Pest and feral animals

Ants

Agriculture and Food | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Bees

Western Australian Apiarists' Society

Cats (feral)

Feral cats are a significant threat to native fauna with in excess of 2.2 million birds, reptiles and mammals predated by feral cats across Australia. They are listed as a Key Threatening Process under section 188 of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and are now a Declared pest in Western Australia under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007.

Recognised control methods for feral cats include:

• Exclusion fencing
• Baiting
• Trapping
• Shooting.

Control of feral cats must be humane and undertaken in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2002.

Please note: Personal traps must not be used when trapping cats on one’s property due to the risk of regulation breaches occurring.

Free traps are available to loan from the Rangers office. When requesting a trap, please contact our ranger's office by calling 9531 7709 to arrange a free loanable trap which will be collected within 7 days or upon request.

Cockroaches

Cockroach control

Corellas

Murray has an increasing problem with Corellas. The two species found in the area are the Eastern long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) and the Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea).

Corellas flock in large numbers, making excessive noise when feeding, moving around throughout the day and to and from roost sites at sunrise and sunset. The impacts Corellas have are: 

• Damaging trees and tree branches
• Causing a disturbance to residents
• Fouling and damaging infrastructure, private property and public assets
• Competing for habitat with native birds including Black Cockatoos.

If Corellas are causing damage to your property below are some at home deterrents:

• Clap boards – hold two pieces of timber and clap them together
• Flicker bright lights at dawn and dusk
• Visual barriers – when on the ground they like to see their surroundings, but remember they will have a few look-outs from the trees
• Reduce amount of open space by planting islands or pockets of shrubs
• Bird scaring products – scare kites, bird spikes, noise generating devices etc.

Sadly, not one solution will fix this complex and widespread issue. Whilst actions can be undertaken to discourage Corellas, the problem will continue to increase in severity without a long-term intervention. 

European House Borer

Agriculture and Food | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

European Wasp

Agriculture and Food | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Ways to trap a European Wasp

Flies

Stable Fly Control Measures

March Flies

Fly Eradication Regulations

Foxes

Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group

Fox control

It is the landowner's responsibility to control foxes found on their property.

Foxes tend to eat what is most readily available to them which unfortunately can include some of our threatened local native species such as the Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster), Quenda (Isoodon fusciventer) and Chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii).

Fox control is most effective in late winter and early spring when foxes are breeding and food is in high demand. Options include: 

• Baiting
• Exclusion fencing
• Fumigation
• Den destruction
• Trapping
• Shooting.

Midges

Department of Health WA

Pigs (feral) 

Agriculture and Food | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group

Feral pigs affect agriculture and natural areas by rooting, trampling and grazing. They are a potential carrier of diseases and pathogens such as Phytophthora dieback, tuberculosis, anthrax, tapeworm and noogoora burr and pose a major threat as potential carriers of Foot-and-Mouth disease if it were to reach Australia.

Pig control options include:

• Baiting
• Shooting
• Trapping.

Polyphagus shot-hole borer

Polyphagus shot-hole borer (PSHB) (Euwallacea fornicatus) is an introduced beetle native to Southeast Asia. The beetle attacks plants by tunneling into trunks, stems and branches. PSHB farms its own food source through a symbiotic relationship with a Fasarium fungus. In susceptible trees, the fungus causes tree death.

PSHB can cause serious damage to many tree species, the most susceptible trees are:

• Maple (Acer) (Box Elder Maple especially)
• Black Locust (Robinia)
• Coral tree (Erythrina)
• Plane tree (Platanus)
• Fig (Ficus)
• Poinciana (Delonix)
• Mulberry (Morus)
• Willow (Salix)

Help prevent the spread

While the Shire of Murray does not currently have any cases of PSHB, if you notice any unusual beetle entry holes, discolouration or staining of wood, gumming, galleries, frass or dieback please report it immediately to the DPIRD Pest and Disease Information Service.

Polyphagous shot-hole borer

Polyphagous shot-hole borer outbreak

Video - Polyphagous shot-hole borer

Portuguese Millipede

Agriculture and Food | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Rainbow lorikeets

After being introduced in the 1960s, numbers have grown to more than 40,000 in the greater Perth region. Shire of Murray lies within a C1 Control area (exclusion zone) where rainbow lorikeets are currently not present.

Rabbits (feral)

Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group

Rabbit control options

Rabbits are Australia’s most destructive introduced pest. Landowners are required to control rabbit population on their properties.

There are several options to control rabbits including:

• Baiting
• Fumigation
• Warren destruction
• Exclusion fencing
• Trapping
• Shooting.

Rabbit control on private property works best when there is a collaborative effort with neighbouring properties.

Rodents

The management of rodents is the responsibility of the property owner.

To reduce the number of rodents on your property:

• Remove piles of unused materials and junk
• Prune or remove overgrown vegetation
• Remove fallen fruits and rotten vegetables from gardens
• Ensure compost bins are covered
• Store pet food in sealed air tight containers
• Block potential access points around the home
• Set traps in suspected harbourage areas.

When managing rodents, avoid using Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) as they can also kill birds of prey, possums, quendas and other native animals.

First-Generation Rodenticides (FGARs) have a short active life and are metabolised within 30 hours of consumption, making them less harmful to non-target animals.

Learn more

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) are a priority declared pest under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 in Western Australia and should be reported if seen.

What to do

If pest birds are causing damage to your property, try these home deterrents:

• Clap boards – hold two pieces of timber and clap them together.
• Flicker bright lights at dawn and dusk.
• Visual barriers – when on the ground they like to see their surroundings, but remember they will have a few look-outs from the trees.
• Reduce open space by planting islands or pockets of shrubs.
• Bird scaring products – scare kites, bird spikes or noise generating devices.

Termites

Termites, often referred to as ‘white ants’, serve an important function in nature by feeding off dead trees and converting them into organic matter. Unfortunately for us, the wood in buildings and other structures, such as pergolas, is equally as appetising to some of these insects.

There are many hundreds of termite species in Australia and about 20 of these can eat through the solid wood in buildings causing serious damage and considerable expense.

These particular termites require ideal temperature and humidity levels to survive. They live in colonies of 200,000, sometimes seven metres below the soil surface and have extensive tunnel networks that can extend up to 100 metres from the nest. Many timbers in your garden and home can provide an ideal environment for these termites.

Please note:

The Shire does not treat termites in bushland or trees in parks and it is the property owners responsibility to prevent termite activity on their property.

Learn more