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RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT, 1919
GENERAL
The duties under the above mentioned Act were delegated to the Borough Council by the Middlesex
County Council on ist April, 1944, the Borough Council having acted as their agents from 1st February to
31st March of that year. Mr. J. Yates was appointed as Rodent Destruction Officer and one operator was
appointed for Finchley and Friern Barnet. The joint use of this operator continued until 31st March, 1946,
when Friern Barnet appointed an operator for their own area.
The Council decided to make a nominal charge of 2/6 for each private dwelling house treated, while
industrial or business premises were charged on the cost of labour and materials. These arrangements have
proved to be satisfactory.
The number of food premises with infestations of either rats or mice has proved to be particularly
small.
Valuable work has been carried out since February, 1944, including the initial treatment of all sewers
in 1945, and two maintenance treatments per annum since.
A few major infestations have been discovered and treated. At the present time no major infestation
is known to exist.
Of the surface infestations found and dealt with over 40% were at premises where poultry is kept.
Poultry keepers are now taking much more notice of the advice given them after disinfestation.
RATS
It is noteworthy that the annual number of complaints is steadily decreasing and I feel this is consistent
with the regular treatment of sewers and the remedying of "breaksout" from sewers.
COUNCIL PROPERTY
1 reatment at the Refuse Destructor and Sewage Farm has been so successful that a rat is seldom
seen now, whereas when treatment commenced rats could be seen at any time of the day.
The initial treatment of the sewers within the district was delayed until August 1945 owing to the
shortage of labour, but with the aid of 10 Italian collaborators the work was completed within scheduled
time.
For this purpose the Borough was divided into ten well defined areas and each manhole was prebaited
on four successive days, poison bait being laid on the fifth day. A second treatment of certain manholes was
carried out within one month of the first treatment, the only difference being that a different bait and poison
was used.
Maintenance treatments have revealed persistent "takes" in certain manholes, which may be due to
the absence of manholes within reasonable distances or long lengths of public sewers (repairable by the
owners) being infested and there being no means of access. These two ideas are being pursued.
MICE
Complaints of mice have greatly increased since 1944. The number of complaints may still further
increase as the general public appreciate the valuable work which is being done.
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