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18.
ORGANISATION: The employment of six men from the Light Rescue Service
on their "Off duty" days was continued throughout the year, three men
operating each day. All the men have attended the Ministry of Food
training course, and have had considerable practical experience. The
methods used are those recommended by the Ministry, whose research
department issues details of new developments in methods and materials.
The headquarters of the Infestation Branch of the Ministry of Food is
in Blooms bury and this department has on a number of occasions found
demonstration sites for the Branch's courses of instruction. At one
site, excellent photographs were taken by Professor Hewer, to illustrate
the work of the Infestation Branch.
BLOCK CONTROL: Block treatment as required by the Minister's "Direction"
of the 9th November 1943, commenced during the year, and a considerable
part of the Borough north of Pentonville Road was treated in this manner.
SEWER TREATMENT: The second "Directed" treatment was carried out in
January, resulting in an estimated kill of 2,213 rats. Very few bodies
were found on this occasion, as the poison used was slow in action, and
was not likely to take effect until the rats were back in their homes,
which are invariably outside the sewers.
No further "directions" have been issued by the Ministry in this
connection, but a recommendation was contained in circular N.S.6.(29th
August, l944) that sewers should be treated every six months in the
periods May/June, and November/December. The modified treatment
suggested by the Ministry was used by the department. This maintenance
treatment takes only three days as against the seven days of the initial
"directed" treatments. The time saving is brought about by reducing
the number of prebaiting days, and dispensing with the poison take
check. It is thus possible for the regular sewer staff to treat the
whole of the sewer system of the borough, section by section in fifteen
days. As there is no check on the amount of poison bait taken by the
rats, no estimate can be made of the number killed, but it is proposed
to keep a graph with the information available. This should give a
fair indication of the degree of infestation in the sewers.
Preliminary figures for the first maintenance treatment in progress at
the end of the year suggests the sewers were as badly infested in
December 1944 as in December 1943, and I feel it was most unfortunate
that almost a year should have elapsed between the second directed
treatment and the first maintenance treatment. It is to be hoped that
regular six monthly treatments will keep the rat population at a much
lower level than formerly. Apart from the obvious desirability of
reducing the number of rats in the sewers, these treatments undoubtedly
benefit the residents of the borough, as many surface infestations
reported during the 1943 publicity campaign were found to have ceased
when visits were made preparatory to action under the block control
scheme.
CHARGES: Until October no charge was made for treating dwelling
houses, but following representations by the Ministry of Food, pointing
out the legal responsibility of occupiers to rid their premises of rats
and mice, the Committee decided to make a nominal charge of 2/6d per
house in these cases. Charges for other premises continue to be
submitted to the Committee for approval.