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PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT, 1949
RODENT CONTROL
The Council employ the services of a rodent operator assisted
as necessary by another officer in the department for work under
this heading.
Compared with 1960 there was an increase in the number of
complaints received and premises found to be infested by rats and
mice. During the year the Department continued to carry out on a
contract basis certain disinfestation work at agricultural premises
formerly carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
& Food.
The Department does not, of course, rely solely on the receipt
of complaints as an indication of infestation and routine inspections
of dwelling houses, business premises including agricultural holdings,
council owned properties and land are carried out from time
to time and in conjunction with treatment on adjoining premises.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food continue to
take an active interest in rodent control work carried out by local
Authorities.
Technical advice and instructional service through the regional
and divisional pests staff is freely available and meetings of the
No. 10, London Workable Area Committee of which this Authority
is a member, are held from time to time to discuss with the
Ministry's Officers, problems and new developments in connection
with rodent control.
It is the legal responsibility of the occupier of premises to keep
the premises free from infestation by rats and mice, and in view of
this the Council has maintained the principle that a small charge
should be made in respect of destruction work carried out by the
Council at private dwellings.
A nominal charge of 5/- is made therefore for this service
which is generally appreciated and in respect of which no serious
difficulty has been experienced since it was first put into practice
in 1951.
Work carried out at business premises including agricultural
holdings is charged at the full cost which, during 1961, was
11/9d. per hour plus cost of materials.
A small scale test baiting in the sewerage system was carried
out at points where small infestations had formerly occurred.
Fifteen manholes were test baited with no evidence of rat infestation.
A vertical block control treatment was also carried out in
connection with a surface infestation but the 4 manholes tested
gave negative results.
For a number of years the department has relied principally
on the use of Warfarin as a convenient and very effective poison
for surface treatment, but on the advice of the Ministry its use
has now been extended to sewer treatment by the addition of a
preservative which inhibits mould growth in the poison.
The Council has continued to undertake rodent control at
local schools for The Surrey County Council on a contract basis.
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