Will the City of Launceston deal with rats on my property?

No. The council says it doesn't carry out pest control on private property and refers residents to a pest control company.

Do I need a termite inspection in Launceston?

The National Construction Code says termites aren't considered a risk in Tasmania, so it isn't the usual first job here. If you're buying, ask your building inspector what they look for, and mention any soft or damaged timber you've noticed.

When are wasps worst around Launceston?

Late summer into autumn, when NRE Tasmania says nests are at full size. Watch outdoor food and drinks then, and look for wasps going in and out of the ground.

Pest control Launceston: wasps first, then rats and mice

Near a wasp nest

Keep people and pets back from any nest and leave it undisturbed. If someone who has been stung has noisy breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, wheezing, dizziness or collapses, use their adrenaline autoinjector if they carry one and call 000.

What's different in Launceston

Exotic paper wasps: report them

NRE Tasmania lists Launceston among the places exotic paper wasps have turned up, with Sorell, East Devonport and Latrobe. They're a declared pest in Tasmania, so a sighting goes to Biosecurity Tasmania, and NRE asks people not to disturb the nest.

European wasps: worst in autumn

European wasps reached Tasmania in 1959, in a Hobart suburb, and are now right across the state. NRE Tasmania says colonies reach full size late in summer and the wasps are most troublesome in autumn. Some nests survive the winter and grow again the next season.

Rodents: not every one is a pest

Of the rodents living in Tasmania, five kinds are native and three were introduced, according to the City of Launceston. The council lists droppings, gnawing, noises, smell and sightings as the signs of rats or mice, and it doesn't do pest control on private property: it points residents to a pest control company.

Termites aren't the starting point

The National Construction Code says termites aren't considered a risk in Tasmania. That's why a Launceston pest page starts with wasps rather than a termite inspection, as it would in Brisbane or Sydney.

Which wasp is it?

European wasps are stout, bright yellow and black, with all black antennae. They fly fast with their legs tucked in and hide their nests in the ground or in wall and roof cavities, so what you see is a stream of wasps using one hole. For these, NRE Tasmania says to contact a registered pest controller.

Paper wasps are slimmer, let their back legs dangle in flight, and build an open, upside down cone of cells under the eaves or on a branch. Tasmania has native paper wasps as well as the exotic ones. If you can't tell which you're looking at, photograph the nest from a distance and ring Biosecurity Tasmania before anyone treats it.

Rats, mice and possums

Scratching in the ceiling through the cooler months is often rats or mice; CSIRO says cooler weather sends mice indoors looking for shelter. Because some Tasmanian rodents are native, it's worth having a pest business confirm what's there before any bait goes down, and bait belongs in locked stations, out of reach of children and pets.

Heavier thumping at night is more likely a brushtail possum. They're protected in Tasmania and can't be taken without a permit, and NRE Tasmania says trapping and moving a possum generally doesn't work. The fix is finding where it gets in and closing that gap once it's out. Our possums page explains more.

Who can do the work in Tasmania

In Tasmania, the business holds the licence: a Commercial Operator Licence for insect and rodent control in and around buildings, issued by NRE Tasmania. Technicians hold a Certificate of Competency in the Pest Management Technician category. There's no public register to search, so ask to see both, or check with NRE's licensing team. Our Tasmania page has the detail.

Where we'd start with pests in Launceston

A paper wasp nest you don't recognise, we'd photograph from well back and report to Biosecurity Tasmania first. A European wasp nest, or anything scratching in the roof, we'd tap in with our postcode and let a local pest business take a look.

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?