I'm in Queensland and my tenant says there is a swooping magpie in a tree on my property. I can't find much info for birds on private property.
Am I liable for it? Personally I don't care, let the bird do its thing for a few weeks. But tenant wants me to sort it out.
Cheers
Which one is it ? Magpie or wasp nest.
I thin if wasp nest is on your property, it's up to you or your agent to get it removed.
Why has no-one else picked up on this?
If I was a tenant with a wasp nest in the backyard and all the landlord did was give me a can of wasp killer, I would not be happy. It is certainly not going 'beyond and above'.
@Luo18740: It never even occurred to me to call the landlord about a wasp nest before, lol, I'd just deal with it myself.
@trapper: You're a good tenant.
If a landlord starts getting requests about a wasps nest, it won't stop there. The petty requests will come more and more frequent. i.e. Change a light bulb, fix a squeaky door etc etc. This usually results in the landlord then increasing the rent. The more the tenant complains, the higher the rent.
I am hoping that your landlord appreciates this and has kept your rent low.
If I was a tenant with a wasp nest in the backyard and all the landlord did was give me a can of wasp killer, I would not be happy. It is certainly not going 'beyond and above'.
Agreed, I would expect a flamethrower, minimum!
@Luo18740: The tenant can attempt to spray the nest, get stung, land in hospital, and then sue the landlord.
@cameldownunder: Exactly.
If that was my tenant I'd just send someone down there to professionally mess them wasps up.
And by someone, I mean bikies.
@Luo18740: If they are native paper wasps then they don't hurt anyone and are good for the environment. The nests are small and often appear on the eaves of the house. They will sting you if you try to pick them up, but otherwise they will just go about their business and leave you alone. They pollinate plants and eat caterpillars. The landlord and tenant should just leave them alone too.
If they are European wasps that is a different story. They are bad for the environment and some species are aggressive. The landlord should send in a pest controller. The tenant should not be expected to do that.
How is it up to the landlord for a wasp nest?
Pest control is a the responsibility of the tenant, unless it was there before they moved in.
@metallum: I don't understand why you got downvoted. Pests, which wasps can be classified as, are the responsibility of the tenant if they occur during their tenancy. If it was a pre-existing condition, then the landlord is on the hook. There doesn't seem to be any grey areas in the regulations. I'm not saying the tenant has to personally remove the wasps. A professional service can be contracted. It's just that as long as the issue happened during the tenancy, and not before, then it's up to the tenant.
I am so glad I don't own an investment property if Tennants are so useless they can't deal with a wasp nest.
I am so glad I don't own an investment property if Tennants are so useless they can't deal with a wasp nest.
I've never been a tenant, landlord nor property agent, but I know many of each. I can honestly say that most issues arise because some landlords are cheap as fcuk, some tenants are just absolute morons / idiots, and most property managers are just incompetent or lazy.
Landlords need to understand that they are providing a service and act as such rather than seeing tenants as just a cash cow for them to exploit and eek more money out of.
Tenants need to understand that landlords are not their mum and dad and are not going to catch spiders, change lightbulbs and clean their toilet for them. Rental properties are not hotels.
Property managers need to understand that they're being paid to do a job, not just to sit around and talk shit all day.
FWIW, if landlords were a bit less arrogant, tenants a bit less entitled and property managers a bit less incompetent, everyone would be happier.
@p1 ama: Agree
But if you have lived in australia until the age to rent a property and can't deal with a wasp nest, how the heck do you manage to feed yourself or clean clothes.
I thought stories of Tennant's getting lightbulbs changed or tap washers changed were a little ott but a wasp nest is just taking the piss. What next, an regency callout for a large cockroach or a huntsman?
FWIW, if landlords were a bit less arrogant, tenants a bit less entitled and property managers a bit less incompetent, everyone would be happier.
Bang on.
I hope you are kidding about the can of wasp killer as that is woefully insufficient. You need to organise a professional pest control company.
Or the us army.
Yeah nah on the wasps. For some perspective, imagine your tenant was elderly or less mobile. Unless of course you've got a really dark and twisted sense of humour, combined with 0 empathy.
'I also fell over and hurt my knee …'
way to muddy the waters with a new problem … ;-)
Do you have an agent?
Surely they can kindly point tenant in the right direction with this stuff and not bother you?
Maybe OP was stirring the pot seeing as both creatures create nests, fly, are nuisances, can hurt people, and not their responsibility if they didn’t exist when the lease started lmao
Yep tenant is an idiot
Magpies are a protected native species in qld
Last one
David Tennant.
WHO?
"Idiot" ?
This would be my ideal solution if it bothered me, I've already got the Adler.
I'm all redneck solutions but the odd swoop is Meh such is life.
Wouldn't that be overkill for said tenant? Surely throwing a few creampuffs at the tenant would shut them up
I think the only thing you could possibly do would be to phone the council and ask them.
Magpies are native birds and are protected. There may be nothing you can legally do.
But tennent wants me to sort it out.
Lol
They can try calling their local wildlife people to see what they have to say…
Suggest they carry an umbrella when they go outside ;)
Bikies!
On today's episode of stupid crap tenants say. Mine are good at it.
I dunno, OP seems kinda dumb too posting this on OzBargain.
Most people would've just ignored the tenant, and not be dumb enough to know that they aren't liable or to ask said question to someone else.
On today's episode of stupid crap tenants and landlords say.
This is what happens if you watch “Rosehaven”.
Clearly your tenant is a tosser and seen as a threat to the magpie.
Magpies are beautiful birds. The have one of the most complex songs of any bird type. They also have human facial recognition abilities and are super intelligent compared to other birds. They are territorial and once they establish who they can trust they can identify them and leave them alone.
I think this magpie is smarter than your tenant.
Agreed, we had a family of magpies in my backyard when I was growing up who raised young continually over the ten years we lived in that place. They never once swooped, however maybe once every week or so we fed them the off cuts of meat etc that we didn't cook and they were more than thankful. They would always come sit on the porch while we were outside and talk to us in their little magpie call, and regularly brought their very young just learning to fly offspring down too.
Tell your tenant to throw them a T-bone and they'll forgive and forget.
Tell your tenant to throw them a T-bone and they'll forgive and forget.
Please don't do this. You will be killing them with kindness. Human food is terrible for all native birds but in particular magpies. If you really must offer them food then buy some mealworms. They will still love you and live a full life.
You are not supposed to feed any wildlife animals.. doing more hard than good.
Spot on.
I love Magpies, they have a beautiful song and have recently moved into my yard for which I'm grateful for as they have driven away the Indian Minor Birds.
The swooping season is short, people need to learn to live with it.
Magpies want to be your friends. Leave out little pieces of meat when they are watching you. Look at them as you walk past. They will not attack if you are looking.
They are very clever, and will take the treat, and come to love you and wait for you. Note:I am sure there is a law against feeding them, but we will find out right here on Ozbargain
No law. Just common sense. See my comment above.
Magpies want to be your friends.
Not if you are a Carlton supporter.
tell her to feed it. they are smart birds and they remember people, if she feeds it, it will like her and won't attack.
Please don't do this. Thanks
it's safe to feed them things like crickets and mealworms
Yes. As per my comment above
If you feed magpies they will be at your door morning and night waiting/singing for food
i just found that out.. i probably shouldnt, but its so cute..
Just tell your tenant that you will make a complaint against them that they are harassing protected wildlife.
PETA
People for the Eating of Tasty Animals?
The right thing to do is to get a gun and shoot the offending pest.
Question is how does one dispose of a 82 kilo body?
Pigs will eat anything, just saying.
They will go through bone like butter. You need at least 16 pigs to finish the job in one sitting, so be wary of any man who keeps a pig farm.
They will go through a body that weighs 200 pounds in about eight minutes.
That means that a single pig can consume two pounds of uncooked flesh every minute. Hence the expression, "as greedy as a pig".
Thanks. I've bookmarked this for future reference.
Had us in the first half, I'm not gonna lie
cut into small pieces and feed to magpie 🙂
Could always play Miley Cyrus albums, they would be gone for sure
Tell your tenant if they're not on the lease, they're in breach. Stupid problems call for stupid solutions…
Tell the magpies that you will try and have the tenant removed as soon as possible.
The magpies perceive the tenant as a threat and this usually comes about because the humans are the instigators. Yelling, throwing objects, waving brooms, spraying with hose, chasing the birds, etc. Magpies are in the same family as birds like crows. They are highly intelligent and are not stupid. They know who the arsehole humans are and can remember faces.
All it takes to get local magpies on side is just doing the right thing. Something as simple as talking to them when they are around in the yard can help. Working in and around them while they are around and not chasing them off also works. Feeding them small amounts can also work, but, for the love of the birds, don’t feed them human food. No processed food or meats. Ideally just give them bugs and beetles from the garden or mulch pile, or go to your local pet store and get some mealworms or crickets.
Information on feeding magpies
Perfect all I need to know is its not my problem.
Does your tenant has young children ?
Are you suggesting that the tenant dive bomb and peck at the magpies??
"Does your tenant has young children ?"
I like this guys thinking. Suggest to tenant to use young children as a shield, since their soft bodies should deflect any blows
Hey, will you be comfortable using your children as shield, if you have any ?
@brendanm: hehe, No offence to any one but I was just trying to see why a tenant would ask such a thing
Non of us here knows the reasons and we are just assuming. May be all they need is some
guidance or help or they are asking this because of a genuine concern.
Has covid taken empathy out of every ones heart ? It's not good if it did.
Tenants can’t have landlords solve all of their life problems. They probably should have been kind to the bird in the first place.
wasps? yeah id say it would fall in your area of responsibility… magpies? yeah naaahh.. they're usually a good judge of character..
Just feed them. It's like a security system that you pay in food 😊 always loved magpie, you feed em and your good for life. Attack em and they will never forget. Logical
Yeah I can vouch for this method
We had a couple in our backyard that would swoop the kids and dogs. For a couple of days, every time I went outside, I would say “hey birds” (or something like that) and throw them some food. No more swooping
Feed the bird some crunched up unsalted peanuts.
They will no longer see you as a threat..
Works well for us on the golf course.
Unsalted peanuts crunched up? I guess that's cheaper than the unsalted roast cashews crunched up that my local magpies like. As a side serve to the dog food - those sausages of chicken and vegetables - with added mince when they're feeding their babies. Like they are at the moment.
I tried them with mixed nuts and seeds to add variety to their diet of dog food plus all the bugs they can hunt and catch themselves. They ignored all the rest and picked out the cashews as soft enough that if I break them up into chunks they can crunch them with beaks into bite sized bits.
The cockatoos on the other hand love natural almonds.
To the Magpie, it is their "private land" - you are the intruder.
Look, I have a number that come to me periodically throughout the day.
Befriend them. At this stage they view you as a threat. Befriend them.
just wait until the magpie goes to sleep, climb higher in the tree and start swooping it
Magpies only swoop a month or two a year when they are protecting their babies in the nest.
If they only swoop its not a problem. Just ignore it. People who don't simply ignore it, people who think they have to do something to chase the magpie off when its just trying to chase them off, are often the problem. They provoke the magpie.
It is only a problem if they attack.
So the first thing to do is try to establish if the magpie is just swooping. If that's all its doing tell the tenant to just ignore, and not provoke it. If its really a threat then you contact the animal welfare organisations for advice.
Send your tenant a magpies jersey 😊
But tenant wants me to sort it out.
Kick the tenant out and get a new tenant. Sorted.
Wasps yes, magpie no
Tell them it's a reincarnated family member. So either they put up with it or move out.
Is this really the most concerning thing happening to some people in Queensland?
Must be nice.
Is this really the most concerning thing happening to some people in Queensland?
Apparently not. Someone in QLD is concerned about the prices of petrol in VIC even though it doesn't impact them and they have no intentions in coming to VIC …
Wasp is your issue - deal with it properly (not just a can of insect spray) Naturally the tenant probably thinks the swooping magpie also falls under "pest control" and thinks you're liable for it. Simply let them know that they're a protected species and you'll refer it to council, but other than it it's out of your hands.
How do you deal with wasps properly?
Where I last lived in North Queensland you'd get a new paper wasp nest about once a month. I fail to see how a professional pest controller is going to stop them continually migrating from nearby bushland.
If the tenants expected me to get a pest controller out every month they'd be getting the boot once their lease is up.
Plus if they couldn't handle the wasp nests, I doubt they'd be able to cope with a few snakes a year anyway lol.
Agree, we get new wasp nest popping up regularly, your not going to stop wasps coming in to your property from nearby.
They are easily removed in any case, I wouldn't be paying for a pest controller everytime.
Next the tenant will be complaining about to many flies.
Tennant is an idiot ….
Not your problem.
They can report a nuisance magpie to their local wildlife authorities, but doubtful it will see any action
Magpies are protected species in nsw ( and likely other states)
Qld specific:
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-envi…