London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Enfield 1965

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]

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Modern insecticides have reduced very considerably the incidence of domestic
infestation. Fleas, bed-bugs, etc., are comparatively rare to-day.
It is the garden pests which are increasingly the cause of complaints by householders.
Ants are a common cause for complaint, but during the year an extraordinary
number of complaints were made about wasps' nests. In all, some 2,500
wasps' nests were destroyed by Council staff.
The control of garden pests is the responsibility of the householder, but many
people expect the Council to remedy their problems, and some are most demanding.
It is appreciated that some people are nervous of stinging insects and others may
have difficulty because of age or infirmity in destroying these pests. The Department
is always willing to assist, as the number of wasp's nests destroyed indicates, but it
should be emphasized that it is not the Council's responsibility.
No charge is made by the Council for disinfestation.
RODENT CONTROL
The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, requires an occupier to notify
the local authority if his premises are infested by rats or mice, but it is the responsibility
of the occupier himself to take steps to destroy them. It is the Council's
duty to see that he does this. Nevertheless, best results are usually achieved where
the local authority undertakes rodent control as a public health service. In Enfield,
householders and occupiers of business premises can have the assistance of trained
Council staff, which ensures that suitable material and reliable techniques are used,
and that all the property involved in any infestation is dealt with and the Council
make no charge for this Service to householders.
Most of the complaints received are attributable to defective drains and sewers.
When complaints are received adjoining premises are surveyed and, where necessary,
the drains tested. In addition to 7,179 visits to premises by the Rodent Control
Staff, 571 visits in connection with rats and mice were made by the Public Health
Inspectors during 1965. A total of 2,278 premises were visited.
Warfarin, which when properly used presents little hazard to man or domestic
animals, is used almost exclusively for surface treatments. Although there is
evidence of a developed immunity to this poison in some local authority areas,
there is no evidence of this happening in Enfield.
Due to staff sickness and shortages, the treatment of sewers has been considerably
curtailed during 1965. This is to be regretted, as a build-up of the rat population
quickly takes place unless treatments are maintained. Direct poisoning without
pre-baiting, using sodium fluoracetate, is carried out and to be fully effective should
be repeated at three-monthly intervals. There are several thousand soil sewer
manholes in the Borough and regular treatment of all these would involve a prodigious
amount of work. The rat population in the sewers varies very considerably
from one part of the district to another. In many parts, the sewers are completely
free from rats and so regular treatments are confined to areas known to be infested,
but from time to time overall checks are made to assess the situation generally.
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