What's different in South Auckland
The least tree cover in urban Auckland
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu had 8 per cent tree canopy in 2016/18, the lowest of Auckland's 16 urban local boards. Ōtara-Papatoetoe had 10 per cent and Manurewa 13, against 18 per cent across urban Auckland.
Streams in built-up catchments
Auckland Council says built-up land in the Otara Creek (South) catchment rose from 69 per cent in 1996/97 to 84 per cent in 2018/19. A stream like that runs mostly past houses, roads and yards.
A huge tidal harbour
At low tide, half of the 340 square kilometre Manukau Harbour is exposed, Auckland Council's 2018 report card says, and tidal arms such as Māngere Inlet and Pahurehure rank as unhealthy.
A termite history
MPI was responding to Australian subterranean termite finds at Airport Oaks and Drury in 2014, and Hawke's Bay Regional Council lists Māngere and Drury as eradication sites. None of that means termites are here now. If you ever find mud packed into timber, don't disturb it and call MPI.
Wasps in the lawn
Wasp nests often sit in the ground, in lawns and banks, so mowers and kids tend to find them first. Keep everyone back. If someone stung has swelling of the face or throat or trouble breathing, call 111 now.
Wasp nest removal in South Auckland
A nest under the lawn or in a bank is a job for a pest business, not the mower or the garden hose. On your own section it's the owner's or tenant's to arrange; in a council park or reserve, ring Auckland Council with the exact spot. Our Auckland wasp page covers what to have ready.
Rats and cockroaches
With fewer trees about, the rats we'd expect most are Norway rats, the heavier kind DOC links with towns and human activity. They live around sheds, drains and compost, so the fix starts at ground level: lids, gaps under doors and cladding, and rubbish.
Cockroaches keep going all year in warm kitchens and blocks of flats. Renting? Raise it with the landlord or property manager early, while it's still one kitchen.
Worth a look this weekend
- Gaps under doors, garage doors and around pipes.
- Compost bins, chicken feed and pet bowls left out overnight.
- Holes in lawns or banks with wasps going in and out, from well back.
- Droppings behind the fridge and under the sink.
What we'd do about pests in South Auckland
We'd walk the section at dusk: along the fence, round the shed, past the compost. That's when ground-level rats move, and when wasp traffic at a lawn nest is easy to spot. Then tell us what you found. If it's mud in timber rather than a pest, call MPI instead.
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.
