What's different in Coburg
Buruli ulcer
Better Health Channel lists Coburg among the inner Melbourne suburbs where Buruli ulcer is being identified, and says its list may not be complete. Merri-bek says there's strong evidence that mosquitoes and possums play a role in transmission in Victoria, and that people are most often exposed in the main mosquito season, from early November to late April. Exactly how people get infected isn't known, and no pest treatment prevents it, so take any health worry to your GP.
Coburg Lake and the creek
Merri-bek's page for Coburg Lake Reserve shows the Merri Creek and a footbridge across it. The council says the lake has seen an increase in White Ibis, a native bird protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 that usually nests between October and March. Those birds aren't a pest job.
Termites
Merri-bek says it isn't currently listed as a declared termite zone, and that termites may still be found in the municipality. That's why we'd never call any Coburg house clear without an inspection.
Around the yard in mosquito season
- Tip out pot saucers, toys and buckets after rain.
- Clear gutters so water can't sit in them.
- Change the water in bird baths and pet bowls often.
- Wear long, loose clothes and repellent when you're out at dusk.
Possum removal in Coburg
A possum in a Coburg roof stays in Coburg. It's protected, so the job is finding where it gets in and shutting that gap once it has left for the night. Under Victoria's rules, a brushtail in a cage trap goes back on the same property, within 50 metres, after sunset. Trapping a ringtail without a permit is illegal.
Merri-bek's general advice for pests is to seal cracks and small holes in and around the home. It doesn't provide any pest control services itself, and it says never to remove a wasp nest yourself.
Termite inspections in an older house
If you're buying or renovating, book the inspection before the walls come apart. Any mud tubes or soft timber you uncover should stay as they are until the inspector has seen them. Our termite inspections guide covers what a report should include.
Our take on pests in Coburg
Clear standing water before November and keep doing it through the season. A possum in the roof is worth proofing out for its own sake, and any health worry belongs with your GP. For pest work, tap what you've found 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.
