Brunswick's own list
Buruli ulcer, dated
As at 27 August 2026, the Western Public Health Unit lists Brunswick, Brunswick East and Brunswick West among 14 suburbs in its catchment with a risk of Buruli ulcer, a skin disease. Sores that won't heal are a question for your GP. No pest treatment prevents it.
Mosquito season is long
Merri-bek City Council puts the main season from early November to late April, and says reducing mosquitoes on your own property will reduce your risk of infection. That part starts with you, not a spray.
Possums come into it too
Council says there's strong evidence mosquitoes and possums play a role in spreading it in Victoria, and possums are found throughout Merri-bek. They're still protected, so that's no reason to touch one.
Council doesn't do the work
Merri-bek provides no pest control services and sells no products. Bees or wasps on council property are the exception worth reporting to it.
A weekly mosquito round
- Tip out saucers, buckets and anything else holding rain in the courtyard.
- Clear the gutter over the back door, where leaves hold water.
- Refresh pet bowls and bird baths.
- Check fly screens for holes before the warm weather starts.
Rodent control in Brunswick
Merri-bek's advice for homes is short: keep the place clean, seal cracks and small holes where pests get in, and make sure there's proper ventilation under your floor. It's a good description of what a technician will look at too.
In a home with a timber floor, they'll ask about the subfloor (the space under a raised floor) and any gaps around pipes. Ask what they'd seal and what they'd treat, and get the product's full name. The Melbourne rat and mouse page covers the rest.
Wasps, bees and mynas
Merri-bek says never to remove a wasp nest yourself. A bee swarm goes to an apiarist (a beekeeper). Common mynas are a local concern as well: council suggests not feeding birds in the backyard, keeping bins closed and sealing roof entry points so they can't nest. Our bird proofing page explains the job.
Renting in Brunswick
Consumer Affairs Victoria says a renter may be responsible if their actions contributed, and a rental provider may be responsible where pests were there at move-in or a building fault let them in. Pests caused by the building that make a home unsafe are an urgent repair. If you can't agree, either side can apply to VCAT.
If it were our house in Brunswick
We'd do the water round every week from November, then look at the roof and subfloor before winter. Anything else you spot, tap it with 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.
