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is rare for corn stacks to be seriously infested. This improvement
can, I think, be attributed to Warfarin which is now
widely used.
Roof infestations on a new housing estate have been a source
of trouble. It is believed to be due to the extensive use of
rainwater shoes on downpipes instead of trapped gullies. For
this reason, new wire balloons are placed in gutters and sewer
baiting has been extended to include surface water sewers.
Poisons were used as follows:—
Red Squill 10 per cent with Sausage rusk.
Zinc Phosphide 2½ per cent with Sausage rusk.
Arsenious Oxide 10 per cent with Sausage rusk.
Warfarin 0.005 per cent with Oatmeal and occasionally by
trapping and the use of Cyanide Gas.
Baiting and poisoning of rats in the Council's sewers and
surface water sewers (the latter being the more heavily infested)
was carried out twice during the year, the results being
as follows:—
March/ 10% Test September/
April Baiting October
September
Manholes baited 179 204 177
Pre-bait complete takes 5 3 29
Pre-bait part takes 16 13 7
Poison complete takes 0 0 2
Poison part takes 15 0 29
Poison used was: Arsenic - Zinc
Phosphide.
The extensive use of mechanical labour for filling and covering-in
the Council's controlled refuse tip has resulted in the
elimination of rats from the tip face. Minor infestations by
the baling sheds have been eliminated by using Warfarin.
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