What's different in Forrestfield
Four Bush Forever sites
Of the 11 Bush Forever sites in the City of Kalamunda, four are here: Dundas Road, Hartfield Park, Bougainvillea Avenue and Pioneer Park bushland.
Flat ground, not the scarp
The City says the Swan Coastal Plain extends westwards from the lower edge of the Darling Scarp, and it places western and central Forrestfield on that plain's soils. It's a different setting from Kalamunda up the hill, even with the same council.
Mosquitoes by natural water
The City's fact sheet says Culex annulirostris prefers vegetated habitat and man-made lakes, and can be expected to be more common near a natural water source. The council's program runs from October to March.
Snakes aren't a council job
The City says it doesn't remove snakes from private property, and lists tiger snakes, dugites, mulga snakes and carpet pythons among the reptiles found in WA backyards. Keep clear and call a licensed snake catcher. If someone may have been bitten, call 000.
Cockroaches and food areas
The City says cockroaches pose a serious health risk in food areas, and can get into kitchens and food storage through tiny gaps. Prevention is a clean, tidy space with cracks and crevices sealed in walls, ceilings and floors.
If you see them by day, or find droppings like ground pepper behind the fridge, that's a sign there are more than you think. Small brown ones in the kitchen are usually German cockroaches, which need a different plan from the big ones that wander in from outside. Our Perth cockroach page explains the difference.
Rats on a suburban block
Under the City's guidance, keeping rodents from living and breeding on a property falls to the owner or occupier. Thick vegetation, sheds and wood piles are the places to look first. A block backing onto bushland can't stop what's next door, so focus on the gaps into the house.
Bees
The City says honey bees prefer enclosed spots such as hollow trees or wall cavities. If they've settled in a wall, keep clear and get a pest controller or beekeeper. Don't seal the entry, because trapped bees can find their way indoors.
Termites and European wasps
WA's Building and Energy recommends a termite inspection at least once a year. For wasps, DPIRD's 2025 to 2026 nest list included the Kalamunda area, and a suspected European wasp is reported to DPIRD, not treated.
What you can handle
You can
- Clean gutters and tip out anything holding water.
- Change the water in pet bowls, bird baths and pot plant trays often.
- Seal cracks around pipes and skirting in the kitchen.
- Wipe benches and keep food in sealed containers.
Leave to a pest business
- German cockroaches that keep coming back.
- Rats inside walls or the roof.
- Bees in a wall cavity.
Where we'd start with pests in Forrestfield
Kitchen first: clean behind the fridge and seal the gaps, then see what's left after a fortnight. If cockroaches persist, tap them and your postcode, and mention any kids, pets or fish tanks so the technician can plan around them.
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.
