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Highlights
October is Children's Health Month! 
In 1992, the American
Academy of Pediatrics established October as Child Health Month in order
to focus national attention on children's health issues.
Children
are particularly vulnerable to toxins because they process them
differently then adults, have a more rapid metabolic rate and have more
hand to mouth behavior.
The National Academy of
Sciences 1993 Landmark Report estimates that 50% of lifetime pesticide
exposure occurs in the first five years of life.
To learn more about children's environmental health and view educational materials, click here.
To learn more about how School IPM can improve children's health, click here.
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Upcoming Events
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October 26, 2014
Education Facilities Management Forum
Chicago, IL
More Information
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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Do I Smell a Stink Bug?
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As
autumn temperatures cool, brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) seek out
winter homes. Much like lady beetles, boxelder bugs and cluster flies,
BMSB prefer warm, dry habitat for overwintering. BMSB can be found
overwintering in dead standing trees and in houses and other structures
including school buildings.
Identification
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Adult BMSB
David R. Lance, USDA APHIS PPQ, bugwood.org
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Stink
bugs are named for the odor they emit when disturbed or crushed. One
of many species of stink bugs, the BMSB is about 5/8 inch long and
marbled brown in color. Identifying characteristics for this Asian
species include white bands on the antennae and legs, a blunt forward edge of the head, a smooth thorax and dark banded tips on the forewings.
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Eggs and nymph BMSB
David R. Lance, USDA APHIS PPQ, bugwood.org
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Eggs are oval, white to pale green and deposited in clusters on leaves.
Nymphs progress through five immature stages before reaching adulthood,
shedding their outer skin as they do so. Newly hatched nymphs
have an orange abdomen with dark brown plates.
BMSB
is an invasive pest in the US, originating in eastern Asia and arriving
in the Mid-Atlantic region more than a dozen years ago. The insect has
now been detected in 41 states.
Fortunately, a number of native predators and parasites are taking
advantage of BMSB as a resource, and may be slowing population growth.
Asian native natural enemies are also under consideration for potential
release in the US.
Crop damage and nuisance status
Severe
crop damage has been reported in PA, NJ, WV, MD, DE and VA. Additional
states reporting crop damage include WA, OR, NY, OH, KY, TN and NC. BMSB
feeds on many types of fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants. Adults
and nymphs cause pockmarks by injecting tissue-destroying enzymes and
sucking juices from fruit and seeds. The injured flesh under the skin
hardens, making produce unsellable in the fresh market.
The
primary concern for schools is movement of the BMSB into buildings.
BMSB rarely feed and do not reproduce during the winter. They do not
sting, bite, spread disease or bore into wood, but rather become a
nuisance including collecting in large numbers inside buildings.
IPM for BMSB
The
best way to avoid BMSB problems in schools is to exclude them. Screen
openings on vents, utility pipes and window air conditioners. Seal gaps
along fascia and ensure door sweeps ad seals are tight on exterior
doors. Turn off unnecessary exterior lighting to reduce BMSB attraction
to buildings at night.
To
capture BMSB once inside, use a vacuum. Be aware the vacuum may acquire
the odor of stink bugs if large numbers are present. A designated BMSB
vacuum may be advisable in that case. BMSB can also be captured by
placing a foil roasting pan filled with soap and water in affected
rooms, darkening the room and shining a flashlight on the pan. BMSB will
be attracted to the light and fall into the water.
Resources
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| Tick-Safe-Schools |
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Last month, participants learned how to prevent tick problems in
the school environment. Presenters included Thomas Mather, University of
the Rhode Island Center for Vector Borne Diseases; Marcia Anderson,
EPA's School IPM Center of Expertise; Kathy Murray, Maine Department of
Agriculture; and Christine Dunathan, Director of Institutional
Advancement at Friends Community School. Creating Tick Safe Schools
Using IPM, the second in a series, was presented on September 30, 2014
as part of the EPA School IPM Webinar Series.
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An adult female blacklegged tick, engorged after a blood meal
Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, bugwood.org
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Dr. Mather discussed tick borne diseases and prevalence, identification and the Tick Encounter
web resource. This is a great resource center to learn how to be tick
smart! For tips on avoiding questing ticks and steps to take when you
find a tick, check out the School IPM April eNewsletter.
Teaching children to conduct tick checks and emphasizing the importance
of education will help considerably with tick management on school
grounds.
TickSpotters
is a service offered through the website where you can send in a
picture for identification. Individuals have the opportunity to guess
the tick species, currently with a 50% success rate. Dr. Mather also
spoke about the importance of conducting a risk assessment. The number
of ticks spotted per hour determines the risk level and what action
needs to be taken.
Dr. Anderson reviewed
prevention through landscape design. Remove leaves and vegetation weeds
that might harbor ticks. Create a nine-inch buffer zone around buildings
and plant deer resistant plants to minimize tick presence.
Dr. Murray discussed the
importance of monitoring, how to incorporate tick prevention into your
school IPM plan and personalized strategies for schools. "A tick IPM
plan should include components for communication, monitoring and
identifying ticks, landscaping to reduce tick encounters, setting action
thresholds, record-keeping, and regular review and evaluation," said
Dr. Murray. Recommended prevention methods include personal protective
measures such as repellents, protective clothing, and body checks and
landscape modifications to reduce tick habitat and discourage deer and
mice. To learn more about the best method for your schools' situation,
check out information resources such as eXtension.org and Tickapp.tamu.edu.
Ms. Dunathan discussed
real-world school tick issues and first-hand tick management challenges.
She implemented three key lessons:
- Asses your site; measure your risk before you take action.
- Educate staff, parents and teachers about prevention and consequences of tick bites for overall cooperation.
- Get started and adjust as you go; understand that different challenges will arise, modify and select strategies that work best for your school.
Power point slides from the presentation will be available to view in the upcoming weeks by clicking here. Below is a list of upcoming webinars:
- Bed Bugs in Schools: December 16, 2014, 1:00 PM Central
- Keeping Rodents Out of Your School: January 27, 2014, 11:00 AM Central
- Dealing with Nuisance Birds Around Schools: February 24, 2015, 1:00 PM Central
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U.S.Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Deadlines Approaching
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The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools
program recognizes schools, school districts and institutions of higher
education that go above and beyond to accomplish three objectives:
- Reduce environmental impact and costs, including water, energy use and transportation.
- Improve the health and wellness of students and staff, including environmental health nutrition and fitness.
- Provide environmental education that incorporates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and green career pathways.
The
goal of the award program is to motivate education professionals to
evaluate facilities and pursue opportunities to improve health and the
environment, comprehensively and collaboratively with state health,
environment and energy agency counterparts. Nominees must exhibit
achievement in all three pillars.
Schools,
districts, colleges and universities do not apply directly; state
education authorities must nominate them. State participation is
voluntary; candidates should let their state departments of education or
state higher education authority know of their interest in being
nominated. Deadlines to inform state education authorities of interest
vary by state; click here for a list of state contacts to find out more information.
States submit final nominees to the US Department of Education by February 1st
of each year. Each state may nominate up to five pre-kindergarten
through grade 12 schools or school districts, and a single
post-secondary institution.
Honorees are announced annually on Earth Day, April 22nd
and are invited to attend a national ceremony in July to receive a
sustainable plaque and flag. To view a list of past winners, click here.
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