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73
will escape the precautionary nets. To those expressing their fears or those
who turn to the Local Authorities hoping for reassurance, all that can be
told is that the various Government departments have accepted responsibility
for taking the necessary precautionary steps. They cannot be
told even of monitoring arrangements, nor how near to the district
analyses of air, soil and water or foodstuffs which can be considered
comparable to those in this district are being made, and they cannot be
told that the health authorities have any clear idea of what isotopes are
in the area.
Rats and Mice
The rodent operatives found rats or mice at 1,191 of the 1,336
premises they visited. Each of the infestations was small and localised.
Most complaints were from private dwelling houses, 958 of these being
in respect of rats, 70 of mice. Twenty-four infestations of rats and eight of
mice were at Corporation properties, 92 and 42 at other premises.
The number of visits made by the rodent operatives to these properties
was 10,210. The figure of 1,191 for 1958 compares with figures of 1,296,
1,192 and 1,429 for the three previous years.
Vermin infestation is encouraged by the widespread practice of
people feeding pets and wild birds in the back gardens of their houses
without taking even elementary precautions against providing an attractive
food supply for rodents.
The small number of sewers known to be infested with rats were
treated twice during the year. The results of the treatment do not suggest
any increase in the rat population.
Periodical surveys of watercourses and land owned by the Corporation
were made and treatments carried out where necessary.
Wasps
There are marked variations in the prevalence of wasps and in the
requests for help to deal with their nests.
Only 111 nests were detroyed by the department during 1958. This
ngure is much lower than that recorded in previous years, 345 in 1955,
213 in 1956, and 265 in 1957. The Corporation's charge of five shillings
was recovered in all cases.
Caravan Site
In 1957, the Council decided that action be taken to extinguish the
existing user rights of land at North Lodge, Edgware as a caravan site ;
at agreement with the Middlesex County Council be sought to the
site being redesignated in the County Development Plan for residential
Purposes and to its acquisition by the Council for housing purposes ;
that any restrictions as to the number of caravans to be permitted on the
site be enforced; and that the Council be recommended to assume a
moral responsibility for rehousing up to 15 families of caravan dwellers
on this site. The County Council tried to negotiate with the owner the
purchase of that part of the site designated in the County Development