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234
Rodent Control treatments are carried out by the Council free
of charge in all private dwellings; for industrial and business
premises a charge is made. When it is found that defects of a
structural nature are causing or aggravating an infestation of
rodents the remedy is taken up with the owner of the premises.
Following the policy of tracing the source of each infestation,
39 drains suspected as a cause of rat infestation were tested by the
Department's staff and in 23 cases the tests proved positive. In
these instances Notices were served under the Public Health Act,
1936, and the defects remedied.
The following report was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, for the year ended 31st December,
1970 :—
Sewers
4. Were any sewers infested by rats during the year?—Yes.
Surface Properties and Sewers
5. Any other points of interest?—None.
Baiting of Sewers
It was found possible during 1970, to re-introduce sewer baiting
for rats and, with the co-operation of the Borough Engineer and
Director of Basic Services and his staff some 1,000 manholes were
treated.
Warfarin Resistance
Anti-coagulant resistance in the common rat (but not, so far,
in the ship rat) has been acknowledged by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food to exist in certain defined areas of the