What's different around Kurri Kurri
Three creek catchments
NSW SES says the Kurri Kurri area floods mainly from the Wallis Creek, Swampy Creek and Fishery Creek catchments. If your block catches water, that's where mosquitoes start.
Swamp Creek through the towns
Swamp Creek starts in the Broken Back Range and runs through Neath, Abermain and Weston before draining into Wentworth Swamp.
Bush with a local name
Kurri Sand Swamp Woodland is one of four endangered ecological communities in the Werakata parks, and the same parks record foxes, wild dogs and feral deer. That side of the fence belongs to land managers and NSW Local Land Services.
Rubbish on the park edge
The parks' 2014 statement says being close to town brings high rates of rubbish dumping. Dumped junk holds water and gives rats somewhere to shelter, so keep your own boundary clear of it.
Something in the roof? Work it out in this order
Listen
Light scratching, squeaking and gnawing at night usually means rats or mice. Heavy thumping, deep coughs and hisses point to a possum.
Watch at dusk
NSW Government guidance suggests watching for a possum leaving the roof as it gets dark.
Check for prints
The same guidance suggests sprinkling flour near entry points, to see whether the footprints belong to a possum, a rat or a mouse.
Then decide
A possum means proofing, and catch and release only by someone with a licence. Rats or mice are a pest business job, usually with bait stations (locked boxes that hold rodent bait).
Mice after rain
The Australian Museum says house mouse numbers seem to rise after rainfall, and about 18 months after a fire. So a wet run can mean more noise in the ceiling, and it's worth closing gaps around pipes before the weather cools.
Termites, and what to look for
Termite damaged timber can keep a wafer thin outer skin, so a skirting board can look fine until it isn't. Blisters or bubbles on paintwork can be a sign too. Spot something? Leave it alone and book a termite inspection.
If you're not sure which pest controller to ring, what to ask is a good place to begin.
Our take on pests in Kurri Kurri
Work out what's in the roof before you do anything else, because a possum and a rat are very different jobs. Once you know, 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.
