[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Watford U.D.C. / Borough.
- Watford (England). Urban District Council.
- Date:
- 1959
Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Watford U.D.C. / Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![It was therefore decided to try quarterly instead of half-yearly baiting and for the first of these treatments Mafantu was used. The results of the quarterly treatments were difficult to interpret but it was clear that the object of clearing the sewers of rats had not been attained. In March 1958 resort was had to extended prebaiting. Post-baiting was not done but in September of that year a very marked drop in takes was recorded. On this and subsequent treatments Warfarin, oatmeal, sugar, PNP and technical white oil were used in accordance with the Ministry formula. Watford Fields is now apparently clear and at the last treatment the takes in Queens Ward were all very doubtful; even the one complete take in this area shewed no take when bait was relaid. Apart from the areas discussed above only one of the 76 manholes baited in areas formerly found to be infested shewed a partial take of bait. Consideration is therefore being given to a 10°]o test baiting only being carried out in the Spring of 1960. The Council has continued to provide a free rodent destruction service in domestic premises. The number of infested properties treated is set out in Table XVIII, Wasps were a great nuisance during the fine summer of 1959 and in response to requests, particularly from aged and infirm people who could not themselves deal with nests, the Council resolved to provide a nest destruction service at a fixed charge of 10s, per treatment. Many complaints were received about the fouling of building and forecourts by pigeons. The Council was not able to deal with the problem generally but did instruct a commercial firm to reduce the number of birds frequenting the Town Hall and its vicinity and the public market.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30239734_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
