Essendon's public health note
Two lists name it
Better Health Channel lists Essendon among inner Melbourne suburbs where Buruli ulcer is being identified, and says its list may not be complete. The Western Public Health Unit, as at 27 August 2026, includes Essendon, Aberfeldie, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds and Strathmore.
What's known and what isn't
Better Health Channel says there's increasing evidence that mosquitoes and possums have a role, though exactly how people become infected isn't known. It's a question for your GP and the health department. A pest business doesn't prevent or treat it.
An established suburb
The Victorian Government describes Moonee Valley as a diverse, established residential, commercial and industrial area, with a large retail centre at Essendon. Established gardens and mature trees give possums an easy way onto a roof.
Possums in an Essendon roof
This doesn't change the law. Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, and nobody can harm or keep one without DEECA's approval. So people searching for possum removal in Essendon are really looking for roof proofing, with any catch and release on the same property, within 50 metres of where it was caught and after sunset.
Trapping a ringtail without a permit is illegal. Mornington Peninsula Shire says ringtails rarely enter or nest in a roof, while brushtails can, so noise overhead is more likely to be a brushtail. Ask the pest business what they think they're dealing with, and why. The Melbourne possum page has more.
Around the house
You can
- Empty saucers, buckets and blocked gutters every week from about November.
- Keep fly screens in good repair and wear repellent when you're gardening at dusk.
- Cut back branches that touch the roof, and look for loose tiles or boards.
Leave to a pest business
- Finding and closing possum entry points.
- Termite inspections, including the subfloor.
- Wasp nests, wherever they are.
Termite inspection
We couldn't read Moonee Valley's own pages, so we can't tell you its termite status. It wouldn't settle much: designated areas are building rules, and the City of Stonnington, which isn't declared, still warns termites can damage structures there. If your home has timber floors or you're buying, book a termite inspection. Damaged timber and mud tubes are the signs to report. Leave them alone until the inspector arrives.
Who to check with
Victoria licenses the technician. The Department of Health's register lists current licence holders and when each licence expires, and Better Health Channel suggests checking the licence covers your job. Our Victoria page sets out the authorisations.
What we'd do about pests in Essendon
We'd think of these as two separate jobs. Sort the water yourself every week in summer, and get a pest business to look at the roof line. Tap what you've found and your postcode to start.
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.
