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Council's dwellings and, when thought necessary or desirable, to
treat in the same manner the belongings of other persons taking
occupation of a Council dwelling or transferring from one Council
dwelling to another. As regards three of the six cases in which
slight infestation of a new flat occurred, hydrogen cyanide disinfestation
was carried out by a contractor by the van method in 1934
and in the other three cases the belongings of the tenants were
treated by the Council's staff in the cyanide chamber erected at the
Disinfecting Station in 1934.
The number of other houses found during 1936 to be buginfested
was 864 and the rooms affected numbered 1,343. In all
these cases the rooms were disinfested by the staff of the Public
Health Department.
(2) The methods employed for freeing infested houses
from bed bugs.
The methods used by the Public Health Department vary
according to circumstances. Usually, where conditions are suitable,
premises are fumigated with sulphur dioxide. Very good results
are being obtained by burning powdered sulphur to which has been
added 5 per cent, potassium nitrate. Rooms are sealed with pasted
grease-proof paper and the fumigating material burnt in tins
containing about one-half pound of material distributed about the
rooms. Approximately six pounds of fumigating material is used
to 1,000 cubic feet of air space. Where possible the rooms are kept
closed overnight, but in many cases they have to be re-occupied the
same evening and in these circumstances the rooms are closed early
in the day and opened six to eight hours later. A charge of 2s. 6d.
per room is made for fumigation except in cases of poverty or where
the infestation is obviously not due to neglect on the part of the
owner or the present occupier.
Contact sprays are vised where the conditions are not safe or
suitable for sulphur dioxide fumigation. Experience has shown
that the various contact sprays are not so effective as fumigation,
but they are useful in dealing with early or slight infestations and
for restricting infestation in old property, and can be used with
safety by tenants. For the convenience of the public a liquid
contact spray and hand sprayer are supplied by the Public Health
Department at cost prices. This facility is in great demand and
during the year 4,922 pint bottles of insecticide and 420 hand
sprayers were supplied. This sale at as low a price as possible of
material for dealing with infestations as they arise has been tried
for some years past and the Sanitary Inspectors report a marked
decrease in the number and extent of infestations in recent years.