How Epping shapes the pest list
Old paddocks, newer streets
The City of Whittlesea says land here was used mainly for farming, especially dairy, until the late 1900s, and Epping stayed a township around High Street until the late 20th century. A newer house doesn't mean fewer pests, though. European wasps nest in the ground, and mice aren't fussy about a building's age.
Two creeks run through
Edgars Creek flows about 13 kilometres through the city from Wollert to Epping, Lalor and Thomastown. The Darebin Creek Trail, a 25 km shared path, passes through too, and the 6.9 hectare Darebin Creek Parklands sits at Park Street. Damp creek edges mean mosquitoes in the warm months, so check what's holding water in your own yard.
A wasp nest can't just stay
Whittlesea says local laws require residents to make sure a wasp nest doesn't remain on their premises, and that destroying the nest is the only effective control. Council looks after pest problems on nature strips and on council buildings and land.
If there's a nest near a door or path
Keep people and pets well back and leave the nest alone. Call 000 if anyone who's been stung has noisy breathing, a swollen tongue or throat, or collapses. For first aid advice, the Poisons Information Centre is on 13 11 26.
What's yours, and what isn't
You can
- Cover compost and put bins out with the lids shut, so wasps aren't drawn in.
- Don't leave sweet drinks open outdoors in late summer.
- Keep long grass and rubbish away from the fence line, where you can see what's moving.
- Note where wasps come and go, from well back, so you can describe it.
Leave to a pest business
- Treating a European wasp nest. The technician will tell you any precautions.
- A bee colony goes to a beekeeper first, not a pest business.
- A snake goes to a licensed snake catcher. Whittlesea says snakes are protected, and capturing, harming or killing wildlife is illegal.
Where we'd start with pests in Epping
Walk the yard on a warm afternoon and watch for a line of wasps heading in and out of one spot. If you find it, keep everyone clear and get it dealt with. For anything else, tell us what you've seen 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.
