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Periodical inspections of the outworkers' homes are
made by the Council's Public Health Inspectors. Altogether
252 such visits were made in 1960 to ensure that the home
working conditions were satisfactory.
RODENT CONTROL
During the year 726 complaints of rats and 365 of mice
were received, and in addition to the investigation of these
complaints systematic inspection under the "block control"
system was continued.
A total of 21,590 premises were inspected and of these
18,412 were under "block control". Forty-three "block
control" schemes were carried out during the year. The
number of properties found to be infested by rats or mice
was 1,813, which included 177 business or industrial premises.
Where the cause of the infestation appears to be due to
defective drains or other defects in the building, the owner
is requested to effect the necessary repairs. In this
connection the Department carried out 33 smoke tests on
suspected defective drains at rat infested premises, and
these tests produced evidence of 15 defective drains.
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 test baiting were
undertaken during i960. The extended period of baiting
was continued, pre-baiting being carried out on the first
and fourth day and poison baiting on the eighth day. The
bait used was sausage rusk with zinc phosphide as the poison
and paranitrophenol as a preservative. Repeated baiting
took place where there had been complete "takes".
WOODWORM AND OTHER PESTS
Throughout the year various complaints were received
from residents in the Borough of infestations of woodworm,
cockroaches, silver fish, moths, carpet beetles, and wasps.
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