Life along the Plenty River
A corridor through the suburb
Banyule names the Yarra River, Plenty River and Darebin Creek as its 3 natural wildlife corridors. At Greensborough, the river trail is 500m from the activity centre and loops about 2.5km of the upper reaches, past Whatmough Park and Carter Reserve.
Why a roof appeals to a possum
Banyule says the large hollows possums need can take up to 300 years to form. Old trees are slow to replace, so a dry roof space close to the river is an easy substitute.
What council does, and doesn't
Banyule's rangers work on pest animals in its bushland. We couldn't find a council page on wasps, rats or possums in homes, so treat anything on your own block as yours to organise and ask council about its land.
Is it a possum in the roof?
Possums sleep in the roof by day and leave at dusk, so noise right on nightfall that fades later points that way. Rats and mice tend to be lighter and busier, and they're the ones that leave droppings near food. Our roof space page helps you tell them apart.
Search possum removal and you'll find plenty of offers. In Victoria the lawful version is proofing the entry points, plus catch and release on your own property, within 50 metres and after sunset on the day it's caught. Ringtails can't be trapped without a permit, and nobody may harm a possum or keep one without DEECA's approval.
Signs worth a call
- Stains or scratches around a gap in the eaves or a loose roof tile.
- Thumping that returns every night, even after you've trimmed branches back.
- Damaged timber or thin mud tubes on a pier or wall: don't disturb them.
- A steady line of yellow and black wasps going in and out of a hole in the ground.
Termite and building inspections
Buying near the river? We can't tell you Banyule's termite status, and it wouldn't settle anything: Victorian designations are building rules, and the City of Stonnington, which isn't declared, still says termites may damage structures. A termite inspection is about the house in front of you. A building inspection is a separate profession, and Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests looking at both before you sign.
Our take on pests in Greensborough
Before you pay anyone for a roof job, watch the roof line at dusk for a couple of nights. If something's coming and going, you'll know where the gap is. Then tap what you've heard 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.
