Two waterways, one suburb
The Yarra side
Wilson Reserve on The Boulevard is a 21.5 hectare reserve on the Yarra floodplain, with wetlands, native woodland and aquatic plants. Banyule calls it an important wildlife corridor on the river.
The Darebin Creek side
Darebin Creek runs through Darebin Parklands at Rockbeare Grove. For most of this stretch the creek is also the line between Banyule and Darebin councils, so check who owns the land before you report anything on the far bank.
Wasp nests you won't see
Banyule says underground European wasp nests can be hard to spot in bushland and can be a threat to park users if disturbed by accident. If a dog or child is suddenly surrounded by wasps on a trail, move away and don't stop to look for the hole.
Foxes, compost and food scraps
Banyule's annual fox and rabbit works run along the Yarra, the Plenty River and Darebin Creek. It says fox numbers have grown on pet food scraps, uncovered compost and backyard chicken coops. Rats like the same things.
What Banyule will and won't do
Banyule says it's restricted to controlling pests on public land. If you keep seeing pests on your property, it suggests asking a pest controller for a quote. It will respond to reports of hives and assess whether one is an unacceptable risk to people or the environment.
We haven't confirmed whether Banyule has declared any termite area, and nothing we've read says termites are more likely in Ivanhoe than elsewhere. If you're buying or renovating, a timber pest inspection answers the question for your actual house.
Before the warm weather
- Cover the compost and keep it away from the house.
- Bring pet bowls in at night and clean up what's left.
- Latch chicken coops, and store their feed in sealed bins.
- Tip out saucers, buckets and anything else that holds still water.
- Walk the lawn and fence line for wasps going in and out of one spot, and keep your distance if you find it.
Where we'd start with pests in Ivanhoe
Cut off the food first, because that's the part nobody else can do for you. If you're still seeing rats or wasps after that, tap what you've seen and your postcode. Report anything in a park to Banyule.
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.
