What's different around the Passage
Mosquitoes on a tide timetable
Sunshine Coast Council counts 500 hectares of identified breeding habitat in the Pumicestone Passage. Saltmarsh mosquitoes usually hit nuisance levels 7 to 10 days after the full and new moon tides, then hang around for 2 to 3 weeks.
February and March are the peak
The council's sheet for Caloundra West, Bells Creek, Golden Beach and Pelican Waters records high levels from December to April. From May to September there are typically very few, if any.
The council goes after larvae
Officers trap weekly in Caloundra and Bells Creek, and the Passage gets up to 12 larvicide treatments a season. The council doesn't spray adult mosquitoes. Queensland Health guidelines keep that for a public health outbreak.
Midges at Currimundi Lake
The council monitors biting midges at Currimundi Lake and uses the data when deciding on opening and closing the lake. It says midges favour suburbs close to mangroves and intertidal zones, so if you're house hunting near the water, go back at dusk.
One suburb, three kinds of house
Caloundra runs from multi storey apartments at Kings Beach and Bulcock Beach to the beachside character houses left at Shelly Beach, Moffat Beach and Dicky Beach, then south to the new streets of Caloundra South. A termite inspection covers different ground in each.
In an older beach house, the inspector wants a clear run at the subfloor (the space under a raised floor) and any timber near the ground. In a new home, find out which termite management system went in during the build and what inspections it needs. In an apartment, ask your building manager what's already in place before you book anything.
Buying, and new estates
A building and pest inspection is really two inspections. The QBCC says only a licensed residential building inspector can do the building part, while the termite part needs someone with a pest licence, and one person can do both only if they hold both. Our pre purchase page explains the termite half, and there's a separate page on termite treatment on the Sunshine Coast.
Caloundra South is planned to reach 20,000 dwellings over 30 to 40 years, so expect fresh earthworks nearby for a long while. Soil and landscaping products can carry fire ants, so look closely at anything delivered. If you find suspect ants or nests, Biosecurity Queensland needs to hear about it within 24 hours. That's Queensland law, and it isn't a job we take.
Worth doing around each big tide
- Check when the next full or new moon falls, and plan evening yard jobs for before the 7 to 10 day mark.
- Empty pots, buckets and old palm fronds every week once the late summer rain starts.
- Mend holes in window and door screens before December comes around.
- Rake mulch back from the slab edge so an inspector can actually see it.
What we'd do in Caloundra
We'd treat mosquitoes as a calendar and termites as a yearly habit. Plan around the tides, clear the water you control, and book a termite inspection if the last one was more than a year ago, which is the gap the QBCC suggests. Spotted something else? Tell us what it is 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.
