What's different in Noosa Shire
A council of its own
Noosa Shire is the northern end of the Sunshine Coast, and its Biosecurity Plan applies to all land in the local government area. Noosa Council says all landholders are responsible for controlling declared pests on their own properties.
Helicopters over the mangroves
Noosa Council monitors known mosquito breeding sites and treats the larvae, including by helicopter over intertidal and mangrove areas, often timed to predicted tides. It also says it can't treat every breeding spot, so bird baths and pot plant bases stay with you.
Bush at the back fence
Around 55 per cent of the Shire is native vegetation, and over one third is in protected reserves. Beaches, lakes, the river and national parks define Tewantin, Noosaville and Noosa Heads, so expect protected wildlife around the house as well as pests.
Flying fox roosts
Noosa Council has plans for roosts at Wallace Park in Noosaville, Pinaroo Park in Noosa Heads and Waratah Reserve in Tewantin. Flying foxes are protected under state law, the council doesn't support moving them on, and they aren't a pest job.
Found a flying fox on the ground?
Don't touch it, alive or dead. Noosa Council says to contact the RSPCA about a sick or injured one. If anyone is bitten or scratched, get medical attention straight away.
Which Noosa mosquito have you got?
| Saltmarsh | Freshwater | Container | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breeds in | Saltmarsh and mangrove areas | Temporary and semi permanent fresh pools | Plant saucers, tyres, buckets and blocked gutters |
| Shows up | After high tides or rain | After heavy rain | Day and night, and it can stay active in winter |
| Reach | Easily up to 10 km | Up to 5 km | Very common in shade around the house |
| Your part | Screens, repellent, and less time outside at dawn and dusk | Drain anything on your block that holds rain | Empty it, every week |
Tanks and midges
Got a rainwater tank? Noosa Council says a hole the size of a small matchstick end lets mosquitoes in to breed, so check every screen.
Biting midges are more active around dawn and dusk from September through to April, and most common in suburbs close to mangroves and intertidal zones. The council says they can't be wiped out, and that insecticide against adults gives only short term relief and needs repeating. Ask a pest controller what to expect before you pay for it.
Termites and buying in Noosa
Termite rules are the same as anywhere else on the Sunshine Coast. Chemical termite treatment on a building needs a QBCC termite management licence class as well as a Queensland Health pest management licence. The QBCC suggests a termite inspection every year, or more often where termites are more active.
Buying here? A building and pest inspection can happen in one visit if the inspector holds both licences. Our pre purchase page covers the timber pest half.
Fire ants are a report, not a job
Noosa Council describes fire ants as copper brown with a darker abdomen, 2 to 6 mm long, with nests that can be mounds or flat patches of disturbed soil. If that looks familiar, leave it alone and report it to Biosecurity Queensland. Queensland law gives you 24 hours.
Our take for Noosa
Work out which mosquito you've got before paying for anything, because a yard of pot saucers and a street by the river need different answers. Then get the termite inspection booked if it's been more than a year. We'd leave the flying foxes well alone.
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.
