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92
15. ERADICATION OF BED BUGS.
We have continued our practice of issuing free, small quantities of contact
insecticides to householders with minor infestations.
In addition the following houses have been disinfested:—
Barking Council Houses 15
London County Council Houses 5
Privately Owned Houses 27
Total 47
The Corporation call upon the owner of the house to disinfest the dwelling
and where necessary the occupier to disinfest the furniture, the Corporation
carrying out steam disinfestation of bedding free.
In three instances we were notified by contractors carrying out fumigation with
cyanide on the orders of private owners, and attended the premises whilst the
work was in progress.
Corporation workmen carry out the disinfestation of Corporation houses with
contact insecticides.
The practice of using sulphur products and contact insecticides has been continued
where the houses are tenanted.
The rather complicated method of using naphthalene has not become popular
with contractors for private owners.
Where removals to Corporation houses are from clearance areas the tenant's
effects are fumigated by hydrogen cyanide, this process being carried out by contractors
in the removal vans. The bedding and soft goods from the houses are steam
disinfested at the Barking Hospital.
The Corporation has not so far appointed any officer specially to supervise or
educate tenants in the prevention of infestation, but the sanitary inspectors do what
is required in this respect whenever an infested house is discovered or whenever
transfers are being made from clearance areas.
Although there is not at present any routine following up of those once cleansed,
the general sanitary supervision of the district is such that your officers would be
readily aware of any re-infestation.