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year. As in previous years the Council continued its practice of
arranging free treatment in respect of infestations in private
dwellings. A charge is made for treatment carried out by the
Council at business or industrial premises.
With the co-operation of the Borough Engineer's Department two
sewer treatments and a test bait were undertaken during 1958. An
extended period of baiting was continued, rebaiting being carried out
on the first and fourth day, and poison baiting on the eighth day.
The bait used was sausage rusk and zinc phosphide with paranitrophenol
as the poison. Doubling up on complete "takes" was carried out and
when recording poison "takes" each gang of workmen carried poison
bait to put down where there had been complete "takes" of poison.
The number of poison "takes" in the April treatment showed an
eleven per cent. increase compared with the previous treatment.
In the October treatment there was an 18 per cento reduction in
poison "takes" compared with the treatment in the month of April.
This may be accounted for by the heavy rainstorm which occurred on
the 5th September which caused surcharging of the sewers and a large
number of rats were drowned.
WOODWORM AND OTHER PESTS
In the course of the year, advice was given to householders,
and where necessary, disnfestation carried out, following complaints
of woodworm, cockroaches, silver fish, clover-mites, etc. and other
pests.
Ten infestations of cockroaches, six infestations of clover-
mites,, two infestations of ants and one infestation of moths were
dealt with by the Department during 1958.
Several complaints of wasps nesting in houses or gardens were
received and in eight cases, the Department destroyed the nests.
Of the 58 houses and the furniture therein treated for infestations
of woodworm, 50 were in the ownership of the Borough Council. Charges
to the responsible persons for the work mentioned above amounted to
£185.10.5d.
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