A plain-language guide · Berwick, Victoria
Pest control Berwick: the pest year in the City of Casey
In February 2026 the City of Casey’s mayor said pest animals “continue to impact our wildlife, farms and open spaces”. This guide pins each pest to the seasons its official source names, then sets out who deals with it: the owner, a neighbour, the council or a licensed pest controller.
A guide published by Dotto from Health Victoria, Agriculture Victoria, City of Casey and other Victorian Government pages. General information, not legal or health advice.
The field calendar
Each note sits under the season its source names, in the source’s own terms. Where a source names months, they appear in the last row as written. A blank square means the source says nothing for that season, not that the pest is absent.
| Pest and source | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European waspHealth Victoria, Agriculture Victoria | A queen that hibernated starts a new nest. | The nest grows in size and in number of wasps. | The nest peaks in early autumn; males, then new queens, follow in late autumn. | Nests usually decline and die out, but mild southern winters let some survive. |
| Honey bee swarmsAgriculture Victoria | Swarms occur in spring | and early summer. | ||
| Asian paper waspAgriculture Victoria | Females come out of hibernation. | Females are mating, so expect a lot of activity. | Females hibernate. | |
| European rabbitAgriculture Victoria | Breeding goes on while there is fresh growth. | Breeding ends as vegetation dries off by early summer. Late summer is the most cost-effective time for control, as breeding has generally paused. | Early autumn is also cost-effective for control. Most breeding starts at the autumn break. | Agriculture Victoria advises follow-up warren fumigation in autumn and winter, after summer ripping; fumigants need an Agricultural Chemical Users Permit, or use under the direct supervision of a permit holder. |
| Swooping birdsCity of Casey | In the spring breeding season, a small share of birds such as magpies and plovers swoop to protect eggs and young. | |||
| TermitesBuilding and Plumbing Commission | The regulator suggests a pest controller inspects the house every 12 months, especially in a high hazard area. | |||
| Red foxAgriculture Victoria, by month | Breeding begins around June and July; cubs are typically born between August and September. | |||
Six guides
Each answers one question from the Victorian pages behind it, and links to them so you can read the rule itself.
- LicenceVictoria’s pest control licence
Who must hold one, the four authorisations, the red and green cards, and the public register.
- WaspsEuropean wasps in Casey
Where the nests are, whose job each nest is, and Agriculture Victoria’s warning about home-made baits.
- BeesA bee swarm in the garden
What a swarm is, how long it usually stays, and the duties on the beekeeper it came from.
- Rabbits, foxesRabbits, foxes and a landowner’s duty
The Catchment and Land Protection Act, the notices that enforce it, and the council’s rabbit work.
- TermitesTermite areas and building work
What a council’s termite designation means when you build, and the regulator’s checklist for owners.
- BirdsMynas, swooping birds and cockatoos
Which birds the law protects, which one the council calls a pest, and what each source suggests.
Whose job it is
The City of Casey’s pages divide the work by where the pest is.
| Where it is | What the council’s pages say |
|---|---|
| On your own property | Removing bees and wasps is the property owner’s responsibility; for a hive, nest or swarm that has stayed several days, the council suggests a beekeeper or a pest controller. Owners and occupiers are responsible for keeping rats and mice from living or breeding there. |
| On a neighbour’s property | Let them know first. If they refuse to act, the council can be contacted on 9705 5200; if you believe bees or wasps on private property are a risk to the public, it will investigate, and it investigates reports of rats or mice within 48 hours. |
| On council land, including nature strips | Report bees or wasps to the council. The council controls rabbits on land it owns and manages. |
| On a light pole | Contact the energy company: AusNet Services for most of Casey, and United Energy in Endeavour Hills, Doveton, Hallam, Eumemmerring, Pearcedale and Cranbourne South. |
| In a Telstra pit | Report it to Telstra. |
| A snake on private land | The council does not deal with snakes on private land; its page suggests calling a snake catcher, and notes it is illegal to harm a snake under the Wildlife Act 1975. |
| Injured wildlife | Council officers are not authorised to handle injured wildlife; the council points to Wildlife Victoria and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. |