School IPM 2015 Newsletter: June 2014

School IPM 2015 Newsletter: June 2014 In This Issue What's New? Highlights Upcoming Events Excavating Carpenter Ants iSchool Pest Manager Deadline Approaching for Entomological Foundation 2014 Awards! Receiving a forwarded copy?  Know of others who should receive this newsletter? Join the Schoolbugs listserv to ask questions, learn from others and share successes and challenges.   What's New This Month  A new app for School IPM is now available! Produced in collaboration with the National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State University, the app connects users to regional and national school IPM information using your mobile device. Check it out by clicking here. Highlights  As schools across the nation release students for the summer, staff are preparing to tackle the summer building and maintenance task list.  The Sensible Steps Webinar Series, a 10-session webinar series, is the perfect summer assignment for all your school staff. This comprehensive training program is designed in 10 functional, one hour, sessions. Each session is driven by real-life case studies, providing real solutions to real concerns, as presented by school district personnel. And, it introduces dozens of sensible, low- or no-cost steps staff can use to make any school a healthier school. Make the commitment today to these easy steps to a healthier school environment. Watch the webinars and download the guide. Add the webinars to your list of recommended or required training. Train staff in your district and/or school. To request copies of presentation slides or gain assistance with training plans and the Quick Assessment Checklist, contact  Gretchen Stewart.     Upcoming Events June 30th, 2014 Colorado Statewide School IPM Meeting  Aurora, CO More Information  August 24-27, 2014 Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials (ASPCRO) National Meeting    Missoula, MT  More Information October 8-9, 2014 Midwest Healthy Homes & Childcare Conference Indianapolis, IN More Information  October, 2014 Empowering School Integrated Pest Management Orlando, FL More Information   November 16-19, 2014 Entomological Society of America (ESA) National Meeting   Portland, OR  More Information March 24-26, 2015 8th International IPM Symposium   Salt Lake City, UT    More Information Quick Links School IPM 2015 Homepage About School IPM 2015 Make a Contribution! *View this newsletter as a  PDF Greetings from School IPM 2015!   Every day, 49 million children attend school in the United States, served by nearly seven million teachers and staff.   But they're not alone.  Schools are also frequented by a number of pests including cockroaches, mice, dust mites and more.  Asthma is epidemic among children, impacting nearly 6% of school children nationally with rates as high as 25% in urban centers.  House mice and cockroaches are potent asthma triggers. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a prevention-based, highly effective approach proven to reduce pest complaints and pesticide use by up to 90% in schools and other public buildings.  IPM practices such as sanitation and exclusion also improve food safety, fire safety and energy conservation.  Our newsletter highlights real-life examples of IPM in practice and can help you start an IPM program in your school district.  For more information, visit www.schoolipm2015.com.  Excavating Carpenter Ants    Carpenter ants are most active in the summer months. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not consume wood but excavate tunnels through wood to create nesting sites. They feed on dead insects and sugary secretions produced by other insects such as aphids. Identification University of Nebraska-Lincoln  Carpenter ants, among the largest ants in North America, are black or reddish in color and range from ¼ to ½ inch in length. They do not sting but can inflict painful bites. They may also spray formic acid, which causes a burning sensation. Carpenter ants, often confused with termites, have elbowed antennae while termites have straight antennae. There are 24 species of carpenter ants in North America. Proper identification of the species can help determine the conditions favoring that particular pest population.   Damage Carpenter ants create an extensive network of tunnels spreading from the center of their nests. Common nesting locations include: under windows, roof eaves, decks, firewood and tree stumps. Carpenter ants can be an indicator of structural problems, especially excess moisture, which softens wood and makes tunneling easier. Damaged wood can also provide entry. Once a foothold is established, tunneling in sound wood is more likely to occur. Signs Sawdust: When carpenter ants tunnel through wood, they spit out wood shavings. The resulting waste piles look like sawdust. Noise: Listen for sounds of their activity in the wall. Ants: Carpenter ants will often show up in locations where they can collect water, for example, from condensation on cold water pipes in kitchens, basements and bathrooms. Trails: Look for live ants outside during the day, especially in the shade and along edges such as foundations, fences, logs or garden hoses.   Conducive Conditions Tree branches in contact with buildings provide a direct access route. Clogged gutters, damaged chimneys, weather-worn door frames, indoor plumbing leaks, poorly sealed sink edges and end excessive condensation may lead to moisture problems, wet wood and carpenter ant tunneling. IPM Keep them out. Prune tree limbs, bushes and other plants to keep them at least three feet away from buildings. Install a two-foot-wide strip of gravel around the building to allow for easy inspection. Store firewood away from structures, preferably off the ground to keep it as dry as possible. Reduce moisture levels. Eliminate excess moisture and wet wood by fixing leaks immediately and insulating sweating pipes. Find the source. Locate the nest in the structure and eliminate it by replacing moist or damaged wood. Use a vacuum to eliminate ants during the nest removal process. For more information visit Cornell University Cooperative Extension's carpenter ant resource. iSchool Pest Manager Funded by a grant from US EPA Office of Pesticides Programs, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Services is working to promote safe pest management practices in schools by creating a central depository for resources on school IPM. The project will be a joint effort with EPA's Center of Expertise, Extension, university scientists, non-profit, private and governmental individuals/organizations. Educational materials and training resources related to school IPM will be evaluated and the best resources compiled and available online. "This project is designed to bring all state extension, state lead agencies and non-profits together to help collect all school IPM resources, and place them in one location to be accessed nationwide," says Janet Hurley of Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Services. "A variety of resources for use in schools is available but there is no single place schools can go to easily find this information and use it." Some resources can be used in the field (e.g., monitoring sheets, inspections, pesticide application recordkeeping) while others will have links back to the eXtension website.     The mobile-ready website will have the following components:    IPM Cost Calculator  Short instruction videos for on-the-spot training Forms for inspection, cleaning, application use and non-chemical controls Ask an expert (link to eXtension) Material Safety Data Sheets/labels for pesticides and pesticide safety information Record templates (written plans, bid specs, policies, application use records, inspection sheets and other developed programs specific to IPM) Pest ID Training for school staff, administrators, teachers and parents -Links to online courses and face-to-face meetings for learning more IPM - Stop School Pests - A National IPM Training Program - Ways to help states with school IPM rules with additional CE hours A stakeholder call will take place in July where individuals will be asked to share their ongoing efforts in their state to start the process of gathering all resources/projects of school IPM. For more information, contact Janet Hurley. Deadline Approaching for Entomological Foundation 2014 Awards!    Do you know of a science teacher who uses insects as educational tools? Funded by the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the President's Prize for Outstanding Achievement is awarded to teachers who go the extra mile to engage their students in science using the exciting world of insects! Two recipients will be selected, one teaching grades K-6, and one teaching grades 7-12. The winners will receive: A $400 donation made payable to the winner's school to purchase teaching materials required to expand the use of insects in the teaching curriculum.    A $400 award paid directly to the winner for expenses associated with travel required to present a paper or poster on the use of insects in primary or secondary educational programs at a peer professional venue of their choosing.    Gratis registration to attend ESA's Annual Meeting.    An $800 award paid directly to the winner for expenses associated with travel, hotel arrangements and all other costs associated with attending the ESA Annual Meeting. These annual awards are presented at the ESA Annual Meeting. Teachers who win this award must be available to present a lesson plan at a symposium during the ESA Annual Meeting. Nominees do not need to be members of ESA and applicants may nominate themselves. The deadline to submit nomination packages is July 1, 2014. To see a list of those who have previously received this award, please click here. To learn more about the Electronic Submission Requirements, click here.For questions about this award, please click here