What's different in Clarkson
Two wards, one council
The City of Wanneroo splits Clarkson: the north is in North-East Ward, and the south is in Central-West Ward with Quinns Rocks and Mindarie. Postcode 6030 covers the suburb, and the council's health advice is the same on either side.
Portuguese millipedes
A WA Department of Agriculture note from 2003, which the City still shares, says these can invade homes and gardens in their thousands each autumn and spring. They aren't harmful to animals or humans. They don't breed inside, and once in they'll probably die.
Midges
The City says adult midge numbers are higher in warmer months, and that midge are drawn to light. It monitors them at Lake Joondalup with the City of Joondalup and others, and treats with chemical pesticide only as a last resort, no more than twice a season.
Brushtails in the region
DBCA describes Neerabup National Park, also in the City of Wanneroo, as a 12km strip of bushland near Joondalup, and lists brushtail possums among its animals. DBCA says brushtails have adapted to urban areas, so a thump in the roof at night could be one.
If something keeps coming to the lights
Turn off the outside lights
Begin with the ones close to walls and doors. The City suggests less outdoor lighting for midges, and the 2003 note says the same for millipedes.
Stop the glow and the gaps
Curtains and blinds keep indoor light in, and weather strips on doors close the way under them.
Thin out the garden edge
Less compost, leaf litter and mulch near the house takes away the millipedes' food and shelter. The note says areas adjoining bushland can support enormous numbers, so don't expect zero.
Check what it is
A Portuguese millipede is smooth, slate grey to black and 20 to 45 mm long, and it curls into a tight spiral when disturbed. Native millipedes look bumpier.
Possum or rat in the roof?
DBCA says rats and mice are often mistaken for possums, especially in winter. Droppings settle it: possum droppings are usually more than 2 cm long, rat droppings about 1.5 cm and mouse droppings under 1 cm.
Possums are protected native fauna in WA, and DBCA says relocating them isn't considered a humane means of control. So the job is proofing the roof once the possum has gone out for the night. Our Perth possum page walks through it.
Termites, wasps and asking the right question
WA's Building and Energy suggests having accessible timber and likely entry points inspected every six to 12 months. A suspected European wasp is different: it goes to DPIRD, never to a pest business.
WA's business register isn't open to the public, so ask any pest business for its Department of Health registration number. It should be on the vehicle as well.
Where we'd start with pests in Clarkson
Turn the outside lights off for a few nights and see what changes. If the millipedes or midges drop away, that's your answer. If something's thumping in the roof, check the droppings, then tap what you've found 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.
