Living beside the bush in Hornsby
2,000 hectares next door
Hornsby Shire Council says it's directly responsible for 2,000 hectares of bushland, much of it adjoining Berowra Valley National and Regional Park. A lot of backyards here end where the reserve begins.
On the funnel-web plateau
The Australian Museum says funnel-webs mostly live in moist upland forest, and it names the Hornsby Plateau first. Burrows turn up in sheltered, damp garden spots as well as the bush.
Ticks and lantana
Council says people pick up ticks most easily in long grass or thick scrub, and it advises keeping gardens clear of weeds, particularly lantana. Bandicoots get blamed, but they roam a small range and are less exposed to ticks than wandering foxes, dogs and cats.
What council won't do
Council says it won't act on invertebrates on its land, including termites, unless they pose a direct danger to humans. It also has no power to force landholders to control pest animals, so neighbours' cooperation matters.
Termites near a reserve
Houses near natural bushland may often have termite nests nearby, the Australian Museum says, though those may not be pest species. Seeing termites in a stump over the fence doesn't mean your house has them, and it doesn't mean it doesn't.
That's why termite inspections matter here, and why termite treatment should follow an inspection report. Anyone who first got or renewed a NSW licence after 17 December 2021 needs the timber pest licence to do the work. Our Sydney termite page has more.
Signs to get looked at
- Timber that sounds hollow or feels soft when you press it.
- Mud tubes on foundations or walls. Don't break them.
- Paint that's bubbling on door frames and skirtings.
- New gaps or sagging around window frames and doors.
- A deck or retaining wall that's touching damp soil.
Native visitors
Council reminds residents that brush turkeys, magpies, possums, flying foxes and snakes can be a nuisance, but all native birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals except the dingo are protected. Pest animals it does list include wild rabbits, red foxes, cats, common mynas and common carp.
Where we'd start with pests in Hornsby
Clear the lantana first, then book a termite inspection if your last one was a while ago. That's most of what we'd worry about next to the bush. For the rest, tell us what you've seen 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.
