The City of Sydney Manages Noise Created from Construction Works

PEST CONTROL - THE CITY’S ROLE

The City receives numerous complaints and enquiries concerning a wide range of pests that share our environment in the City. This fact sheet gives information on the City’s role in relation to pest control and sets out the circumstances when City Environmental Health Officers and Pest Control Officers will investigate complaints concerning pests and when appropriate treatment measures will be implemented.

1. Rats and Mice

The City receives many complaints and enquiries concerning vermin infestations throughout the City but will only implement vermin treatments where an infestation is on public land under the control of the City of Sydney. Any infestation involving private land will be the responsibility of the landowner to control and as such the services of a commercial pest controller should be sought.

Rodents are considered a pest as they can transmit disease, damage property, food crops and supplies and can chew through electrical cabling which can result in electrical faults and fires.

Rats have a lifespan of about 1 year and can produce over 50 offspring in this period so early detection and treatment is required to prevent widespread infestation

The City’s Environmental Health Surveyors can serve Orders under the Local Government Act 1993 on the owner or occupier of any land which is in an unsafe or unhealthy condition. This can include where conditions exist that may attract vermin such as through an accumulation of garbage or in respect to land where vermin are nesting.

In addition, officers conduct routine inspections of food businesses in the City to ensure compliance with the Food safety Regulations which includes a requirement for proprietors to implement all practicable measures to prevent pests entering the premises and to eradicate and prevent pest harbourage.

For further information, please see the City’s fact sheet on food hygiene and pest control: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Business/documents/Health/FoodHygieneFactsheets- PestControl.pdf

Residents may in certain areas also come across the native Bush Rat which is unlike the introduced Black Rat in that they are secret, shy rodents that are rarely seen outside their dense bush land habitat. For further information on Bush Rats and Black Rats please visit the Sydney Bush Rat website at: http://www.sydneybushrats.com/ 2. Pigeons and other wild birds

Feral pigeons, also called city doves, city pigeons or street pigeons are derived from domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild and have adapted to urban life. They can become a pest in the city as they can cause damage to buildings, transmit diseases such as Psittacosis and their faeces can carry airborne funguses.

The City does not offer any pest control service in relation to pigeon control and does not conduct any activities involving culling of nesting or roosting pigeons. Owners of property blighted by nesting or roosting pigeons are advised to seek the services of a commercial pest controller for specific advice on control and eradication measures.

Should any property be affected by large numbers of feral pigeons that may be detrimental to public health then a referral can be made to the City’s Health department who will investigate the complaint

The City does not investigate complaints or initiate any control measures in relation to other wild birds such as Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Indian Mynas, or Silver Gulls (Seagulls), but will investigate complaints in relation to nesting colonies of the Australian White Ibis on public land. All native mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians are protected in NSW by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, and a licence from the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water is therefore required to harm them. In addition, any person or organisation who is intending to use a prescribed substance to harm any bird in NSW, including introduced species, is required to seek the consent of the Director General of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water.

For further information please visit the Department of the Environment, Climate Change and Water website at:

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wildlifelicences/

3. Bee control

The city often receives complaints concerning bee swarms, which is part of the natural reproductive cycle of the introduced honeybee The swarming season is usually between September and December as the warmer weather can stimulate colonies to increase in population. Swarming bees are generally inclined not to sting provided they are left alone.

Honeybees play an essential role in in agriculture, not only producing honey and beeswax but also in the pollination of a vast array of food cr crops.

However, the introduced honeybee has established as a feral species across NSW, with hives usually centred on tree hollows, independently of managed hives that are maintained by beekeepers. Feral honeybees impact on indigenous species via competition for tree hollows, and via competition for floral resources. Competition from feral honeybees has therefore been listed as a ‘key threatening process’ in NSW under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

For more information about this listing visit the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/feralhoneybeesktplisting.htm

For further information on what to do in the case of bee swarms please visit the Department of Primary Industry at: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/47661/Bee-swarms-what-to-do.pdf

The City’s pest control officers will respond and attend to any swarm that is occurring on public land in order to protect public health and to prevent potential impacts to indigenous species. Any that occur on private land are the responsibility of the land owner to remove through the services of a registered beekeeper.

The Amateur Beekeepers’ Association of NSW provides information on swarm collectors. They can be visited at: www.beekeepers.asn.au

4. Ants and Termites

Ants are social insects and can often become a nuisance in the summer months when they can invade kitchens and pantries in large numbers in search of food. They can cause disease in humans, ruin food and destroy furnishings curtains and carpets and become a nuisance pest in the home.

The City does not offer any pest control service in relation to controlling or eradicating ant infestations. Proprietary over the counter treatments are available from certain hardware stores however the owners of affected premises should consult a commercial pest controller for further advice.

Termites or “white ants” are a highly destructive pest as they can quickly affect the structural integrity of a property by destroying wooden framing and roof structures. It has been said that termites cause more damage to homes in Australia than from storms, fire, and floods combined and they occur throughout New South Wales.

For further information and advice on controlling termites please visit the Australian Pest Controllers Association at: http://www.pestcontrol.org.au/

5. Bed bugs

Bedbugs are small, rust brown coloured parasitic insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm blooded animals. Although largely in decline through the middle part of the last century they have made a dramatic resurgence in recent years as there has been a significant rise on the numbers of reported infestations since the late 1990’s. Bed bugs are a public health pest in that they can cause skin rashes and allergic symptoms. Bed bugs will hide (and lay eggs) in a variety of household objects close to where humans sleep such as mattresses, bed frames, furniture, behind skirting boards, loose wallpaper and floorboards, and in cracks and crevices of walls and as such can often be difficult to treat and control.

Dwellings can become infested with bed bugs in a variety of ways, from:

 Infested pets, clothing and luggage  Infested items (such as furniture or clothing) brought in  Nearby dwellings (through duct work or false ceilings)  Wild animals (such as bats or birds)  Transference from people visiting from a source of infestation.

They can be controlled by good housekeeping such as through regular vacuuming, the use of steam cleaners and regular washing of bed linen however severe infestations will generally require the application of an insecticide through the services of a licensed pest controller. Infested areas including mattresses should be thoroughly vacuumed and the contents placed in a sealed plastic bag for disposal. Clothes and bedding suspected of being infested should be washed in hot water (at least 60oC) and hot tumble dried or ironed. The City does not offer a pest control service in relation to bed bugs. Residents affected by an infestation should consult the services of a licensed commercial pest controller.

The City’s Environmental Health Surveyors do conduct routine inspections of boarding houses and will respond to complaints concerning bed bug infestations in hotels and other places of shared accommodation that may have an impact on public health. In certain circumstances, legal notices can be served requiring the owner of the premises concerned to contract the services of a licensed pest controller to ensure that the infestation is suitably treated.

For further information on bed bugs, please visit the Department of Medical Entomology – Bed Bug web site at http://medent.usyd.edu.au/bedbug/

PEST CONTROL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. I have a rat on my property, what should I do?

If there is a rat nest located on your property, then you should seek the services of a private pest control company.

If the nest is on public property call the Council and have a customer request made out and forwarded to the Health department giving details.

Under the Local Government Act 1993 the City’s Environmental Health Officers have the power to serve Orders in relation to land or premises which are not being kept or maintained in a safe and healthy condition. This could include a vermin infestation or conditions which are attracting vermin to the area such as accumulations of garbage or other waste materials.

Q. I have a bee swarm/hive in my backyard, what should I do?

If the bees are located on your property, you should seek the advice of a private pest controller that has a beekeepers licence.

Bees in a public place should be referred to the Council for further action.

Q. Does the Council control Pigeon’s?

The City does not offer any pest control service in relation to pigeon control and does not conduct any activities involving culling of nesting or roosting pigeons. Owners of property blighted by nesting or roosting pigeons are advised to seek the services of a commercial pest controller for specific advice on control and eradication measures.

Under the Local Government Act 1993 the City’s Environmental Health Officers have the power to serve Orders in relation to land or premises which are not being kept or maintained in a safe and healthy condition. This could include an infestation of pigeons if they are giving rise to a risk to public health.

Q. I have a problem with Ibis, cockatoos, or more exotic animals

Call the Botanical Gardens, or the zoo.