Between Knox and the ranges
Mountain Ash up the road
Parks Victoria says the Ferntree Gully Picnic Ground is surrounded by tall Mountain Ash, in a national park that's home to wallabies, lyrebirds, wombats and the Powerful Owl. Native animals are a normal part of this end of Knox.
Possums aren't pests
That's Knox Council's wording, and it adds that they're protected and must not be harmed. So if you've got one overhead, think proofing, not getting rid of it.
Your block, your job
Knox says residents are responsible for infestations on their own property, and it doesn't investigate them there. On public land, it does look at European wasps and bees, rats and mice, and mosquitoes.
Yarra Ranges is designated, Knox unconfirmed
Yarra Ranges Council says its area is designated as prone to termites. We couldn't confirm Knox's status. Either way it's a rule about new building work, and a shire boundary means nothing to a termite.
What a pest inspection covers here
People search for a pest inspection in Ferntree Gully for two reasons: they're buying, or they've seen something. For buyers, a timber pest inspection covers termites and other timber pests, and it's a different job from a building inspection. Consumer Affairs Victoria says to get your own report rather than rely on the agent's.
If you already live here, tell the inspector what you've noticed, and where. Damaged timber and mud tubes are the priority. Don't disturb them. Our Melbourne buyers page explains what a report should cover.
If you're searching for possum removal
In Victoria, a possum that's lawfully caught goes back on the same property, no more than 50 metres from where it was caught, after sunset that day. A ringtail can't be trapped at all without a permit. What actually fixes the noise is closing the way in once the possum's outside, which is what a pest business will quote on. Possums and the law has the detail.
Before you say yes to a quote
- What's in the roof, and how do you know?
- How do you make sure no possum is shut inside?
- What product would you use, and what's its full name?
- What does the written quote cover, and is a follow-up visit included?
Bees and birds
A beehive hanging from a tree or shrub can be collected by a registered apiarist, Knox says, so call a beekeeper first. Indian mynas are a threat to native animals, and it's worth closing roof gaps before they nest in one.
If it were our house in Ferntree Gully
We'd take Knox at its word and fix the roof, not the possum. Check for gaps from the ground, note what you've seen, and 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.
