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65
Destruction of Vermin by the use of Cyanide Gas.
During 1933 consideration has been given to the question of the
disinfestation of furniture and household goods of persons who are
to be transferred from verminous premises in clearance areas to the
Council's flats.
The use of cyanide gas for this purpose, which is already giving
satisfactory results in Manchester and other districts, has been
examined very closely by the Public Health Department and appears
to be very efficient, the only difficulty being the danger associated
with the use of a poison gas.
Experiments carried out at the Council's Disinfecting Station
have given satisfactory results, and following discussions with
officers of the Ministry of Health the Council has decided to build
a disinfestation chamber at the Disinfecting Station in which it
will be possible to deal with the contents of any home in the furniture
van in which the furniture and goods are being removed to the
family's new home.
It is anticipated that the treatment of verminous property in
this way will prevent the infestation of the Council's new flats and
save the expense of cleansing these premises within a short time of
their occupation.
The gas chamber will also be available for the work of ridding
property of vermin which is at present undertaken by the Council.
Rats and Mice Destruction Act, 1919.
The number of complaints received during the year of premises
being infested with rats was 388. These complaints were effectually
dealt with in most cases by the repair or reconstruction of defective
sewers, drains and sanitary fittings, under the supervision of the
Sanitary Inspectors.
In 36 cases it was necessary to serve notices under the Act upon
the occupiers of the land or premises.
The Council has an agreement with a firm of rat catchers for
the destruction of rats in premises under the control of the Council
or in premises for the infestation of which the Council might be
responsible. Under this agreement premises are cleared of rats by
the use of ferrets, etc., holes are filled in with cement and small
repairs to defective footings are carried out. This work is supervised
by the Sanitary Inspectors. After each house has been dealt with
in this way, it is kept under observation by the rat catchers for a
month to ascertain whether there has been any re-invasion by rats,