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21
Eradication of Bed Bugs.—Dwellers in Clearance Areas and in overcrowded houses to be
removed to Council houses or flats and the disinfestation of privately-owned houses.
The schemes for dealing with these cases were set out in Appendices M, N and Q, in the Annual
Report for 1935, and have been in operation during the year.
Particulars of the action taken for the eradication of bed bugs, including information as to:—
1. Number of Council houses found to be infested 65
Number of Council houses disinfested 65
Number of other houses found to be infested 224
Number of other houses disinfested 224
2. The methods employed for freeing infested houses from bed bugs.
Council houses.—A workman is employed on the Maintenance Staff of the Borough Engineer's
Department specially for the purpose of disinfestation. All woodwork is loosened and walls are
stripped of paper, the rooms being first sprayed with a strong insecticide. The premises are then
re-sprayed, and further spraying is done at intervals until a negative result is obtained on several
visits. The co-operation of the tenant is sought in effecting a thorough cleaning of the premises
and frequent visits are made after disinfestation to ensure that cleanliness is being maintained. When
disinfestation is complete the walls and ceilings are distempered.
Privately-owned houses.—Houses found to be infested on house-to-house inspection or
investigation on complaint numbered 224.
Of this number 129 were disinfested by the owners and 95 by the Council at the owners' request.
1,190 reinspections were made by the Disinfector and 425 by the Sanitary Inspectors to ascertain if
the measures taken had been successful.
The method used by the Department for freeing infested houses from bed bugs was sulphur
fumigation. This was used in 174 rooms, a second application being necessary in 13 rooms.
Prior to the disinfestation of the house either by the Council or the owner the bedding is removed
for steam disinfection by the Council (excepting in a few cases where infestation is slight and there is
no evidence of vermin in the bedding), the wall papers stripped, mouldings and architraves removed
and any defective plastering made good, the flame of a plumber's blow lamp is applied to all cracks
and crevices.
Methods employed for ensuring that the belongings of the tenants are free from vermin
before removal to Council houses—
The belongings of tenants from Slum Clearance Areas and from overcrowded premises are
removed in special vans under an agreement by a Contractor.
Furniture and bedding is removed to the Municipal Hospital where the bedding is steam disinfected
and the contents of the van treated with hydro-cyanic acid gas and later in the day the whole
is taken to the new premises allocated to the tenant, 66 families from the Slum Clearance and 108
families from overcrowded premises being so removed during the year.
Disinfestation with hydrogen cyanide is not carried out directly by this Council.
After disinfestation all privately-owned houses are revisited by the Disinfector or Sanitary
Inspector twice at intervals of ten days, twice at intervals of three weeks and twice at intervals of
three months.
At these visits the furniture and bedding are examined and the occupiers are instructed where
to search for vermin and how to keep their belongings clean.