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26
Rodent control
A small section, consisting of a foreman and 3 operatives, is
maintained for the purpose of repressing rat infestation in private
properties and business premises, and this section is supervised by the
senior sanitary inspector.

In addition, special liaison is made twice yearly with the Borough
Engineer's department for the baiting of sewers. In the year 1950 the
work took place from June 5 to 28 and from November 30 to December
20. Bait was laid on three consecutive days and consisted of sausage
rusk (on the first two days) with 2½ percent zinc phosphide on the third
day.
2836 manholes were baited in the summer and 2839 in the winter.
1845 (summer) and 1640 (winter) showed a prebait take and of these
1034 (summer) and 1060 (winter) showed a complete prebait take on
one or both days. The manholes were not inspected after the poison
bait was laid.
In order to cope with the increasing number of complaints of rat
and mouse infestation, approval has been given to retaining the services
of the four men employed on the antifly and antimosquito campaign at
the termination of this campaign and in future to use them during the
winter months as rodent operatives. These four men will thus spend
5 months of the year on work in connection with the antifly and antimosquito
campaign and the remaining seven months on rat and mice
repression.
Rodent control—treatment of rivers
In addition to the measures taken to deal with the destruction of
rats in private and business premises, special efforts are made to cope
with this problem as it affects the rivers in the borough.
The normal practice followed in treating rivers is to lay prebait
on three consecutive days followed by poison bait on the fourth dayThe
poison bait used is zinc phosphide mixed with sausage rusk and
water.