An Introduction to IPM in Schools

Janet Hurley, ACE, MPA

Extension Program Specialist III

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

What is IPM?

• Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a strategy that provides quality pest control using the least hazardous chemicals and techniques. To accomplish this, IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on pest life cycles and biology.

• The term “integrated” in integrated pest management refers to the fact that in IPM two or more tactics are generally used to control a given pest.• Multiple control tactics • Science Based • Pest populations are managed at acceptable

levels• Risks to people, other non-target organisms,

and the environment are minimized

Health, Environmental and Economic Risks of Pests and Pesticides in Schools and How IPM

Reduces Risk

Pests and poor pest management practices in schools causes:• Health risks • Environmental risks• Economic risks

Pests can contaminate food causing food poisoning and upset stomachs

Physical harm

Exposure to some pest allergens can trigger asthma

Health, Environmental and Economic Risks of Pests and

Pesticides in Schools How IPM Reduces Risk

• Asthma affects about 7.5% of school children in TX and directly affects student achievement (2018)

• Low income is ~10.8%

• US EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend IPM in schools to reduce asthma problems

• Asthma is the number one reason students miss school

Why use IPM?

• Two facts that support the need for IPM in schools include: • Children’s behavior – Children can have contact with

chemicals to a greater extent than adults• Children have increased sensitivity to chemical insult

as they have developing bodies.• Exposure to some pest allergens can trigger asthma,

reducing pest exposure, reduces asthma • Pests can contaminate food causing food poisoning and

upset stomachs • Pests can cause physical harm (sting, bite, rash) • Pest related asthma triggers include exposure to allergens

of:• Cockroaches• Rodents• Dust mites• Mold and mildew• Certain types of pollen (trees, weeds, plants, shrubs)

• Elimination of the relevant pests leads to reduced allergens

Pest management problems in schools are common and include:

• Excessive and hazardous pesticide use• Unchecked pest problems that become more

difficult and expensive to manage

IPM is a strategy based on multiple control tactics to ensure that:

• Pest populations are managed at acceptable levels

• Risks to people, other non-target organisms, and the environment are minimized

• Pest control is practical and economical

What should a successful IPM program look like?

• Maintenance priorities defined• Indoors building envelop vs. outdoors grounds

maintenance

• Plant health care program• Well-trained staff • Monitoring procedures defined and

scheduled• Established thresholds• Integrated control plan for common pests

Key Elements of an IPM Program • Designated IPM Coordinator

• Identification

• Inspection and monitoring

• Thresholds to guide response

• Reporting

• Sanitation and waste management

• Maintenance and pest-proofing

• Selecting management methods and products

• Education and communication

• Evaluation

• Rules, regulations and policy

Questions we ask in IPM programs:• What are the pests?• Why are they occurring?• How did they get in?• Where do they live?• How can we make our school less

pest-friendly?• What treatment methods are

most effective? • Can we use a non-chemical control

Key Elements of IPM –Inspect, Monitor, Measure

• Why inspect?• To detect pest problems as

early as possible• To address pest conducive

conditions before problems, occur, especially in pest vulnerable areas (PVA’s) like kitchens, and food service areas

This fire ant mound was located outside the school kitchen

Key Elements of IPM –Inspect, Monitor, Measure

• Inspection involves the regular observation and recording of:

• The physical condition of buildings and grounds

• Assessment of pest conducive conditions including sanitation and exclusion

• Detection of pest damage and pest signs

• Detection of unsanctioned pest control attempts including pesticides from home

What is an IPM inspection?• Looks for signs of pests• Looks for critical things' pests

need• food• water• temperature• harborage

• Includes a report!

Key Elements of IPM – Pest-conducive Conditions

IPM

Eliminate

Reduce

Harborage

Temperature Food source

water

Ensure rainwater drains away from the building

Watch for A/C condensate does not build up

Pest Prevention

A cold-water leak at 25 gal/day; 24 hours/day, 365 days can cost the district $85 on average.

Monitor and Repair leaks

100 square feet of drywall can cost as much as $400 to replace, while mold remediation can run anywhere from $500 to $3,000..

Repair leady valve boxes

Cockroaches can survive inside these machines and be transported throughout the school campus.

Keep flooring, machinery surfaces dry

Water is a critically important pest resource

Key Elements of IPM –Pest-conducive Conditions

• Trees and shrubs should NOT be planted against buildings, as they may provide pest harborage

• Plants near to buildings should be pruned away from buildings to maintain three feet of clearance

• Give at least a 12-inch vegetation-free perimeter around building foundations is advisable

Key Elements of IPM –Pest-conducive Conditions

• Cockroaches live in and feed on cardboard boxes • Unpack and date all items and store supplies neatly on shelves so that

the oldest can be used first

Key Elements of IPM –Inspect, Monitor, Measure

• Why Monitor? • Using ongoing monitoring tools

allows for constant assessment of pest activity when you can not be around

• Monitoring helps determine pest population levels and how the pests are accessing or being introduced into the school

Key Elements of IPM –Inspect, Monitor, Measure

• Traps catch 24-7 and help you identify the pest, determine how many there are, assess the direction of travel and determine harborage locations

Key Elements of IPM –Inspect, Monitor, Measure• Action thresholds:

• Thresholds are boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable pest levels

• Establish pest specific tolerance levels for pests in specific locations

• e.g., 1 German cockroach in a kitchen is cause for further investigation and action

• The IPM coordinator and the Pest Management Professional will establish indoor and outdoor action thresholds

• TDA requires each district to have written thresholds for important insects, weeds.

No such thing as a threshold of zero…

• Thresholds can be greater than or less than one (e.g, average number of cockroaches per trap 1 cockroach in 100 traps=0.01)

• Different actions may be triggered by high, medium, low numbers of pests

• Having a threshold shows that you’ve thought through your IPM response

Brown banded cockroaches on a glue board

Thresholds can be linked

to specific responses

$$$Level 3 Response• Apply dusts, aerosols, crack and crevice treatments• Pull and deep-clean kitchen equipment

$$Level 2 Responses• Utilize cockroach get baits placed close to harborage

$Level 1 Response• Increase inspection frequency • Conduct informal or formal training with kitchen staff

Thresholds can also vary by location

Location Threshold Action

Sports fields 4-5 mounds for bait application, <4 mounds direct treatment

Broadcast baits at 1.5 lbs per acre when justified. Individual mound treatments with liquid drenches (pyrethrins drench preferred)

Building perimeters Single mound within ten feet of inhabited structures

Apply individual mound treatment using liquid drench (pyrethrins drench preferred). Sensitive building perimeters treated with ten-foot barrier fipronil granule.

Indoors Respond to all complaints; treat when more than one ant observed per classroom

Use approved cleaner on ant trails, apply pyrethrin sprays to ant entry points if necessary, in emergency. Look for, and treat, fire ant mounds outdoors, outside infested rooms.

Key Elements of IPM -Reporting

• Pest sighting logs or work order systems can help school staff report and respond to pest problems

• Systems allow methodical data tracing which is required

• Report:• Pests found• Signs of pests• Supportive conducive conditions• Pest entryways• Unsanctioned pest control attempts

Key Elements of IPM - Reporting

• Recordkeeping is important because it allows:• Accurate flow of information from one employee to another• IPM Coordinators can identify trends in pest populations• Documentation of problems and evaluation of solutions• Legal compliance – it’s the Law!

Key Elements of IPM –Sanitation and Waste Management

• Good sanitation and waste management practices are a critically important component of pest prevention:

• Improving sanitation reduces pest access to food

• Our waste is often a pest resource just as supportive as our food

Key Elements of IPM – Sanitation and Waste Management

• Clean-up food spills immediately (some pests only need minutes to find a resource)

• Restrict food and drinks to certain areas

• Seal stored food in airtight containers (odors attract foraging pests)

• Maintain clean dumpsters and keep surrounding areas free of debris

• Deep clean of Pest Vulnerable Areas like kitchens, cafeterias,and food storage rooms

Key Elements of IPM –Maintenance and Pest proofing

• Prevent pest access to buildings by “pest-proofing” this includes preventing pests from the outside getting in, and preventing hitchhiking pests brought in by building occupants and in deliveries from spreading

• Seal cracks, crevices and holes around exterior wall penetrations

Seal gaps or holes with rodent-proof materials where pipes, wires, or other similar objects enter buildings

Key Elements of IPM –Maintenance and Pest-proofing

• Effective door sweeps and seals can reduce pest entry up to 65%

Key Elements of IPM –Education and Communication• IPM Coordinators provide leadership and serve as the

main point of contact regarding pest management in district facilities

• An IPM Plan or policy keeps you organized

• A schoolboard-approved IPM Policy provides direction and institutional memory

• IPM training provides guidance to the community• Regular communications keeps everyone informed

• Education is the most often over-looked IPM tactic

Key Elements of IPM -Evaluation

Your IPM program should be evaluated annually to determine what is working and what is not?

Are pests persisting?

Are there any emerging issues?

Are pest management methods and products the lease hazardous and effective?

Are there community communication challenges or education needs?

Rules, Regulations and Policy

• Regulations vary by State, but best practices do not, the following are important steps that protect human safety and district liability:

• Physical posting of pesticide treated areas

• Parent notification of pesticide applications or at a minimum annual notice of allowable control options

• Education of staff and a school district IPM policy

Rules, Regulations and Policy – School District IPM Policy• School IPM policy will include:

• Who can apply pesticides• When and where they can be applied• A list of allowable pesticide products • Treated area posting details • Pesticide application record keeping • IPM coordinator contact information• A registry of students and staff who

are chemically sensitive

Districts must have policies, plans, and an IPM program

• Plans are detailed instructions on how key pests will be managed

• Monitoring plans and thresholds

• Preferred treatment plan (tactics and strategies)

All plans should incorporate multiple control tactics • Chemical and non-chemical

tactics• Biological controls• Cultural controls• Physical/mechanical

controls• Pesticides• Low risk preferred over

higher risk

• Preventative tactics

Key Pest Groups and Signs of Infestation

• Key outdoor pest groups include:

• Pigeons and sparrows• Small mammals• Snakes• Turf, ornamental and

tree insects/mites • Disease vectors• Stinging/venomous

insects, spiders or scorpions

• Nuisance pests• Weeds and plant

pathogens

Burning Nettle

Key Pest Groups and Signs of Infestation • Physical evidence of pest

presence inside or out includes (pay attention to pest vulnerable areas):

• Dead pests or pests caught in traps

• Droppings, cast molts or hair• Grease marks • Nests or pest structures e.g.,

termite tubes

• Damage

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team• The IPM Coordinator:• Educates individuals about their role in IPM• Works with everyone in the school district

community• The IPM Coordinator ensures that IPM is

included in new facility as well as renovation: • bid requests, • contracts, • design, plans and construction

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team• School Administrators should:

• Support the IPM program and IPM Coordinator as part of sustainability efforts

• Be aware of state laws about IPM in publicschools

• Communicate with the IPM Coordinatorregularly

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM TeamThe most important responsibilities of administrators are to:Adopt and enforce an IPM policyInclude IPM as part of your

health and/or safety committee(s)Designate an IPM CoordinatorSupport maintenance and

sanitation priorities

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team

• School nurses should:• Be aware of the district IPM Policy, IPM

Plan and pesticides used on school property

• Be familiar with the signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning

• Be aware of signs of pest exposure• Example: asthma

• The school nurse should also be: • Aware of students or staff with:

• Asthma• Chemical sensitivities • Allergies to stinging insects

• Familiar with common communicable pests e.g., head lice, scabies, bed bugs

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team • Students and staff should

avoid:• Leaving food in lockers,

classrooms and common areas

• Eating or drinking in areas not designated for food consumption

• Generating clutter indoors or outside

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team Maintenance/Custodial/Grounds Staff Role

• Staff are responsible for recognizing and correcting conditions that may lead to pest problems on a daily basis

• Examples: landscape water leaks, good sanitation, etc.

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team

Kitchen staff should understand that:• Food handling, preparation

and serving areas are among the most pest vulnerable areas

• Avoiding foodborne pathogens requires a good understanding of IPM

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team

Vendors and Contractors can expect:• School districts to enforce good sanitation practices

• Contracts to include specific best practices that are related to pestavoidance

• Example: cleaning under, behind and inside vending machines

Roles and Responsibilities of the School IPM Team

Pest management contractors should provide:• Services in-line with the school IPM policy

• Regular consultation with the IPM Coordinator• Procedures for responses to pest sightings• Schedules for regular inspections and monitoring

• Detailed record- keeping practices

Pest Management Contractor Role

• Provide product labels and SDS documents to school staff

• Give specific recommendations to correct pest-conducive conditions

• Facilitate proper pesticide posting and notification

• Correctly diagnosis the cause of pest problems

• Educate school staff

• Promote least-hazardous methods

• Ensure that all applicators are licensed and supervised by trained personnel

What pests need to be part of a school IPM program?

• All environmental pests• Insects

• cockroaches, ants, bees, flies, termites, etc.• Vertebrate pests

• rodents, birds, feral cats, bats, etc.• Weeds

• aquatic and turfgrass weeds• Not medical pests

• Head lice• Bacteria, scabies, ring worm

IPM is a process

Questions