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28
Business premises made contracts direct with the County
representative.
The Act which came into operation on the 31st March, 1950,
resulted in the County Authorities discontinuing their Rodent
Service as the responsibilities for the full administration of the Act
fell directly upon the Local Authority.
It was then necessary to set up a local organization to deal fully
with the inspection and treatment of rat or mice infested properties.
Accordingly, a Rodent Officer was appointed by the Richmond
Borough Council and took up his duties on the 12th April, 1950.
During the year 447 complaints of rat or mice infestation of
premises were received, this figure being an increase of 158 over
the previous year.
3,682 visits for inspection, sewer baiting, pre-baiting and
poisoning were made by the Rodent Officer and Sanitary Inspectors
and from the number of complaints received and investigated
definite infestations were isolated on 184 premises (Rats) and 33
premises (Mice) these being immediately treated.
By the end of the year 162 of these premises had been completely
cleared of either Rats or Mice and the balance of 55 premises
were well advanced towards complete eradication.
No charges are made to the occupiers of dwellings and I believe
that this has helped considerably in encouraging the public to report
more readily the presence of rats or mice in or around their homes.
Business premises are subjected to charges and during the year
treatment has been carried out at 20 such premises for infestation
by rats and 7 for mice. The charges recovered to the end of the
year from these properties amounting to £142 14s. 9d.
In addition to the foregoing, treatments of the foul sewers for
the destruction of rats were carried out on two occasions,
15-5-50 to the 15-6-50 and 13-10-50 to the 23-11-50.
In the first treatment 400 manholes were inspected, pre-baited
and poison laid down and re-examination of manholes after the
poisoning day showed that there had been good takes in the 162
manholes found to be infested.