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and cordial co-operation of Mr. Sharp and his staff. There were no
heavy infestations and all could be classed as belonging to the
" Minor secondary " type.
The annual ten per cent, test of the sewer manholes, to ascertain
the extent of rat infestation of the sewers, was again carried out
at the request of the Ministry of Food. Test baits of sausage rusk
were laid in 178 manholes and when inspected two days afterwards
only 26 of the baits had disappeared.
Pre-baiting as a preliminary to poison baiting was then undertaken
in the sewers in the vicinity of those where the test baits
had gone. This again resulted in only a few " takes "—20 out of
158 baited. These 20 manholes were then poison baited with the
result that there were no complete " takes " and in only three
sewer manholes were the poison baits partly consumed.
There was no doubt that some of the test baits and some of the
pre-baits placed in the surface water sewers were not taken by rats
but were swept away by surface water as rain occurred on occasions
after the baits had been placed in position at the bottom of the
manholes.
These operations proved once again that the extent of rat
infestation of the sewers was very slight. Full particulars were
supplied to the Infestation Division of the Ministry of Food.
Verminous Houses.
Sixteen privately owned houses, four council houses and four
requisitioned houses were found to be infested with insects. All
were disinfested by stripping and burning wallpaper and spraying
with " Zaldecide " or " Cooper's D.D.T." liquid insectide after
loosening or removal of picture rails, skirting boards and architraves,
followed where necessary by sealing and fumigation by sulphur of
the infested rooms.