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News you can use
- Tips to prevent barn swallow nests this spring
- Last Call for School IPM Coordinator Spring Classes
- Last Chance Virtual School IPM Coordinator training
- Statewide pest management trainings for school coordinators start in March
- From pests to pollutants, keeping schools healthy and clean is no simple task
Category Archives: Newsletter
Cleaning and COVID-19: Read the Label: Understanding ‘Danger’, ‘Caution’, ‘Warning’
If empty store shelves have you looking under your sink and wondering if the cleaning products you already own can kill the new coronavirus, you’re not alone. What you may not realize is many of your cleaning products are classified as pesticides — and reading and understanding the label is key to safe and effective use. “In the eyes of the law, sanitizer and disinfectant products are considered pesticides,” said Mike Merchant, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service urban entomologist, Dallas. “And if you’re a little wary of using pesticides, you should… Read More →
SPN: Focusing on grounds and turf areas
April showers brings weeds, fire ants and few other pests that can impact your outdoor areas. Even though most of us are limited on traveling, our home lawns, as well as our public spaces still need to be maintained, if we don’t additional pest issues like rats and snakes will move in. This issue will focus on several fact sheets that have been developed by Extension Specialists to help you manage your outdoor surroundings. WHAT IS THAT MOUND??? We have all seen them, a mound in the yard… Read More →
SPN: Pest Management in the era of COVID-19
What’s that saying about March – in like a lamb out like lion or vice versa. We have always associated that saying with the weather but now I am beginning to think COVID-19 is following this model. It started slow and as March is coming to end this virus is beginning to roar. For us in pest management this has been an odd time, do you service accounts when we are trying to practice social distancing (I prefer physical distancing)? What is considered essential services when it comes… Read More →
What’s that blob in my playground?
Are you seeing a lot of odd looking blobs of yellow, pink, white, or even orange looking foam substance? You are not alone. And no it’s not some animal vomiting, this is Slim Mold. Slime molds belong in the phylum Myxomycota in the kingdom Protista. They are not a true fungus. These organisms exist in nature as a “blob” (plasmodium), similar to a amoeba. And they engulf their food, mostly bacteria. The slime mold that typically appear on mulches are from the genus, Fuligo septica . The brightly… Read More →
SPN: COVID19 Update: 3.12.2020
For many of us we are learning about this new virus COVID-19. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain of coronavirus that scientists first identified in December 2019. COVID-19 is part of the family of coronaviruses, ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COV). Because it is a new disease, humans have not built immunity to it, and scientists are still learning how to treat… Read More →
SPN: February is National Pesticide Safety Education month
February is National Pesticide Safety Education month and I decided to devote this month’s newsletter to this topic. What is pesticide safety? Safety is always an issue when using pesticides. Applicators, bystanders, and the environment can be harmed by exposure to pesticide concentrates or vapor drift. Those who work with pesticides must know and follow safe practices to reduce risk. Pesticide safety begins with choosing the correct product. Safety is important in pesticide storage, transportation, mixing, and loading. Equipment cleanup and maintenance must be done safely. Unwanted pesticides… Read More →
SPN: Recordkeeping one of the most important tasks of an IPM program.
IPM Coordinators and pesticide applicators are required to keep records; however, not everyone keeps records the same and completely. Today we are going to look at what you need to maintain good records so that they can support your program and the important work you do. What you put out, when you put it out, how you apply it, who applied it, and the exact location you made that application is critical to ensuring regulators, customers and the public know exactly what you did and why. Application use… Read More →
SPN: Announcing the 2020 School IPM Coordinator Training Schedule
The long awaited 2020 School IPM Coordinator training schedule for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is finally here! If you can’t make one of our in-person trainings check out the online courses at AgriLife Online Pest and Weed Control Courses there you can find the 6 hour School IPM Coordinator class and new for 2020 a 1 hour School IPM refresher class that will allow you to receive this credit to complement a 5 hour structural CEU course to fulfill the 6 hours you need every three years to… Read More →
SPN: Gardens, Mosquitoes and Fungi
In this month’s edition of School Pest News, I have several items to share with you. In an effort to help School IPM Coordinators in TX with their school garden programs, I recently worked with the Junior Master Gardener team to develop a simple document that help explains the volunteers and teacher roles in the school garden process. This document can be shared with those in your district overseeing gardens to help educate them as well. At the same time, there is an online module on School Gardens… Read More →
SPN: Head Lice: A Lingering Pest
As October comes to end and the weather changes over from warm to cold, kids will start carrying more garments. Cooler weather is prime time for head lice outbreaks. Contrary to popular belief, head lice are not a sign of poor hygiene; in fact, lice are perfectly comfortable on a clean head. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there is no reliable data on how many people get head lice each year in the United States; however, an estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur… Read More →
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