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38
Eradication of Bed Bugs
As a means of assisting occupiers and owners in ridding their
premises of vermin the following procedure is adopted.
A Sanitary Inspector visits the premises to ascertain the extent
of the vermin infestation and, if necessary, the owner is urged to
co-operate with the Public Health Department in the destruction
of the vermin. For this purpose he is asked to ease all picture
rails, skirting boards, architraves and window mouldings, and to
strip the walls and ceilings, if papered, so that the work of spraying
can be effectively carried out by the Officers of the Council. Arrangements
are also made for the bedding, curtains and other drapery to
be steam disinfected at the Council's Disinfecting Station and, at
the same time, the tenant is requested to thoroughly scrub and clean
all articles of furniture with soap and water.
This procedure is repeated at intervals of two weeks and in
some cases ten days, until the premises are judged to be free from
vermin; the owner is then instructed to replace the woodwork and
to distemper the walls and ceilings.
The work of disinfestation is carried out by the Council's
Officers, and no charge is made for these services.
Tenants are informed that sprayers and 1-lb. tins of vermicide
are available at cost price, viz.: — ls. each, on application to the
Public Health Department.
During the year 296 tins of vermicide and 91 sprayers were
sold to residents of the Borough.
Properties belonging to the Borough Council were dealt with
in a similar manner and, when requested by the London County
Council, this Council undertook the disinfestation of furniture,
bedding and other effects in cases where a family was moving to
a London County Council dwelling. Sixty-seven of these cases were
dealt with during 1936.
The number of Council houses and other houses found to be
infested with vermin and disinfested, is shown in the following
table:—
Premises.
Found to be
Infested.
Disinfested.
Borough Council
34
34
973
973
Other houses
No use has been made of hydrogen cyanide or orthodichlorbenzene
by the Council for the fumigation of premises in the Borough,
owing to the toxicity of the fumes to human beings. A Public
Utility Society undertaking rehousing operations, remove and
disinfest by hydrogen cyanide the furniture and effects belonging to