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86
Vacant and bombed sites are regularly inspected for offensive
deposits in the nature of dead animals and food waste. It is found
that these items are generally placed away from the public view
and can become a potent source of fly breeding if not detected.
Other deposits include mattresses, discarded clothing and sundry
items of furniture, etc, surreptitiously dumped on vacant spaces
because the public, in the main, are unaware that this authority will,
upon request, collect and destroy such articles.
Deposits which by reason of organic substance allow fly
breeding are sprayed and removed for destruction centrally and the
immediate area sprayed and subjected to follow up inspection.
Other items are either treated and disposed of centrally, or burned
on the spot. In this connection 16 external areas were treated.
There is no doubt that since the introduction of the anti-fly
scheme, control of fly and mosquito breeding has been effectively
maintained and succeeding years have shown a progressive reduction in the number of complaints notified to this department.
Disinfestation of Verminous Premises.—D.D.T. in kerosene
continues to give good results in dealing with verminous premises
when alternated with other vermicides such as Chlordane, Lindane
and Malathion, etc., to counteract the development of organismal
resistance.
During the year the department dealt with 39 cases of dirty
and verminous premises compared with 42 in 1962. The disinfestation staff sprayed 170 rooms and contents as compared with 123
last year. In 3 cases the bedding and effects were removed to the
Council's disinfecting station for treatment by steam or formaldehyde.
Of other pests which necessitated the treatment of 833 rooms
and 227 external areas, the following initiated the greater number
of complaints.
Ants. Ants carry no disease but their presence in human foodstuffs is objectionable.
Foods of a relatively high sugar content are particularly attractive to ants and the insects are prepared to go to great lengths in
order to obtain a sufficiency for their community.
In the main, the 66 complaints received and the further
6 cases found on survey concerned either the black garden ant
(Lasius niger) or the yellow meadow ant (L. flavis), the workers
of which will gain access to houses through cracks in the walls or
floors, over sills or through window frames in search of food and
82 treatments involving 145 rooms and 34 external areas were
carried out to combat the reported nuisances.