The Altona coast
Saltmarsh and mosquitoes
Hobsons Bay says Altona Coastal Park has coastal saltmarsh communities, important mangrove habitat and mudflats. Victoria's Department of Health says a salt water loving mosquito along the coast can spread Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, and that coastal seasons usually start earlier and finish later than inland.
Wetlands to the west
Truganina Coastal Parklands in Altona Meadows adjoin Cheetham Wetlands and link to the Coastal Bay Trail across Laverton Creek. You won't be treating any of that, so your own yard is where the effort counts.
Not on the termite list, and what that means
Hobsons Bay's declared termite prone areas are Williamstown, Newport and Spotswood. Altona isn't named. That's a rule about new building work, and the City of Stonnington, which isn't declared either, still warns that termites can damage structures.
Sick birds
On 1 October 2026 Hobsons Bay said H5 bird flu had been detected in the area. If you see sick or dead birds or wildlife, don't handle them, and follow the department's guidelines. That's a health matter, not a pest job.
Bees and wasps: whose job is it?
Hobsons Bay says residents and landowners are responsible for bee hives or wasp nests on their own properties. Council removes them on reserves and roadsides where there's a risk to community safety, and its officers can check hives in places like shopping centres and child care centres.
Bees swarm in spring when the temperature rises, and council suggests a licensed apiarist. A wasp nest goes to a pest controller of your choice. Left alone, the council says, they pose little threat, so keep your distance while you sort it out.
Keeping mice and rats out of an Altona home
You can
- Hobsons Bay says mice can squeeze into gaps as small as 8mm, so fill even the small ones.
- Clear clutter and thin out dense garden foliage against the walls.
- Fix plumbing leaks and put away food scraps and pet food.
- Empty water from pot plant bases and buckets each week in the warmer months.
Leave to a pest business
- Working out whether it's a Norway rat, a roof rat or a house mouse.
- Choosing where any rodent control goes, with kids and pets in mind.
- Treating a wasp nest on your property.
- Inspecting the subfloor or roof space for termites.
What we'd do by the bay
Go after standing water and small gaps first, because those two cover most of what an Altona home can control. If there's a nest or hive, keep clear and tell us what it is 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.
