How do you cope with the natural hazards & dangerous wildlife?

[starlight7]

Victoria gets the bushfires so we have that worry every year , especially if you live in a bush area. That is the worst thing for us- the beasties are only a minor thing down here.I wouldn't live in the Victorian bush if you paid me.  That is why the housing is cheap - trap for the unwary.

[Toots]

17 minutes ago, starlight7 said:

Victoria gets the bushfires so we have that worry every year , especially if you live in a bush area. That is the worst thing for us- the beasties are only a minor thing down here.I wouldn't live in the Victorian bush if you paid me.  That is why the housing is cheap - trap for the unwary.

We made sure our house had no large trees close to it.  Those gum trees are forever crashing down onto houses.

[Quoll]

12 hours ago, Toots said:

We made sure our house had no large trees close to it.  Those gum trees are forever crashing down onto houses.

Don’t you have the tree police down there? They’re rampant around here and you’re not allowed to chop down big trees even if they do pose a risk to homes. We got a door knock one time accusing us of chopping down a particular tree on our block - we’d applied, been rejected but did get permission for a couple of others (badly planted by enthusiastic previous Greenie owner on suburban block) so we felled them. They were mollified when we produced the tree they were referring to. We applied twice more because it really was a risk, denied both times. Then it just died - we did nothing! They came and examined it to make sure we hadn’t poisoned it and we were allowed to chop it thank goodness. There’s a house across the road that has a couple of risky trees in the garden - one is going to fall across the road one day but he can’t be bothered to do anything about them, even if the tree police said he could!

[Toots]

1 hour ago, Quoll said:

Don’t you have the tree police down there? They’re rampant around here and you’re not allowed to chop down big trees even if they do pose a risk to homes. We got a door knock one time accusing us of chopping down a particular tree on our block - we’d applied, been rejected but did get permission for a couple of others (badly planted by enthusiastic previous Greenie owner on suburban block) so we felled them. They were mollified when we produced the tree they were referring to. We applied twice more because it really was a risk, denied both times. Then it just died - we did nothing! They came and examined it to make sure we hadn’t poisoned it and we were allowed to chop it thank goodness. There’s a house across the road that has a couple of risky trees in the garden - one is going to fall across the road one day but he can’t be bothered to do anything about them, even if the tree police said he could!

After putting up with huge gum trees in Sydney on BOTH sides of us (neighbours) I had had enough of them.  Branches, twigs and leaves constantly falling off and then behind us there was a reserve with gum trees close to our fence.  I love trees but not close to houses.  AND we had a man a couple of doors down from us who planted a gum tree in his front garden about 10 feet from his house.    It's probably huge by now.   A couple of times on a windless day we heard almighty crashes only to discover gum trees in the reserve had literally split in two.  They have shallow roots and after a lot of rain and wind some of them just keel over.  Our council (Ryde) was very anti removal of gum trees.  Eejits.

Here in Devonport residents in our street don't have big trees anywhere near their house/garden.  Lots of trees nearby in the reserves and parkland    ................. where they should be.  

Hopefully the big tree across the road from you doesn't crash down and squash a house, car or human!

[calNgary]

2 hours ago, Quoll said:

Don’t you have the tree police down there? They’re rampant around here and you’re not allowed to chop down big trees even if they do pose a risk to homes. We got a door knock one time accusing us of chopping down a particular tree on our block - we’d applied, been rejected but did get permission for a couple of others (badly planted by enthusiastic previous Greenie owner on suburban block) so we felled them. They were mollified when we produced the tree they were referring to. We applied twice more because it really was a risk, denied both times. Then it just died - we did nothing! They came and examined it to make sure we hadn’t poisoned it and we were allowed to chop it thank goodness. There’s a house across the road that has a couple of risky trees in the garden - one is going to fall across the road one day but he can’t be bothered to do anything about them, even if the tree police said he could!

We needed to clear quite a few that we thought could hit the house if they fell so we got the council out. They stated you are allowed to trim or remove any that are in falling distance of your home. We just had our trimmed to a reasonable height as i do quite like the tress and birds even if some of the birds are noisy buggars! lol

 Cal x

[Toots]

13 minutes ago, calNgary said:

We needed to clear quite a few that we thought could hit the house if they fell so we got the council out. They stated you are allowed to trim or remove any that are in falling distance of your home. We just had our trimmed to a reasonable height as i do quite like the tress and birds even if some of the birds are noisy buggars! lol

 Cal x

I think you are on quite a large block Cal??  That is different to a small suburban garden/yard with huge gums towering over the house.  A full grown tree should be that tree's length away from a house.  We have large shrubs and hedges around the houses here and that attracts all sorts of little twittering birds.  

[calNgary]

1 minute ago, Toots said:

I think you are on quite a large block Cal??  That is different to a small suburban garden/yard with huge gums towering over the house.  A full grown tree should be that tree's length away from a house.  We have large shrubs and hedges around the houses here and that attracts all sorts of little twittering birds.  

Yes we have 2 acres. I wouldn't like to be on a small block with a 'widow maker' close to my house. A neighbour was fishing with his kids a few years ago at the local stream and a huge branch broke off (it wasnt windy, stormy and hadnt rained for a few days), he pushed the kids out of the way but he was hit and sadly didn't make it.

Surely any within reach of your home can be trimmed down to avoid danger? I would sue the butt off the council or a neighbour if they told me i couldnt and one fell killing a member of my family.

 Cal x

[Quoll]

Just as an aside. My son was walking in the bush in Gippsland yesterday and spotted this. One old timer reported that the big cat of the Bowens was legend so he will leave his camera out for a while and see if it returns. Must say I’m not happy that he’s there with the 2 granddaughters 

 

[Paul1Perth]

We've lived in Perth since 92 and not given one of the things you mention a serious thought. Seen the odd redback and a couple of snakes at the beach. Bushfires up in the hills, so don't worry us.

I've visited and stayed in Queensland often on work trips. Like it a lot and when you live there you simply don't worry about the things you mention. Choose where you live carefully and you shouldn't need to worry.

Saw crocs up in Cairns on holiday, but we were on a croc tour, so would have been disappointed had we not seen them.

If you watch shark week on TV, which they seem to have on the week before summer, it scares you to death. In reality we use the beach and ocean almost daily and you stand more chance of being injured or killed on a drive to the beach than being in the ocean. Queensland is great. Could easily live on the sunshine coast, love it.

[ramot]

30 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

We've lived in Perth since 92 and not given one of the things you mention a serious thought. Seen the odd redback and a couple of snakes at the beach. Bushfires up in the hills, so don't worry us.

I've visited and stayed in Queensland often on work trips. Like it a lot and when you live there you simply don't worry about the things you mention. Choose where you live carefully and you shouldn't need to worry.

Saw crocs up in Cairns on holiday, but we were on a croc tour, so would have been disappointed had we not seen them.

If you watch shark week on TV, which they seem to have on the week before summer, it scares you to death. In reality we use the beach and ocean almost daily and you stand more chance of being injured or killed on a drive to the beach than being in the ocean. Queensland is great. Could easily live on the sunshine coast, love it.

Have to agree with you about the Sunshine Coast Paul bit I am biased.

[Paul1Perth]

7 minutes ago, ramot said:

Have to agree with you about the Sunshine Coast Paul bit I am biased.

We've only been on holiday a couple of times and it rained a lot once but we liked it a lot. We have some friends who moved to Moolloolaba a few years ago and they like it. They loved Perth though too and only moved because their son moved there.

[MARYROSE02]

I had to resort to a "Pommie" shower after running the water and then seeing a Huntsman scuttling along the edge of the bath half under the shower base. If it is the same one I've seen "him" in my lounge room too. I won't kill him but they do scuttle about like large coackroaches. Which is faster I wonder?

[rammygirl]

I am convinced that huntsmen have the ability to teleport. They hang around for most of the day in one spot then pop up to surprise you at the other side of the house.

[MARYROSE02]

6 hours ago, rammygirl said:

I am convinced that huntsmen have the ability to teleport. They hang around for most of the day in one spot then pop up to surprise you at the other side of the house.

I had to resort to a "Pommie" shower after running the water and then seeing a Huntsman scuttling along the edge of the bath half under the shower base. If it is the same one I've seen "him" in my lounge room too. I won't kill him but they do scuttle about like large coackroaches. Which is faster I wonder?

This one is still in my bathroom and he was hiding behind the mirror which I took from the wall to reflect under the shower ledge. "Where is he?" Then I glanced up!