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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 properties found to be infested ... 45 houses, 11 flats.
Number of Council properties disinfested 45 houses, 11 flats.
Number of other houses found to be infested 202
Number of other houses disinfested 202
The methods employed for freeing infested houses from bed bugs:—
Council Houses.—The total number of houses and flats found to be infested in some degree
was 45 houses and 11 flats. It must be appreciated that the greater part of these dwellings found to
be infested were only affected to a slight degree, often no more than one or two bugs being found.
In order that infestation may be dealt with in its early stages, tenants are encouraged to report the
first evidence of bugs.
All the 45 houses and 11 flats found to be infested were disinfested during the year.
A workman has been specially trained to undertake this work. The affected house is sprayed
thoroughly with a strong insecticide. All woodwork is loosened, flamed with a blow lamp and any
papered walls are stripped. The rooms 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 affecting 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.
Eleven houses have been disinfested by a private contracting firm.
A workman is employed on the maintenance staff for disinfestation. Supervision is carried
out by the Housing Manager and Housing Assistant.
Privately-owned houses.—Houses found to be infested on house-to-house inspection or
investigation on complaint numbered 202.
Of this number 122 were disinfested by the owners and 80 by the Council at the owners' request.
537 reinspections were made by the Disinfector and 308 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 166 rooms, a second application being necessary in 5 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, 5 families from the Slum Clearance, 175 families
from overcrowded premises, and 122 from other premises being so removed during the year.
After disinfestation all privately-owned houses are usually 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.