum gets in and out, and make temporary repairs so it can't get back in. A trapping permit, a Special Purposes Wildlife Permit, is a last resort with strict conditions. Our possums page explains what proofing involves.

How pest licences work in Tasmania

The business needs a Commercial Operator Licence to offer insect and rodent control in and around homes.
Technicians hold a Certificate of Competency, with a Pest Management Technician category for work in and around buildings.
There's no public register to search, so ask to see both documents, or check with NRE Tasmania's agvet chemicals licensing team.
For European or English wasp removal, NRE Tasmania says to use a registered pest controller.

Renting with a pet

Legal Aid Tasmania says a landlord can't ask for a pet bond in return for allowing a pet. Pet conditions, such as keeping flea treatments up to date, can only be set with the renter's agreement. If your agreement includes one, our end of lease page explains what a flea treatment involves.

Our take on pests in Hobart

In Hobart we'd watch for a steady stream of wasps into one gap or hole in late summer, and get any nest near the house treated before autumn peaks. Anything that looks like a paper wasp you haven't seen before goes to Biosecurity Tasmania first. For everything else, tap 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.

What have you seen?

Pest control in Hobart

Pest control in Hobart: what to know before anyone calls