Organization of preventive and control measures

Abstract

The prevention and control of domestic insect pests may be the concern of several kinds of people. In the first place, architects and builders are able to assist by giving thought to the liability of infestation of different types of construction. Secondly, the ordinary citizens resident in dwelling houses and other buildings are involved as the main sufferers, and also because the development of many infestations depends very much on the thoroughness with which domestic hygiene is pursued. Furthermore, the likelihood of a request for expert assistance in case of need depends on the proper outlook of the ordinary householder. To disseminate information about pests and the right way of destroying them, hygiene propaganda is useful; various official and unofficial bodies can help here. Thirdly, the Community Physicians and the Health Inspectors of local authority Health Departments are involved in more serious infestations in their general duty of safeguarding public health. Some of their functions in this respect are legally defined. Lastly, commercial firms are interested in marketing insecticides and sometimes in providing labour to apply them. These various implications of domestic pest infestation are dealt with in this chapter under the following headings:

• (1) Building construction and pest infestation.

• (2) Hygiene propaganda relating to insect pests.

• (3) Sources of special technical information.

• (4) Official pest control in Britain.

• (5) Official pest control in other countries.

• (6) Commercial aspects of pest control.