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to be present in the rain water which had accumulated in
some of the static water tanks in the Borough. The water
was treated by the staff of the Public Health Department
and the co-operation of the London Fire Brigade was sought
to empty these tanks. It has since been the practice
each summer to carry out routine inspections and regular
spraying of the water in the tanks to prevent the breeding
of mosquitoes; as a result no complaints have been
received of any nuisance from these insects arising from
this source. The summer of 1959 was very warm and dry
and there were few occasions on which rain water collected
in the tanks. During that year, however, 39 visits were
made to the nine tanks still remaining in the Borough
and on 28 occasions the accumulated water was sprayed
with oil and insecticide.
Complaints of infestation by mosquitoes were, however,
received from residents in the blocks of flats
adjoining the Grand Surrey Canal at Canal Head, Peckham.
Since there was some evidence that these insects were
breeding in the water of the canal, the Port of London
Authority were informed and they arranged for preventive
treatment to be carried out.