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Council-owned houses.
Charges made to the responsible persons for the work
outlined above totalled £255.19.6.
The fine summer was probably the cause of many requests
from households for assistance in dealing with wasps. Altogether
the staff of the Department destroyed and removed
35 wasps nests from gardens, garden sheds, roof spaces,
eaves, etc., the economic cost of this work being recovered
from the householder.
In disinfestation for wasps the usual practice has been
to visit the house concerned at dusk when the wasps have
returned to their nest, and treat with sulphur-dioxide gas.
The wasps are killed by the gas and it is then necessary to
pay a further visit the following day to remove and burn the
nest in order to destroy any grubs that may survive the gas.
In an effort to simplify this procedure and in consequence
lower the costs to residents, experiments were
conducted at the latter end of the summer by the
Department's Officers to endeavour to find a successful
alternative method of extermination. A powder was finally
developed which has merely to be sprinkled around the
opening of the wasps nest in order to prove fatal to the
wasps going in or out. The day after the powder has been
used the nest can be safely removed and burned.
In future it is proposed to use this method in dealing
with complaints of wasps nests and the cost to residents
would be a few shillings only.
OLD PEOPLE
Over 3,000 visits were made by the woman Health
Inspector to the homes of the elderly in the Borough during
the year. A number of new cases of elderly persons needing
help came to the knowledge of the Department; some were
found to be in urgent need of hospital or other medical
attention, and this was arranged for them. Many of these
people are living alone and efforts were made during the
year to increase the number of visits made by voluntary
workers to their homes.
There is excellent liaison with medical practitioners,
hospitals, old people's homes, district nurses and the
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