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PESTS AND VERMIN.
Some 726 premises were examined for the presence of
rats, either as a result of complaints or during survey of
the district for this purpose. Two hundred and forty-two
premises were found to be infested in varying degree, a
considerable increase compared with last year when one
hundred and forty premises were affected. These infestations
were all dealt with by the rodent operative. The
conditions supporting an infestation were invariably sought
and eliminated in an effort to prevent re-infestation,
nevertheless in a few instances infestations did recur
again and again without any apparent explanation.
Defective drainage was very often found to be associated
with the presence of rats.
It is usual to carry out two poison bait treatments
of the sewers during the course of the year, but owing to
the shortage of labour it was only possible to undertake
one treatment in 1955. The number of manholes shewing
use by rats on this occasion was twenty. It may be of
interest to note that when sewer treatments were commenced
in 1947, the number of manholes affected was fifty-five.
It is estimated that as a result of the various
activities of the rodent operative, who made a total of
2,245 visits, some 1,880 rats were destroyed.
Another 50 premises were dealt with where there were
infestations by mice.
It was not necessary to take any legal proceedings
in connection with rodent control.
Only two premises were found to be in a verminous
state, being infested by bed bugs. Both were treated
successfully.
Forty-five wasps nests were destroyed.
Innumerable requests for advice and assistance were
dealt with in connection with other types of infestation,
particularly by ants, furniture beetles or moths, and to
a lesser extent the many other types of insects which
invade the home or infest foodstuffs.
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