View report page

144
The report was referred to the Housing Committee, and by that
Committee to the General Purposes Committee.
A leaflet on "The Bed Bug, and Preventive Measures "was prepared
for general circulation and copies were delivered by the Housing Departs
ment to all the Council's tenants. A copy of the leaflet is printed below.
When he submitted the report the Medical Officer of Health
referred to the difficulty of disinfesting furniture and pointed out that
the spraying of surfaces could not be expected to destroy bugs which were
secreted under the upholstery or in the joints.
metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
THE BED BUG, AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
Life History.—Although usually associated with old and dirty
premises, bugs occasionally find their way into houses kept scrupulously
clean. During the day they hide in crevices and cracks of all kinds—in
the woodwork, behind wainscoting and loose wall paper, generally near
a bed, sometimes in the bed itself and occasionally in other articles of
furniture. Their food is the blood of warm-blooded animals, particularly
that of man. These insects are very prolific, and in favourable circumstances
breed continuously throughout the year. The white eggs are laid
in crevices and cracks in batches of from 2 to 50, and in a period of from
one to three weeks the young bug, white in colour, emerges from the egg. .
Before it is full grown, the bug casts its skin or moults five times, and
before each moult a full meal of blood is taken. Given the chance, the
bug will feed frequently, until gorged, but it is capable of subsisting
for many weeks without food.
Preventive Measures.—In order to prevent and combat bug
infestation, the following details should be carefully followed, but it
should be understood that efficient and sustained efforts are necessary to
overcome this pest.
(1) The fight against bugs must be commenced when the first bug isi
seen, and prosecuted with vigour before they are able to establish
themselves in the house.