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Join the
to ask questions, learn from others and share successes and challenges.
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What's New This Month
The Pesticide Research Institute released of a new, free, online pesticide product assessment tool, PestSmartTM,
with pesticide product information for IPM managers, farm workers,
beekeepers, LEED APs, pest control operators, and consumers. PestSmart
provides a quick reference to the product Hazard Tier rating and is a
companion tool for the more comprehensive PRI Pesticide Product Evaluator. Check out their latest blog post for additional information.
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Highlights
EPA is hosting a one hour FREE
webinar on "The Basics of School Integrated Pest Management" followed by
a 20-minute Q&A session.
This presentation is
geared specifically to school and school district facility managers,
buildings and grounds managers and childcare facility managers. School
nurses and school administrators are always welcome to attend. Click here to register.
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Upcoming Events
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October 26, 2014
Education Facilities Management Forum Chicago, IL More Information
October, 2014
Empowering School Integrated Pest Management Orlando, FL
November 13-14, 2014
TIPMAPS
Corpus Christi, TX
November 16-19, 2014
Entomological Society of America (ESA) National Meeting
Portland, OR
March 24-26, 2015
8th International IPM Symposium
Salt Lake City, UT
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*View this newsletter as a PDF
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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.
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Don't Let Mice Move Into Your School!
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It's
that time of year when heating systems turn on, and warm air leaking
out gaps in exterior door sweeps and seals acts like a beacon, calling
mice to a nice warm winter home! Add food smells from kitchens and
cafeterias, and you have a perfect storm for mouse move ins!
Though considered harmless and cute by some, just consider these mouse facts:
- Able to transmit Hantavirus as well as Salmonella, bacteria responsible for food poisoning.
- Urinates several hundred - even several thousand - "micro droplets" per day!
- Can produce from 25 to 60 young each year!
- May transmit the following parasites to humans and pets: ringworm, mites, tapeworm and ticks.
- Mice chewing on wires can cause electrical fires.
Keep mice out of schools and homes by:
- Repairing or replacing damaged or missing door sweeps on
exterior doors, and sealing all other openings that allow entrance. Any
hole ¼" or larger can accommodate a mouse. That means if you can stick a
pencil into a hole, a mouse can also get through it!
- Removing indoor and outdoor debris that could harbor mice such as woodpiles, clutter and mulch piles.
- Clearing high weeds - since weeds and seeds serve as food and shelter for mice during warm weather.
- Cleaning
up food scraps and storing foods appropriately to prevent easy access
to food. All pet foods, bird seed and human food should be stored off
the floor and in freezer zip lock bags or plastic containers with lids.
Once mice get in, trapping is the best strategy:
- Place multiple snap traps along the base of walls and in corners
of rooms where mice are suspected. Chocolate syrup makes a good bait.
- Set
traps in the evening and collect them the following morning prior to
the arrival of students. Number each trap so that you are sure to
collect them all.
Glue
boards are inhumane and only catch immature mice, allowing adults to
continue breeding. Mice can take a long time to die stuck on traps,
risking exposing students to very upsetting noises and sights.
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| IPM in the Classroom |
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Now that the new school year is well underway, take a minute to check out your classroom for pest-friendly conditions!
- Cluttered cubbyholes, piles of classroom materials, items stored
on the floor or in corners makes it impossible for custodial staff to
clean, and IPM staff or contractors to inspect.
- Snacks and edible art supplies stored in unsealed containers are an invitation to pests.
- Report spills on carpet or hard to reach areas to custodian staff immediately.
- Emphasize the importance of keeping personal space clean to students.
Set aside a few minutes each week for you and your students to conduct a classroom round- up.
Have students clean out their desks and cubbyholes of any unwanted
papers and trash. Hand out wet wipes for students to use on their desks,
chairs and other areas.
Teach IPM!
Teaching
IPM in the classroom encourages environmental stewardship, critical
thinking and problem solving skills, hands-on science learning and
engages students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Check out these IPM curriculum resources:
- Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry has IPM curricula for K-12 students.
- Check out the article below to learn more about A Classroom InPestigation: Life Science Curriculum for grades 3-5
- School IPM 2015 Student IPM Curriculum for K-12 Teachers
Have fun
Challenge
your students to become IPM ambassadors. After learning all about IPM,
students will understand the key principles of an IPM program: identify,
decide, act and evaluate. Students can contribute to the classroom IPM
policy and use the skills they have learned at home too.
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Classroom InPestigation!
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Students will see the world of insects from an entirely new perspective by participating in A Classroom InPestigation.
This life science curriculum for grades three to five guides students
to conduct scientific investigations about the world of insects.
The
curriculum is built upon problem and inquiry-based design principles.
Each lesson contains questions and worksheets to help engage students to
make evidence-based claims. Comprised of five, 50-minutes lessons the
curriculum summarizes these IPM components:
- Accurately identify the pest
- Understand the biology and ecology of the pest
- Monitor the environment to determine the pest levels
- Determine when action is required
- Select an appropriate course of action
- Gather data and evaluate results
InPestigation was piloted in Washington and Colorado grades
schools. Teachers were asked to fill out an evaluation form after they
completed the program. Lauren Urbina, 3rd Grade Teacher at
STEM Launch Elementary School said, "My kids loved the entire unit. They
loved them all! We learned a ton and had a great time doing so."
Through education and teacher support, IPM can become a permanent
fixture in classrooms. Guided by their teachers, students can become
"InPestigators" and learn to evaluate situations to ensure the
healthiest environment possible. To view the curriculum, click here.
Funded
by the Western IPM Center, Ian Renga, University of Colorado at
Boulder, Dr. Deborah Young, Colorado State University, and Carrie Foss,
Washington State University collaborated to write and develop the
program.
Carrie
Foss will be presenting the curriculum at a 2014 Teacher Workshop in
conjunction with the Entomological Society of America's Annual Meeting,
on November 15, 2014 in Portland, OR. To learn more about the workshop, click here.
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