Snake in the yard?
Stop, stand still and let it move away. Keep people and pets clear, and never approach it or try to catch it. For a suspected bite, call 000 straight away and keep the person still.
What's different around Merrylands
Green corridors
Cumberland City Council says its main ecological corridors run along Duck River, east-west along Prospect Creek, and along the regional cycleway through Greystanes and Merrylands West. Central Gardens at Merrylands West has bush trails too.
Snakes
Council says snakes are more common in spring and summer near waterways. Red-bellied black snakes mainly feed on frogs, and one in a yard will usually move on within a few hours. All snakes are protected, so this is a job for a licensed snake catcher if it won't leave, not a pest business.
Ibis
The Australian White Ibis is protected, and council says by law you can't harm them or remove their nests. Council runs an Ibis Management Plan with roost dispersal, street cleansing and population surveys.
Mosquitoes on Duck River
NSW Health's Duck River trap site, listed under Parramatta, returned Barmah Forest virus on 18 March 2025. A virus in a trap isn't a human case, so take it as a reason to cover up on warm evenings near the river.
What helps, and who does what
You can
- Keep your lawn short and your yard clear of rubble and rubbish, as council suggests.
- Reptile proof aviaries and chicken enclosures.
- Don't feed pest birds or animals, and don't leave food scraps or pet food lying around.
- Keep dogs on a lead near the river and cats inside.
Leave to a pest business
- Rats or mice in the roof or walls.
- Cockroaches, ants or spiders that keep coming back.
- Wasp nests, from a distance.
- A termite inspection, especially on a block with old timber.
The everyday jobs
Most of what a pest business does here has nothing to do with the river. Rats and mice come for food and shelter, German cockroaches for warm kitchens, and wasps for a quiet cavity. If you're seeing any of these, a photo and a postcode is all we need. Our Sydney rat and mouse page is a good place to start.
Our take on pests in Merrylands
Treat the snakes and ibis as neighbours, keep the yard tidy so they've less reason to stop, and save the pest business for what's inside the house.
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.
