View report page

24
Lewisham Hospital to spray the refuse container there and also the site
of the kitchen waste bins. 20 visits were also paid to both this Council's
and the London County Council's blocks of flats where dustchutes are
used. 244 dustchutes with 864 openings were sprayed. One private
block containing 9 chutes was also included in this treatment. The
caretakers of this Council's flats were also provided with sprayers,
17 gallons insecticide and 108 lbs powder, for use in connection with
the containers at the base of the dustchutes, particularly after these had
been cleaned out, and for the sites of the bins used for the storage of
kitchen waste. In addition treatment by spraying was carried out in 6
houses by staff from the disinfecting station following complaints from
the householders concerned. In a number of cases a supply of insecticide
containing 5 percent DDT was also left with the housholders for
use in their own sprayers.
Static water tanks and sections of the rivers where the water tends
to become stagnant were sprayed with 5 percent DDT in kerosene base
as an anti-mosquito precaution on 4 occasions.
Gooseberry or clover mite, (bryobia praetiosa)
14 complaints were received during the year of clusters of tiny red
insects over the windows and sills and the surrounding brickwork of
certain of the Council's new houses or flats. The insects were subsequently
identified as the gooseberry or clover mites which feed on plant
juices and have been reported as a serious pest of many shrubs, trees
and grasses. They migrate from their natural habitat into dwelling
houses at certain times of the year, namely April—June, and October—
November. Large numbers are found on new lawns and recently
disturbed ground and this no doubt accounts for the fact that the
complaints came from the tenants of recently erected Council property.
The mites are harmless to humans and will not damage furniture or
fabrics. It was found that the use of DDT either as a spray or as a
powder was of little value and that a large scale treatment of the
adjoining ground would have to be carried out. A strip of the grass
surround ten feet wide, and the walls themselves to the height of the
ground floor sill, were treated with a heavy spraying of a Geigy
preparation known as Akar 338. This is a 25 percent emulsifiable
solution of chlorobenzilate, an acaricide which is effective against the
fruit tree red spider, and this solution was used after dilution with
water to 0.1 percent. This proved most effective and in most cases one
thorough treatment was sufficient; in two cases, where a slight reinfestation
occurred, a second treatment was found necessary.