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Household Pests.
The number of bug-infested houses has shown a marked decrease
in recent years and only 19 cases were recorded during 1955. With
the advent of D.D.T. and B.H.C. which with their derivatives remain
toxic to insects for long periods after their application, the control
of insects has become a much easier problem. Fleas which in years
past were quite a common pest are now very rarely encountered.
Despite this great decrease in the prevalence of insects parasitic to
man the Department receives many enquiries with respect to other
pests as to their identification and control. In most cases the Department
is able to indentify the species but in cases of doubt the
Entymologists at the National History Museum at South Kensington
have readily given their advice. The commonest household pests
which form the subject of enquiries nowadays are carpet beetles, silver
fish, ants and furniture beedes. It is also quite common to find
that insects normally found in gardens and which do no real harm
indoors have invaded the house and given cause for anxious concern
to occupiers. The identification of such insects, advice on control
and the assurance that they are harmless afford considerable relief
to house occupiers.
3. WATER SUPPLY. The water supply of the Borough,
which is provided by the Colne Valley Water Co., except for a small
area in the southern end of the district supplied by the Rickmansworth
and Uxbridge Valley Water Co., remained satisfactory in
quality and quantity. The supply is pumped from deep wells in
the chalk outside the Borough boundaries. All of the samples taken
from piped supplies were reported as satisfactory.
No tendency to plum bo solvent action has been detected.
All dwelling houses in the Borough are provided with a mains
water supply.
There is a number of private wells in the Borough all in connection
with industrial undertakings, but in no instance is the water
from these sources used for drinking.
The Council have continued to express their concern at the
hardness of the public water supplies which expressed a total hardness
range from 234—264 parts per million. Whilst there would not
appear to be evidence of prejudicial effects to health from such hard
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