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PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT 1949
(Rodent Officer - Mr. R. Warboys)
Notifications to the Public Health Department of rat
infested premises, both domestic and business, showed a spectacular
decrease and followed the pattern of previous years. Premises
inspected as a matter of routine tended to show an increase in
respect of domestic premises and a decrease in respect of business
premises. All infestations were of a minor nature and in no
case was treatment long or difficult, in many instances being
outside surface infestations or even sightings of stray rats.
Treatment of infestations of domestic premises is free, and a
charge of 12d.6d. per hour is made for treatment of business
premises.
Mouse infestations were slightly lower in domestic premises
and a little higher in business premises.
Warfarin is the poison normally used to deal with mouse
infestations but it is believed that mice are steadily acquiring
a natural resistance to this poison with resultant difficulties
in eradication. It is hoped that a suitable alternative poison
will soon be available to cope with persistent infestations.
Warfarin and zinc phosphide are still used with considerable
success in rat infestations both in premises and the Council's
sewers.
Sewer treatments are carried out quarterly, and follow the
pattern started in the Borough some 12 years ago, and now
recommended as standard practice. Sewer infestation is believed
to be at a very low level, but complete eradication is impossible
whilst drainage from adjoining authorities goes in to the same
common trunk system. The existence of defective drainage in the
Borough will also make complete eradication impossible.
The Department is responsible for testing and locating all
suspect and disused drainage, and the supervision of repair or
sealing off at the sewer.
The co-operation received from the Borough Engineer's
Department in dealing with such drainage has been excellent at
all times. This work is most important, as repair or sealing
off of drainage has been found to effect an immediate clearance
of the infestation, and has tended to confine rat population to
the sewers.
It is considered that the rat infestation is probably at a
minimum, but no effort will be spared to reduce the rat population
even further if this is at all possible.
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