What's different in Raymond Terrace
Two rivers and a levee
NSW SES says Raymond Terrace floods mainly when the Hunter and Williams rivers overtop their banks and levees. The town, Lakeside Village and Heatherbrae also face tidal inundation and heavy rain. Any of those can leave water sitting in yards and drains.
The mosquito traps at Tomago
NSW Health's Newcastle trapping location includes Tomago. It found Barmah Forest virus there on 17 February 2025 and Ross River virus on 7 April 2025. That shows a virus was around that season, not that anyone caught it.
The dam next door
Grahamstown Dam, between Raymond Terrace and Medowie, is a drinking water storage, and Hunter Water doesn't allow public access to the dam or its catchment. If you're close by, tell the technician so they can plan around it.
Deer are a different call
In a 2019 release, Hunter Local Land Services said a control program around Raymond Terrace removed 48 feral deer. If deer are coming through your yard, that's who to talk to, not a pest business.
Once the water's gone
Mosquitoes are the first thing you'll notice, and the eggs only need about a week of standing water. Go around the yard each week and empty what you find.
After that, think about damp. Plumbing, drainage and roof leaks should be fixed quickly, because damp conditions attract termites. Keep soil and mulch from building up against the walls, so the edge of the slab stays in view for an inspection.
Yours, and the pest controller's
You can
- Empty anything holding water, every week.
- Clear gutters and connect downpipes.
- Keep soil and mulch away from the walls.
- Photograph droppings, mud tubes or nests from a safe distance.
Leave to a pest business
- Rats and mice in the roof, usually with locked bait stations.
- Termite inspections and treatment.
- Wasp nests near a door or path.
- Treating where mosquitoes rest around the yard.
Worth asking before anyone treats near water
- What's the full product name, and can I see the safety data sheet?
- Can I see your NSW photo licence card?
- Where will you apply it, and how close to drains, the river or a rainwater tank?
- When can we go back in, and what should we do about pets and fish tanks?
- What would heavy rain or high water mean for this treatment, in writing?
Our take on pests in Raymond Terrace
Sort the water and the damp first, because they're the parts you control. Then if there's still something in the roof or the walls, tap it with your postcode and take it from there.
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.
