VERMIN DESTRUCTION

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6544, 15 November 1924, Page 7

VERMIN DESTRUCTION

A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT Various experiments have been conducted recently for the destruction of vermin by means of poisonous chemical substances. Reports are to hand of tests conducted in Natal by Mr J. Hall, the Johannesburg expert for Messrs Kynocks, for destroying rats in maize stacks by liquid gas. The success achieved led to further tests to determine the possibility of treating produce in railwaf trucks, since it is by this means the rodents are conveyed from one part of the country to another. The railway officials provided a truck in which rats were placed in such positions that they could be observed through the windows from the outside. Anhydrous' hydrocyanic acid contained in bottles was introduced, and within 40 seconds from the time of releasing the gas all of the rats collapsed, but were left for an hour before the doors were opened. In another experiment, two stacks of grain containing in all 500 bags were treated. The stacks were covered with tarpaulins stretched as taut as possible, the container placed underneath, and broken. When removed about four hours later about 100 large and a number of smaller rats were found. In view of the spread of plague by rats, the effect of the gas in killing fleas was also closely observed. A number of rats were examined, but no fleas were found. Some of the animals had ticks upon them, and as these were dead it was considered fleas would be still more easily killed.