View report page

47
All manholes and side entrances to sewers entering and leaving the
Borough are persistently "baited every two to three weeks so that poison baits
are maintained at all times at these vital points.
All manholes and side entrances within the perimeter of the Borough
have "been "baited once a month for three months and then pre-baiting carried
out to detennine the results achieved,,
It is worth repeating that Q&fo of manholes and side entrances are
already clear of rats and we have therefore devoted our attention to the
monthly baiting of the remaining manholes and .side entrances and this will
continue monthly until all indicate negative 'takes'.
When this becomes apparent all manholes and side entrances throughout
the Borough will be baited and the results observed. Then we shall be able
to estimate the success of our enterprise.
One would like to be able to report favourably on the situation so
far as the mouse is concerned. Unfortunately this cannot be done, for although
good work has been done towards the elimination of the mouse it must be
recognised that this presents a very different problem.
In the case of the mouse, resistance to poison is sometimes much
greater than that of the rat, and it is also less predictable in its feeding
habits and general behaviour than the larger rodents..
Research is stilly progressing, and it is to be hoped that the time-ds
not too far distant when the mouse will be 'contained' as effectively as the
rat.
The presence of the mouse in factory and commercial premises is still
a matter for concern and at the end of the year contracts were operative in
respect of 74 premises, yielding an income of £1,569 per annum. 28 single
treatments were carried out yielding £206.
The Revealer
The invaluable assistance afforded by the application of this instrument
has resulted in a very big reduction in expenditure in discovering disused
drains and enabled labour previously employed in discovering disused drains by
•hit and miss' methods to be employed in other directions. It is considered
that this instrument is one of the best investments made by the Department,,