Boronia and the foothills
The foothills edge
Knox's Boronia Renewal Project describes a residential precinct around Chandler Park as a buffer between the core commercial area and the Dandenong Foothills area. So parts of Boronia sit right up against that foothills country.
Possums
Knox says possums aren't pests, they're protected and they must not be harmed. It doesn't hire out cages for trapping them, and if they're inside your roof, it says to contact a pest controller.
Bees
The council says a hive hanging from a tree or shrub can go to a registered beekeeper, but one in a log or wall needs a pest controller.
Indian mynas
Knox calls Indian mynas a threat to native animals and biodiversity and runs a trapping program. Ask the council about it. A nest in the roof or eaves is a different job, covered on our bird proofing page.
Possum removal in Boronia, within the rules
A pest business called out for a possum in Boronia should be talking about proofing. That means finding the gap, making sure the animal is out, then closing it. If a brushtail has to be caught, Victoria's rule is a cage trap, release on the same property within 50 metres, after sunset on the day it was caught. A ringtail can't be trapped without a permit.
Be wary of anyone who offers to drive a possum away. That isn't lawful here.
What's a pest inspection in Boronia?
People use the phrase for two things. A general inspection looks for what's living in the house now, such as rodents, cockroaches or a bee colony. A timber pest inspection looks for termites and the damage they leave, and it's the one you want before buying.
A Knox Property Information Certificate shows whether a property is in a flood, termite or bushfire-prone area. That's useful paperwork, but it's no substitute for someone looking through the subfloor and roof space.
Worth checking on a foothills block
- Branches that overhang the roof and give possums a path in.
- Gaps at the eaves, fascia and roof vents.
- Firewood stacked against the house.
- Compost and bins without tight lids, which draw rats and wasps.
In your shoes
We'd get a possum gap sorted before winter, and get bees in a wall looked at before they settle in further. Knox leaves pests on your own property to you, so tap what you've found and your postcode when you're ready.
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.
