-
News you can use
- 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
- SPN: Warm-Season Turfgrass Fall/Winter Preparation
- Uninvited vultures draw community ire: AgriLife provides solutions to human-vulture conflict
Category Archives: Newsletter
SPN: Hot Weather Pests and Remember to Monitor
Hot Weather and Pests By Dr. Mike Merchant It’s summer in Texas and either you saw too much rain this spring, or not enough but no matter where you live the summer pests are out. Some pests are more troublesome during extreme conditions, while others flourish during more typical conditions. Here are a few observations concerning current weather conditions and pests. Millipede mass migrations commonly occur in the fall, but can also happen in the spring and summer. Above average rainfall is likely to blame for this year’s… Read More →
Daycare & School Poison Safety
While the end of summer is an exciting time for kids, parents, and educators, it is also a time for an increased risk of illness or injury as students head back to school. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than half of students (ages 5-17) miss 1-5 school days each year due to illness or injury. Studies show that students with more absences have lower scores on national standardized tests. In short, attendance is a key indicator of student academic achievement. To reduce illness, schools… Read More →
Fall School IPM Coordinator Training’s
For Texas Public Schools, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been around for over twenty years. And for 20 years Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has been the leader in offering educational programs to assist school IPM coordinators and their school districts have award winning school IPM and IAQ programs. While Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 4, Part 1, Chapter 7, Subchapter H, Division 7 School IPM Rules require that every ISD appoint and train a school IPM coordinator, we realize that more than 6 hours of training is what… Read More →
SPN: The Science of Drainology
“Drainology,” to quote the indefatigable rodent and entomology consultant Bobby Corrigan, “is the study of drains.” And who except a plumber would care to study drains? An IPM specialist of course! Drains provide one of the most important breeding and harborage sites for pests in schools. In order to do a complete IPM inspection and treatment, therefore, you should know something about drains. Cockroaches and flies are the two most common pests associated with drains. Cockroaches often live in sewers and can easily enter a kitchen or school… Read More →
SPN: End of school activities what you should be thinking about this month
As the school year comes to end, most of our readers are preparing for the mad rush of numerous maintenance projects that come when students and teachers leave. However, before they go here are some tips to get you through the next month and help you prepare for summer as well. Moisture Monitoring This spring has been extremely wet. With the increased moisture in the air and the soil, there are a lot of pests that will be showing up. This is a good time to remind staff… Read More →
SPN: Program, Policy and Plans how can terms help your IPM program.
Since the inception of the Texas School IPM Law and Rules, school districts, IPM coordinators, pest management professionals and regulators have struggled with three words associated with IPM: program, policy, and plan. What are they and why are they important to the success of your program is what we will focus on in this issue of school pest news. According to the School IPM Law adopted in 1991 and amended in 2001, 2007, and in 2009 each independent school district shall adopt an integrated pest management program that… Read More →
SPN: Meet the Ladies of AgriLife Extension Turfgrass
With our spring two-day school IPM trainings just around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to introduce our Extension Turfgrass Specialists. Dr. Becky Grubbs-Bowling and Dr. Chrissie Segars can’t wait to meet you at our second day of trainings this spring and later in October. Meet the Scientist: Rebecca Grubbs-Bowling By Bianca Calderon From Lubbock to Athens, and now College Station, Dr. Rebecca Grubbs-Bowling, Texas A&M University assistant professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service turfgrass specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop… Read More →
SPN: Reporting for Yellow, Red and Incidental Use treatments.
Next to urban wildlife what readers wanted more information on is staying in compliance or understanding how some of the school IPM rules are interpreted by the Texas Department of Agriculture Structural Pest Control Service Division. So the next couple of issues will pertain to this topic. Several of the top ten non-compliant problems for Texas schools boil down to paperwork. Top of the list is failing to have the Yellow Category Justification form. This failure comes from pesticide applicators not understanding what is considered Yellow category products…. Read More →
IPM for Microorganisms with a Focus on Influenza Viruses
Thank you to the University of Arizona School and Home IPM Team for this informative newsletter. Dawn H. Gouge, Shujuan (Lucy) Li, Channah Rock, Natalie Brassill, University of Arizona Each year between 5 to 20% of the U.S. population will get flu. The economic cost is estimated at $10.4 billion per year in direct medical costs and an additional $16.3 billion in lost earnings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported January 11, 2019 that between 6.2 million and 7.3 million people have been sick with… Read More →
SPN: Managing Wildlife on School Campuses
When I asked School IPM Coordinators what topics they wanted to learn more about this year, managing wildlife topped the list. For most people, “nuisance wildlife” means an animal is destructive or menacing. The animal may be damaging property such as buildings, crops, pets, livestock, gardens, or public parks. Wildlife may threaten human health or safety by spreading diseases; through direct attacks; or accidentally, because of collisions with cars, airplanes, or trains. The most common wildlife issues in Texas are bats, skunks, racoons, opossums, coyotes and feral hogs. For… Read More →
.