Can a pest business stop Ross River virus?

No. Mosquito-borne disease is a public health matter, so follow NSW Health and healthdirect: loose, light coloured long sleeves, a repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and screens without holes. A pest business can treat around the yard, and you can remove the water mosquitoes breed in.

Do you cover Wauchope and Lake Cathie?

Yes. Give your postcode with what you've seen and the enquiry is matched from there.

Pest control Port Macquarie: mosquitoes, termites, bees

What's different on the mid north coast

A very wet 2025

NSW Health reported very much above average rainfall on the mid north coast from April to June 2025. Mosquitoes need water to breed, and on the coast tidal flooding counts as well as rain.

Three trap sites close to home

Port Macquarie, Lake Cathie and Wauchope are coastal trap sites in NSW Health's 2025 to 2026 surveillance program. At the Cowarra Creek trap near Lake Cathie it found Stratford virus in mosquitoes on 17 March 2025 and Edge Hill virus on 26 May 2025.

Ross River and Barmah Forest

In the 2024 to 2025 season, Mid North Coast Local Health District recorded 67 Ross River virus and 26 Barmah Forest virus notifications. They're public health figures, and NSW Health is where to go for advice on avoiding bites.

Ticks in the bush

Walking tracks and bush blocks along the east coast carry ticks, NSW Health says, particularly in long grass and humid spots after rain.

Fire ants

If you suspect fire ants, the NSW Biosecurity Helpline takes reports. It isn't a job for a pest business.

Termites like a wet year too

WA's Building and Energy says damp conditions attract termites, and that plumbing, drainage and roof leaks should be fixed quickly. After a season like 2025, a leaking downpipe against a wall is worth more of your attention than a few flying insects at the window.

Subterranean termites build tubes of mud over brick and concrete so they can stay moist and out of the sun. If you find tubes or timber that sounds hollow, leave them exactly as they are; the Port Macquarie termites page explains why and what comes next.

Bees in the wall or a swarm in the tree?

Ask yourself where the bees are going. A cluster hanging from a branch is a swarm in transit, usually calm if left alone and best handed to a local beekeeper. A steady line of bees disappearing into a gap in the cladding or the eaves means a colony inside the building, and that's a pest business's job.

Yours, and the pest business's

You can

Tip out water holders at least weekly, since mosquito eggs need about a week in standing water.
Keep screens on windows, doors and vents in good repair.
Clear gutters and keep downpipes connected after heavy rain.
Store firewood off the ground and away from the house.
Photograph anything odd from a safe distance.

Leave to a pest business

Termite inspections, and any treatment that follows.
Bees nesting inside a wall or roof.
Wasp nests, especially high up or near a door.
Rats or possums in the roof (possums need a catch and release licence holder in NSW).

Where we'd start with pests in Port Macquarie

After a wet year we'd walk the yard tipping out water, fix any leak near the walls, and book a termite inspection. For bees, wasps or anything in the roof, 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.

What have you seen?