What's local about Ryde
Tiles and eaves
The City of Ryde says possums enter roof voids through damaged tiles and eaves, make noise at night, and leave stains and odours on the ceiling. Keeping the roof in good repair is the prevention, and a nest box gives them another option.
Field of Mars
Council calls Field of Mars Reserve one of its most significant bushland areas, home to flying foxes, possums and microbats among other native animals. Nearby homes should expect regular wildlife visits.
Swarm season
Overcrowding in a hive may prompt bees to swarm, the City of Ryde says, usually between September and December. A swarm goes to a beekeeper, but bees in a wall cavity or other hard to reach spot need a pest controller.
Mosquitoes along the river
Council's undated mosquito page says it's had many enquiries around the Parramatta River foreshore, that the saltmarsh mosquito breeds in Homebush Bay's saltmarshes, and that the risk of becoming unwell from a bite in Ryde is very low.
Checking the roof without going up there
Look from the ground
Walk around with a phone camera and zoom in on tiles, ridge caps, eaves and where branches touch the roof.
Check the ceiling
Stains or a smell inside can point to possums or rats above.
Listen at dusk
Thumping as it gets dark usually means something's leaving to feed. Note when and where.
Call the right person
A roofer fixes the entry points. In NSW, a possum can only be caught and released by someone with a licence, and within 150 metres.
Termite inspection and treatment
Ryde has plenty of older brick and timber homes, and an inspection is the sensible starting point if you've been there a while or you're buying. Termite treatment should follow what the inspector finds, not a sales call. Leave any mud tubes untouched.
Buying? Building and pest inspections are separate reports. We match the timber pest one, and a builder, surveyor or architect does the building side. See pre-purchase inspections in Sydney.
What we'd do about pests in Ryde
Spend ten minutes looking at the roof from the street this weekend. If you can see a gap, fix it before spring, once you're sure nothing's using it. For anything else, or anything you've already heard up there, tell us what you've noticed.
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.
