SPN: Glue boards

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Monitoring versus control, what you need to know when servicing food areas

One of the key components of an IPM program is monitoring. Using some type of glue device that captures pests as they move around an indoor environment is essential.

Image of a metal framed exterior glass door with a gap between the door fame and the floor, allowing sunlight throughIn most building settings, the building envelop is not sealed adequately to keep pests like ants, crickets, spiders, and occasionally mice out. At the same time, in certain areas, monitoring is the only way to know if you have a pest problem.

 

Monitoring is using visual and manual observations to observe trends and changes in pest activity Image of man performing indoor inspectionover time (sampling).  Visual observations include inspections which goes beyond looking at a pest log, visual observations require you to look high and low to see if there are evidence of pests.

Image of food, water and harborage pest triangleAll pests need food, water and harborage to survive.

Sampling is observing sticky cards and recording pest presence or numbers to see if  they meet your action thresholds that trigger a physical, mechanical, biological or chemical treatment. Thresholds are boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable pest levels. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) requires each school district to have written thresholds for important insects, weeds as part of their IPM program.   TDA has updated the TX School IPM Rules  to allow  the use of non-pesticide tools and devices by unlicensed school district personnel, for monitoring purposes, shall be permitted. Monitoring by unlicensed school district personnel shall be done only as directed, under the supervision of the IPM Coordinator.  This allowance by TDA helps the IPM program by allowing the coordinator to use sticky traps to determine if there is a pest problem or not.  Only licensed applicators can make the decision to treat.

Sampling is observing sticky cards and recording pest presence or numbers to see if  they meet your action thresholds that trigger a physical, mechanical, biological or chemical treatment. Thresholds are boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable pest levels. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) requires each school district to have written thresholds for important insects, weeds as part of their IPM program.   Recently TDA , updated the TX School IPM Rules  to allow  the use of non-pesticide tools and devices by unlicensed school district personnel, for monitoring purposes, shall be permitted. Monitoring by unlicensed school district personnel shall be done only as directed, under the supervision of the IPM Coordinator.  This allowance by TDA helps the IPM program by allowing the coordinator to use sticky traps to determine if there is a pest problem or not.  Only licensed applicators can make the decision to treat.

Image of sticky traps with insects stuck to them

Proper placement of these devices ensure insects are captured, rather than escaping.

Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code, insects and other pests are capable of transmitting disease to humans by contaminating food and food-contact surfaces. Effective measures must be taken to eliminate their presence in food establishments.

Insect fly light placed on a wall

Insect fly lights are most effective when they are placed between 4 to 6 feet high.

Insect electrocution devices are considered supplemental to good sanitation practices in meeting the Code requirement for controlling the presence of flies and other insects in a food establishment.

Improper design of the device and dead insect collection tray could allow dead insect parts and injured insects to escape, rendering the device itself a source of contamination.

Image of light trap

Light traps are good provided you change the boards frequently, using the information to make decisions about treatment.

Exposed food and food-contact surfaces must be protected from contamination by insects or insect parts. Installation of the device over food preparation areas or in close proximity to exposed food and/or food-contact surfaces could allow dead insects and/or insect parts to be impelled by the electric charge, fall, or be blown from the device onto food or food-contact surfaces.

One of the most confusing aspects of the FDA code is that most pest management professionals are unaware that these rules apply to them and how they control pests in kitchens.

Sampling for pests helps applicators an idea of what to use and how much to use to solve pest problem.

Sampling for pests helps applicators an idea of what to use and how much to use to solve pest problem.

Sticky trap placed on the floor beneath indoor plumbing in a wet area

Placing a monitor behind a wet area helps determine if there is a pest problem

This kitchen was having a fly issue. Using a device like the glue board shown does allow an IPM coordinator the ability to safely say “the kitchen has pests”. And the PMP was able to establish a treatment plan based on their thresholds.  However, for the kitchen manager who will be inspected by the Dept. of Health, to allow this glue device to used in “her” kitchen can put her at odds with the Dept. of Health inspector.

Image of a closed trapping device placed on the indoor floor adjacent to a wooden cabinet

In wet areas and around food prep areas, using a closed device like this can do many things at once.

Instead, using a closed receptacle like the image seen here, allows pests to crawl in, but not necessarily crawl out.  In one case, a PMP used the Trapper Device to not only catch possible insects, but he used a cockroach bait to help control a German cockroach problem happening in a school principal’s office.

 

Image of a sticky board placed outdoors with a bait trap

Placing out a sticky card as seen here in the image to the left, with a bait station sends the wrong message and may not gain the results you want as well.

Various [est monitoring devices including a mousetrap and flea trap

Depending on your pest, choose the right monitoring device, each one of these devices work for different pests.

 

Using glue boards and sticky cards are the best way for TX schools to stay in compliance with the TX school IPM rules. Which require a monitoring program to determine when pests are present and when pest problems are severe enough to justify corrective action.  Routine pesticide applications (insecticide, herbicide, rodenticide, etc.) are not considered part of an IPM program.  However, monitoring for a pest problem and then taking proper action for that problem is IPM.

 

For more information about the updated Food Code check out this link. 

 

SPN:Glue Boards Handout for IPM coordinators to use with school staff and others about this topic.

 

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School Pest News, Volume 15, Issue 12, December 2015

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Spring ISD earns recertification for integrated pest management practices By: Paul Schattenberg

Spring Independent School District has once again earned IPM Star certification for its sustainable pest management practices.

Man and woman kneeling on the ground beside a wall inspecting the base of the wall with flashlights

Janet Hurley, foreground, and Hoa Phan, Spring ISD, IPM coordinator investigate building for ants, image courtesy of Tom Green, IPM Institute of North America

The school district was given an intense inspection of its sustainable pest control practices by experienced integrated pest management professionals, said Janet Hurley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service school integrated pest management specialist who served as one of the evaluators.

“The IPM STAR program of the IPM Institute of North America evaluates school systems and childcare centers for their adherence to sustainable and environmentally responsible pest management practices,” Hurley said.

Dr. Thomas Green of Madison, Wisconsin, an entomologist who directs the institute, served as the other evaluator.

“We did a careful on-site evaluation of Spring ISD’s integrated pest management program using a quantitative, practical evaluation specific to the organization for measuring performance,” Hurley said. “We found that they met or exceeded the high standards for sustainable IPM practices.”

Hurley said proper integrated pest management reduces liability and risks from both pests and pesticides and that IPM Star certification is a voluntary action that shows an organization’s pest management practices are highly competent and efficient.

“Among other things, to achieve this certification Spring ISD had to establish a formal schedule for IPM evaluation, planning and training as well as develop an ongoing focus on pest and pesticide risk reduction to ensure they met these high standards,” she said.

Hurley said integrated pest management focuses on non-chemical methods of control such as sealing, sanitation and monitoring.

“Pesticides are categorized by the state as red, yellow and green products, with green being the lowest-risk category,” she explained. “Prior to implementing the IPM program, Spring ISD employed a combination of these three groups of products, but used less than 50 percent green products. However, since the 2011-2012 school year, they have been using 100 percent green products.”

“Spring is a great example of how trained individuals, focusing on eliminating pests’ access to food and shelter, can achieve excellent pest control,” added Green. “Everyone at Spring understands their roles in keeping pests out – from the custodians to the maintenance and food service professionals who all work hard to eliminate pest-friendly conditions with proper cleaning and maintenance.”

Dr. Frederick Walker, director of operations for Spring ISD, said achieving recertification was a team effort.

“We get great support from our staff and administrators,” Walker said. “We let them know what we’re doing and that we’re following a process and monitoring and recording the results on a regular basis. We also meet with parent groups to explain our process and the use of green chemicals for pest management, especially if they will be using them in the concession areas.

“And although we could use more people to help, the two applicators we have currently are doing an excellent job of covering every one of the schools in the district. But I guess what we’re most proud of is that, in the several years we’ve been implementing these IPM practices, we have not disrupted the educational experience of a single child in the district.”

Hurley will attend a Spring ISD school board meeting to make a presentation acknowledging the district’s recertification.

Changes in the rules of the game for Texas PMPs – By Mike Merchant

New rules governing the pest control industry in Texas were published last week and are now in effect. While none of the changes in the “rules of the game” are major, there may be a few things that affect your business or school district.

Dr. Merchant, examining a glue board for insect pests.

Dr. Merchant, examining a glue board for insect pests.

The rules governing pesticide use in Texas can be complicated, and are passed down to us through two sets of documents. First, the Texas Occupations Code (TOC) contains the official list of laws as passed by the legislature pertaining to different occupations, including structural pest control. If you go to this code online, the chapter having to do with pest control is Chapter 1951. Chapter 1951 lists all the state law as passed over the decades that relate to the business of structural pest control.

The second and probably most relevant set of rules to our industry is the Texas Administrative Code (TAC). The TAC records how the various state agencies choose to interpret and administer the laws. For example, Section 1951.212 of the TOC directs the Texas Department of Agriculture to establish standards for an IPM program for public school districts. The TAC Sections 7.201-7.205 spell out what the standards are, including requirements for IPM coordinators, pesticide categories, posting requirements, etc.

But wait a minute. How can non-elected bureaucrats in a state agency write rules outside the legislative process? The answer is that legislators don’t have the time or the expertise to write detailed regulations, so they pass their rule-making authority on to Executive branch agencies like the Department of Agriculture. Of course the rules have to fairly interpret the law, and they must be published ahead of time in the Texas Register so that all of us can review and comment.

Publication of several new or revised sections of Subchapter H of the TAC (Texas Department of Agriculture) marks the end of this process for pest control rules this year. On December 18 the Texas Register published the results of public comment and listed the final versions of proposed rules originally published on September 18. With this final version, the rules are now considered to be in effect.

Most of the changes were made simply to clarify wording of the old rules. There was also some reorganization of section numbering, so that old rule citations may no longer apply. Here are the essential changes:

  • Sec. 7.122 Changes in wording that include giving power to the Department to deny a license to anyone who holds a similar license that has been revoked, suspended, probated or denied within the last five years by another state or by the federal government.
  • Sec. 17.127 There are no more fees for providing a continuing education course.
  •  Sec. 7.141 Rewording of rules pertaining to ID that must be carried at all times by license holders. Basically, if you have a license you must carry it on your person at all times and show it to any customer or relevant government employee who asks. If it’s not legible, then its not a legal ID. Also, language on vehicle signage has slightly changed to require all marked or unmarked vehicles being used for customer contact or service must have the business license number prominently displayed (magnetic signs are not OK).
  • New Sec. 7.150 requires all pesticides be used consistent with the pesticide labeling, and prohibits use of any pesticide missing a complete label when the identity of that pesticide is unknown.
  • New Sec. 7.151 prohibits anyone from hurting people or the environment, and making the pesticide owner, the applicator and/or the mixer equally responsible for proper storage and disposal of pesticide containers and contents. It also requires all pesticide containers to be labeled with the name of the pesticide. And it specifies that hard copies of all pesticides being stored shall be available for inspectors visiting the storage site.
  • Sec. 7.152 states that no one may advertise to perform structural pest control services without a license, and that all advertising must include the same business name as is on the license. This rule was rewritten to ensure that companies not use multiple business names under the same business license, and to clarify that pest control advertising includes online ads such as might appear on sites like Facebook, Craigslist and Angie’s List.
  • Sec. 7.193 is a new section number which clarifies who may qualify as a member of the Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee from an institution of higher learning (the position I formerly held, and now is being held by Dr. Robert Puckett).
  • Sections rules for the IPM program for public school districts have been moved to a new Division (7) and renumbered from Sec. 7.150-7.154 to 7.201-7.205. The biggest changes in this section relate to CEU requirements for IPM Coordinators.
  • Sec. 7.202 School IPM coordinators no longer are specifically required by rule to personally conduct periodic inspections of their school district. While this remains desirable, taking away this rule frees the coordinator to rely on other trained inspectors to provide inspection reports.
  • Sec. 7.204 includes slight wording changes to clarify that outdoor areas treated with a pesticide may be posted
    Image of pesticide application notification sign

    Remember TX school IPM rules require that you post at the time of treatment and keep in place until the specified reentry has been reached.

    at all entry points with a sign in lieu of a lock, fence or barrier tape until the reentry time is over. This section also allows IPM Coordinators, or their supervised employees, to use non-pesticide containing monitoring devices like sticky traps, to monitor pests without a license.

Perhaps the most significant change heralded by these rules is that expanded CEU requirements for school IPM Coordinators (IPMCs) are now officially in place. Over four years ago, as a result of Sunset Commission recommendations, the legislature decided that ongoing CEUs would be required for school IPMCs. Until now, the only CEU requirement was that IPMCs have six hours of department-approved training at the beginning of their appointment. Under the new rule IPMCs must have six hours of verified, approved training every three years. While most of these CEU requirements can come from any approved, relevant pesticide CEU class, at least one of the hours must be related to school IPM rules and regulations. The countdown for existing IPMC’s three years will start this January, or for new IPMCs at the date whenever their initial training is completed. Pesticide CEUs obtained in support of a pesticide applicator’s license can be double-counted toward the CEU requirements for IPMCs.

Turfgrass short course to be offered in College Station Jan. 19-22  By: Kay Ledbetter

A four-day Turfgrass Ecology and Management Short Course presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be held Jan. 19-22 on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.

Dr. Casey Reynolds, AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialist in College Station, will present the educational workshop for anyone interested in the fundamentals of turfgrass physiology and management.

Image of man on turfgrass with sprinklers in the background

Managing turfgrass can be a fulltime job, our experts can help you with this task.

“This course is designed for professional turfgrass managers as well as anyone else in the green industry with a desire to learn the basics of how to properly manage turfgrasses with respect to growth, fertility, pest control, water use and water quality,” Reynolds said.

During the training, attendees are exposed to the fundamentals of proper turfgrass selection, growth and maintenance, as well as the latest up-to-date information from a variety of Texas A&M University faculty.

In addition, athletic field and golf course education tours will be offered.
To register, go to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Turf. Early registration through Jan. 8 is $450 and $495 thereafter.

Topics to be covered include: turfgrass physiology; identification, selection and establishment; mowing, fertility and other cultural practices; water use and proper irrigation practices; soil physical and chemical properties; water analysis, interpretation and implementation; pesticide labeling and Texas Department of Agriculture regulations; pest management;

Image of Dr. Casey Reynolds who has been named the new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state turf specialist.

Dr. Casey Reynolds Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state turf specialist.

and spreader and sprayer calibration.

Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered – four general, one laws and regulation, and one drift management. For more information, contact Reynolds at 979-845-0603 or at casey.reynolds@ag.tamu.edu.

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School Pest News, Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2015

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Three kissing bugs various life stages

Kissing bugs and Chagas disease. By Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist III

Images of Kissing bugs all life stages - image courtesy of Gabe Hamer, Texas A&M University

Kissing bugs all life stages – image courtesy of Gabe Hamer, Texas A&M University

Triatomine bugs, also known as kissing bugs, reduviid bugs and cone-nose bugs, are almost an inch long with elongated cone-shaped heads. The body is grayish-brown with a wide abdomen that has flattened sides. The flattened sides of the abdomen stick out beyond the wing margins and are marked with red, orange or yellow stripes. Nymphs (immatures) look similar to adults, but lack fully developed wings.

There are other insects in Texas that look similar and can be mistaken for kissing bugs. Many of these insects do NOT bite and do NOT transmit disease organisms. You can find some common insects that are mistaken for kissing bugs here.

Adults are capable of flying and are attracted to lights at night. The insects can be drawn towards the house by leaving outside lights on at night. Once inside, they will find a host and feed at night. After engorging themselves, they move away from the host to hide in cracks and crevices during the day. Outside, the bugs can be found in

Assassin bugs on a mesquite bush. Image courtesy of Texas A&M University

Assassin bugs on a mesquite bush. Image courtesy of Texas A&M University

animal bedding or nests such as doghouses, chicken coops or rodent nests.

Some Triatomine bugs carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi which can cause Chagas disease in humans, dogs and other small mammals. T. cruzi, a protozoan, is transmitted via the insect’s feces when it is scratched into a wound or rubbed into a mucous membrane. Immediate (acute) symptoms of Chagas may be swelling of the face (especially the area around the eye), swelling of other areas of the body, moderate to high fever, but sometimes acute symptoms never occur. Treatment is available during the acute phase, so see a physician as soon as possible if you suspect Chagas.

Image of black and orange large milkweed bug

This large milkweed bug is often confused for the kissing bug. Image courtesy of Pat Porter, AgriLIfe Extension

To reduce the chance of Triatomine bugs entering the home, work on excluding them. Some of the following may help to seal the home to keep the bugs outside.

  • Prune trees and shrubs so they do not touch or overhang the house
  • Do not stack firewood or other items against the house
  • Install weather stripping around loose fitting doors and windows- if you can see daylight around a door during the day, then the weather stripping should be replaced
  • Block weep holes in brick or stone façade homes with copper mesh
  • Use stainless steel mesh wire to block access points in the attic (i.e. vents)
  • Sealing holes and cracks leading to the attic, crawl spaces below the house, and to the outside
  • Keep window screens in good repair
  • Turn off outside lights at night. If that is not possible, use “bug bulbs” or try LED bulbs that have a wavelength less attractive to insects
  • Have pets sleep indoors, especially at night, away from areas where insects can gather.
  • Keeping your house and any outdoor pet resting areas clean, in addition to periodically checking both areas for the presence of bugs

You can find more detailed information on kissing bugs, Chagas, and where to submit samples on this TAMU website.

Also, media outlets in Dallas recently ran a story on Kissing bugs and Chagas. You can find footage of that here.

More information about triatomine bugs, including bugs that are often mistaken for triatomine bugs and maps of the distribution of U.S. triatomine bugs as of 2011, can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/gen_info/vectors/.

More information about Chagas disease can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/index.html.

There’s more to picking a good grass than just green: AgriLife Extension turfgrass trials match purpose to environment     By: Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Extension

Not every grass is a good fit for home lawns, golf courses or athletic playing fields, so turfgrass researcher Dr. Casey Reynolds is testing varieties and comparing them side by side under Texas conditions as a part of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program.

Reynolds, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service turfgrass specialist in College Station, is joined by Dr. Matt Elmore, an AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialist who is growing additional trials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.

“The primary objective of these NTEP trials is to evaluate new and emerging varieties for their performance in southern and southeastern transition zone environments,” he said. “So, what that means is we plant grasses such as zoysiagrass, Bermuda grass, seashore paspalum and St. Augustine, because we know these species persist and do well in the southern United States and we evaluate them on an equal level.”

Reynolds said the AgriLife Extension trials at both locations include approximately 100 grass varieties, and the College Station trials were recently featured at the Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day.

“We’ll take, for example, the NTEP zoysiagrass trial comprised of 30 or so different varieties and compare them to each other based on quality, color, leaf texture, density, drought hardiness, performance and pest incidence,” he said.

The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program then takes that data from this location and data from throughout the U.S. at other cooperating universities and compiles it.

Turfgrass experimental plots in College Station. Image by Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Extension

Turfgrass experimental plots in College Station. Image by Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Extension

“This way a producer or a customer or anyone who is interested in planting a new variety can look and see an independent source of data and use it to evaluate whether or not that grass is a good fit for their needs,” Reynolds said.

“For instance, we may have a zoysia grass that may do great in terms of how it performs under drought, and next to it one that may look a little better, but the data tells us it may not perform as well under drought,” he said.

NTEP is a great way to organize all that data and compare varieties.

That’s an important thing to understand when selecting a grass variety, Reynolds said, “because we all know in the southern United States drought is always an issue and will continue to be an issue. We certainly want to breed and select grasses that do well in hot, dry climates.

During the turfgrass field day, Reynolds asked the clients attending to place a flag in the plots that they thought looked the best.

“It was interesting to see that a lot of the flags were placed in the same plots,” he said. “I personally like a grass that has dark color, that has

Textured zoysiagrass an alternative to Bermuda and St. Augustine Image by Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Extension

Textured zoysiagrass an alternative to Bermuda and St. Augustine Image by Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Extension

finer leaf texture and that has good density.”

Reynolds stood near two plots of grass with a big difference in texture, one rated four on texture and the other an eight. Looking at the data, he said, the eight is going to be a much nicer grass, “especially if you are on a golf course tee box, where texture is probably a bigger deal than if you are on a home lawn.

“But if you are a landscaper comparing the two species and you look at the drought data, you might say, ‘I don’t care how fine the texture is if I can’t keep it alive, texture doesn’t matter.’ So your selection may change.”

Reynolds said it is important not to get hung up on having the latest new variety – sometimes if it is not broke, why try to fix it?

“With the data we collect, we try to do it in a manner that is going to be reflective upon how people are going to view these grasses when they get to their home or their golf course or athletic field and whether it is going to fit into their environmental conditions.”

Results of the NTEP trials at College Station and Dallas can be found at http://www.ntep.org/. Other information on turfgrass species and variety selection for Texas can be found at https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/texas-turfgrasses.

Expect invaders as weather gets colder   By Paul Schattenberg, AgriLife Extension

Image of the accumulation of rat or mouse droppings

Signs of active rats or mice, is the accumulation of droppings, if you see them, you know it’s time to trap for them.

With temperatures dropping, many Texas residents likely will be getting some unwanted guests in their homes around the holidays, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service pest management experts.

“This time of year, squirrels, as well as racoons, will try to make nests in attics,” said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension program specialist in integrated pest management, Dallas. “Also several species of ants will nest in the walls of homes for warmth and protection.”

Hurley said another unwelcome guest people can expect to see more of as the weather turns colder is mice.

“Rodents can infest homes, threaten public health and destroy property,” Hurley said.

She said the common house mouse, for example, can eat or contaminate household foods, cause structural damage by building nests and gnawing on furniture and electrical wires, and can spread disease.

Hurley said exclusion is an effective means of reducing the threat of rodent-borne diseases, allergens and other health threats. To help exclude mice and other rodents

Image of sealed openings to keep all types of crawling pests out. Ants, cockroaches, mice, rats, squirrels and even birds can be sealed out. Image by Janet Hurley, AgriLIfe Extension

Sealing up openings larger than a dime are important to keep all types of crawling pests out. Ants, cockroaches, mice, rats, squirrels and even birds can be sealed out. Image by Janet Hurley, AgriLIfe Extension

from the home, she recommended:

  • Seal gaps of 1⁄4 inch or more with steel wool or a foam sealant that expands. Fill large holes or cracks with concrete or stuff with an excluder cloth and seal them.
  • Seal around water, gas, electrical and other pipes and conduits.
  • Install brush-type or baffle-style door sweeps to seal exterior doors.
  • Seal gaps around eaves and the frames of screens and louvers.
  • Do not let trash, weeds or wood accumulate near or along exterior walls or doorways.
  • Keep garbage cans covered and lids tightly closed.
  • Store pet food off the floor and in airtight containers.

Snap trap imageTo control mice that have already entered the homes, schools or businesses, Hurley suggests using traps as opposed to poison baits. Snap traps and some of the new

Victor new trap and seal for House mice

Victor new trap and seal for House mice

enclosed snap traps will capture the mice and keep them in one spot for easier disposal.

“If there are young children or pets in the home, consider placing the traps inside locked box stations to avoid accidents,” Hurley said. “The use of poison baits should be a last resort and is best left to the professionals since there could be risk to children and pets.”

Anyone traveling during the holidays should be aware of the potential for picking up bed bugs, according to Dr. Mike Merchant, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Bed bugs are small, reddish-brown, oval-shaped insects that feed on human blood and are becoming more common in hotels and homes.

Image of a reddish brown fed bed bug

Image of a fed bed bug

“Bed bugs are great at hitchhiking in luggage, and savvy travelers should know how to minimize their risk of bringing an unwelcome guest home from the holidays,” Merchant said.

He noted that while the risk of encountering these pests in your travels is relatively low, bringing a bed bug home is definitely not a good idea.

“Suffering a few bed bug bites while travelling is not pleasant, but it’s much worse to bring them home where they can proliferate,” he said.

Experts recommend avoiding setting luggage on or next to a bed or other upholstered furniture where bed bugs can easily stow away after feeding.

“This practice is an open invitation for bed bugs,” he said. “Instead, put your stuff on the luggage rack away from the bed.”

“It’s just now starting to get close to freezing in the South Central Texas area, but in the next few weeks I expect to start getting calls about more insects coming indoors,” said Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension entomologist for Travis County. “The ones I’m most likely to be getting calls about will be cockroaches, spiders and scorpions.”

Brown said the most effective means of control is to exclude these and other critters from the home by way of sealing exterior holes or cracks as well as eaves and frames around doors and windows.

Image of tree branches hanging over house roof and shrubs close to the house

Keeping trees and shrubs from touching the house, or hanging over help keep pests away. Image by Janet Hurley, AgriLIfe Extension

“And if you have any tall grass or weeds around your house, or any wood, compost or leaves near your exterior walls, now would be a good time to remove those so they don’t provide a warm nesting area from which they might then enter your home,” she said.

Brown said now might also be a good time to prune any trees or shrubs that touch or overhang the house.

“That way animals can’t use those as a bridge to enter the house,” she said.

For more information on insect identification, exclusion and control, go to visit our homeowner websites http://communityipm.tamu.edu/ or national website.

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School Pest News, Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2015

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Be on the Watch for Asps! By: Molly Keck

Puss caterpillars, AKA Asps have been spotted this season in south TX! Be on the lookout and be careful if you encounter them.

Image of ground vegetation with hiding Asps

Ground vegetation with Asps – a great place for them to hide . Image by Martha Cray

These fuzzy, almost cute, little caterpillars can inflict a nasty sting without provocation. Hidden inside the

Close up image of puss caterpillar aka ASP. Image by Martha Cray

Close up of puss caterpillar aka ASP. Image by Martha Cray

fuzzy façade, are venomous spines that result in a painful rash or “burn”. They are not aggressive caterpillars, and stings often occur when individuals accidentally brush up against them, or curious children pick one up to check it out.

The moth they will become is generally called a flannel moth. They get their name because they are also fuzzy, although they are not venomous like their immature form.

Fall is often a common time to see Asps and they can be found in large numbers, congregating in

shrubbery and/or trees.

If you have a population of asps, you may consider treating the plant with Spinosad or permethrin to avoid the risk of being stung. To help educate your staff about this pest, check out our IPM Action Plan for Stinging Caterpillars 

Spooky Spiders!  By: Molly Keck

Spiders may be on the mind with Halloween around the corner. But spiders are most likely to be spotted during the fall, in my opinion.

Brown recluse Spider Image by John Jackman

Brown recluse Spider Image by John Jackman

It is important to remember that there are many different species of spiders in Texas, but only the recluse and widow spiders have venom that is harmful to humans.

Every spider has fangs and can bite, and while it may be painful, your reaction should be minor.
Common, harmless spiders, you will likely encounter this fall are wolf spiders, kite spiders, green lynx spiders (a favorite of mine) and Argiope or zipper spiders (my absolute favorite spider!).

Recluse spiders are small brown spiders with a fiddle on the back. They are no larger than a quarter with

Image of Black Widow showing the red hourglass on the abdomen

Image of Black Widow Image by John Jackman

the legs stretched out. Recluse spiders are found in cluttered, undisturbed areas such as attics, storage closets, and sheds. They are also commonly brought down into the home from the attic when holiday decorations are moved in, so be careful when handling wreaths and artificial Christmas trees if you know you have had a recluse problem in the past. In schools we commonly see these spiders in bus barns, athletic storage rooms, and other dark undisturbed places.

Widow spiders are black, shiny, and have an orange to red hour glass on their abdomen. They are also found in undisturbed areas or under debris such as rocks and firewood. Often in schools, we see these spiders located around awnings, brick ledges, and other areas cluttered undisturbed areas.  Check out this link and share with your teachers on how to pest proof their home from spiders.

WHAT IS THE SAFER CHOICE LABEL?  From US EPA

Finding products that are safer for you, your family, and the environment should be easy—that’s why EPA created the Safer Choice label. The Safer Choice label helps you identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance. When you see a product with the Safer Choice label, it means that every ingredient in the product has been evaluated by EPA scientists. Only the safest ingredients are allowed in products with the Safer Choice label.

Sample of the EPA Safer Choice labels

Sample of the Safer Choice labels

Redesign: For the past 15 years EPA’s label for safer chemical products has been known as Design for the Environment, or “DfE”. We spent more than a year collecting ideas and discussing new label options with stakeholders, such as product manufacturers and environmental and health advocates. Then we took our ideas to you and asked what worked best. The result is the new Safer Choice label.

The Safer Choice Difference: Our product review process is grounded in more than 40 years of EPA experience evaluating the human health and environmental characteristics of chemicals. Products that carry the Safer Choice label must meet requirements for:

  • Safer chemical ingredients
  • Performance
  • Packaging
  • Ingredient disclosure
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Safer Choice Products: The Safer Choice Program includes products designed for homes and businesses. They are safer choices for your workplace, schools, and community. Visit your local retailer to find Safer Choice products.

SAFER CHOICE FRAGRANCE – FREE: Some consumers and purchasers prefer or require fragrance-free products. Safer Choice’s Fragrance-Free label helps purchasers identify products verified to be fragrance-free by EPA. The Fragrance-free Certification The fragrance-free certification is a companion to the Safer Choice label. If a product qualifies for the Safer Choice label and does not use any fragrance materials, the program will allow the manufacturer to add a “fragrance-free” notation to the Safer Choice label. The fragrance-free certification means that: 1) The product meets the U.S. EPA Safer Product Standards, and 2) The product has also been verified to be free of chemicals that impart or mask a scent. For consumers and purchasers, especially those with allergy or sensitization concerns, the fragrance-free label allows for easy identification of products that have been verified as free of fragrance materials. For more information check out the EPA website

http://www2.epa.gov/saferchoice/learn-about-safer-choice-label

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School Pest News, Volume 15, Issue 9 September 2015

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There is no “I” in IPM; it’s all about Team.

By: Janet A. Hurley

Diagram of the Roles of IPM staffIntegrated pest management (IPM) is like football. In football, it takes a team to win or lose a game. No single person is the breaking point. Successful IPM requires people management and teamwork. A solid IPM program requires several groups of people to work in conjunction with one and another, and to practice the basic principal that no one person is responsible for everything. Taking ownership of one’s actions and helping others is a basic principle of advanced society. IPM and the indoor air quality (IAQ) program use these principles and embrace the famous Ben Franklin quote, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Administrators may not understand the varied roles of an IPM/IAQ program. They might believe that they have an effective IPM program because there is a designated IPM Coordinator, a licensed pesticide applicator, and inspections. However, this philosophy will fail in the end because others within the district will not realize that they have an active role in maintaining their school building. School buildings take a lot of abuse from faculty, staff, and students. Large numbers of people moving from one place to another can carry pests with them. Reminding all personnel not to bring insect killer to school is only one small item in the IPM program.

School facilities are like children. They need constant attention and upkeep, yearly physicals in the form of inspections and proper training of employees to keep them running efficiently. While appointing a good IPM Coordinator is critical, the way in which the other players within the district interact and support the Coordinator is crucial as well. Super humans are for the comics and movies. In reality most of us are wearing several hats and managing several areas. Communication is essential to be successful. A work order system is good to have, but it does not replace an occasional conversation between facilities and principals, teachers, and staff.

We can go a long way in maintaining a pest free building by educating school personnel about what signs of pests to look for, ways to identify pest entry ways, and by keeping clutter to a minimum. Teaching school nurses and faculty the indicators that children that could have bed bugs, head lice, or cockroaches at home could help that child in more than one way. As adults we are there to help the young; this is just one way we

Spring Branch ISD IPM flyer

Using flyers like this one from Spring Branch ISD can help IPM on employees minds throughout the school year.

can all help.

For food service personnel, conducting periodic training on IPM helps kitchens maintain high scores with local health department biannual inspections. Ensuring that staff understand the importance of routine cleaning of floor drains, deep cleaning of equipment and watching for water leaks will help keep the area inhospitable for pests like drain flies, cockroaches, and ants. Discussing the importance of keeping food storage rooms clear of clutter, the reasons for using plastic storage containers rather than cardboard boxes for long term storage, and cleaning up spills immediately reduces the risk of mice and rats of taking up residence. Making kitchen staff aware of how to report pest sightings is important. It is also important to ensure that this group knows what monitoring devices are and how to preserve them so that if a pest appears they can tell someone.

Mops stored improperly against a wall with the mop heads up creating a good place for cockroaches and ants to thrive.

Mops stored improperly create a good place for cockroaches and ants to thrive.

The custodial department is critical to every institution. Custodial staff are more than just the guy or gal who empties the trash; they keep the building functioning. This group of employees is essential in keeping pests out of buildings by eliminating the food, water, and harborage that pests need to survive and thrive. On the other hand, custodial staff can inadvertently contribute to a pest problem. Keeping a clean, dry, and organized custodial closest goes a long way to keeping cockroaches from thriving in these rooms. At times, custodians will keep the room clean, but unknowingly keep water in the mop bucket or the floor cleaning machine, not realizing that is the

Hanging up the mop properly with the mop head down, and keeping the floor machine empty water help reduce harborage sites for cockroaches.

Hanging up the mop properly as shown, and keeping the floor machine empty water help reduce harborage sites for cockroaches.

perfect place for roaches. Hanging the mops properly keeps bacteria from growing in the mop, so that flies and roaches don’t have something to live off of. Working with teachers and students on trash removal and spill clean ups in classroom areas is key to pest control. Training custodial staff on small tips to be on the lookout for inside and outside the building can help prevent pests more than any pesticide application.

Facility maintenance and grounds staff can ensure that work order and preventative maintenance tasks are handled correctly. When training trades workers about IPM, pointing out the importance of sealing up holes, cracks, and crevices is essential in keeping pests out of the building. Illustrating to them that mice can squeeze through an opening the size of a dime, and rats the size of a quarter, can be critical when making a repair or installation into a conduit line. Grounds personnel can help with the IPM program by pointing out potential sites for birds, wasps, moles, yellowjackets or vertebrate pests.

Image of openings around conduit lines entering a brick wall from outside; there are large openings where the conduit enters the building. A rodent bait station is between the two conduit lines.

Sealing up the openings around these conduit lines would be more effective than placing a rodent bait station at this location.

Explaining to this group that if they see areas where small mammals can live or insects can nest on or near playground equipment can help prevent a problem in the future.

Teachers and students can contribute to the IPM solution in many ways. Helping them to understand that they play a critical role in the IPM/IAQ program and how IPM contributes to their own personal health and well-being is the key to gaining their participation. Tools such as posters, emails, and simple messages serve to remind everyone there are things they can do to help mitigate pest problems. Classrooms are clutter magnets; however, there are ways to keep the clutter to a minimum. Utilizing plastic storage tubs, metal shelving racks, glass jars for counting beans, and other sturdy storage items will help keep the room organized and easier to inspect when there is a pest problem. Work with students to empty their backpacks, book bags, and other large carry items occasionally. Taking these items outside and dumping them on concrete can help reduce pest’s introductions into the classroom or building.

Finally, to make any program successful, including IPM, communication is essential. For the IPM Coordinator it means communicating with everyone in the district, either through face-to-face training, email, newsletters, or telephone. For the IPM Coordinator, having regular communication with their pest management professional (contractor or in-house) is just as critical as performing a pest control action. When the IPM Coordinator and the PMP talk, they should discuss what applications have been made either at a campus, district, or office building. At the same time, they should also discuss any ongoing pest problems. If the same pest problem is persisting for more than six months, then the coordinator and PMP will need to look at what has been done, what non-chemical control measures have not been met and what alternative actions can be performed to reduce the persistent pest problem. There is always the option to seek additional help from a Board Certified Entomologist, Extension Specialist or other qualified individual that can help you solve your problem.

In summary, as an IPM Coordinator, your job is to support student achievement through maintaining facilities that promote health, school morale, air quality and school success. Through IPM, we can have better schools, better students and a healthier community! So why not start your education program today – share this story with a co-worker.

For additional educational resources, posters, handouts, and presentations visit our school IPM website at https://schoolipm.tamu.edu/forms/ipm-presentations-and-training-tools/

REGULATION ALERT   REGULATION ALERT   REGULATION ALERT

As you are aware, the Texas Department of Agriculture oversees the school IPM regulations as well as pesticide applications.  On, September 18, 2015, TDA placed several proposed changes to the structural pest control rules in the Texas Register.  All new rules must go through the process of being posted to the Register and then allow 30 days for public comment.  You may either go to http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/September182015/index.html

This is your only opportunity to make comments, both positive and negative, on the Regulations, which will govern the pest control industry and school IPM for the next several years under TDA.  Please make this a priority.

Written comments on the proposal may be submitted to Stephen Pahl, Administrator for Consumer Protection, Texas Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 12847, Austin, Texas 78711 or by email toStephen.Pahl@TexasAgriculture.gov . Written comments must be received no later than 30 days from the date of publication of the proposed amendments in the Texas Register, which means your response must be received by October 18, 2015 if you want to be heard.

Below are some sections that you should pay close attention to.

  • 7.122.Applications for Licensing, Registration, Certification, and Approval. This section is designed to tighten up the regulations for licensed applicators.

(a) The application for a business license, a certified applicator license, technician license, or for registration as an apprentice under this chapter must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Department, which may be updated from time to time.

(b) Applications must include all information requested, unless the information is clearly marked as optional.

(c) A license application may be denied if a same or similar license issued to the applicant by this or another state or federal government has been revoked, suspended, probated or denied during the preceding five-year period for any reason that could result in the Department denying licensure or registration. For the purpose of this section, a license is similar if the license was issued for the practice of an occupation in which professional services are normally provided in-person.

  • 7.150.General Standards for Use of Pesticides. This used to be the section designated for School IPM that is changing, but this new section is something you should understand if you apply pesticides in TX.

(a) Use of a pesticide shall be made consistent with the pesticide’s labeling. Use inconsistent with the label includes, but is not limited to:

(1) applications at sites, rates, concentrations, intervals, or under conditions not specified in the labeled directions;

(2) tank mixing of pesticides, or using application techniques, or equipment prohibited by the label; or

(3) failure to observe reentry intervals.

(b) It shall be a violation for any person to use or cause to be used a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with any permit or emergency exemption issued by the Department or EPA.

(c) A pesticide shall not be used if the complete label is not available and the pesticide’s identity is unknown. The words “Unknown Pesticide – Hazardous Material” shall be written on the container. The pesticide shall be stored and disposed of in accordance with all state and federal laws.

  • 7.151.General Standards for Storage and Disposal of Pesticides. This is another new section that should be reviewed by company owners, operators and distributors.

(a) Storage and disposal of a pesticide and/or its container shall be made consistent with the pesticide’s labeling.

(b) No person may dispose of, discard, or store any pesticide or pesticide container in a manner that may cause or result in injury to humans, vegetation, crops, livestock, wildlife, pollinating insects, or pollution of any water supply or waterway.

(c) The applicator, the owner of the pesticide, and/or the person in control of the mixing shall be jointly and severally liable for proper storage and disposal of pesticide containers and contents.

(d) The name on either the pesticide label or the specimen label shall be written on the pesticide container if the name of the pesticide is not on the pesticide container and the pesticide’s identity is known. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as authorizing the misbranding of a pesticide as defined in §76.023 of the Texas Agriculture Code.

(e) A person storing a pesticide shall maintain the complete label of that pesticide, in hard copy, for as long as the pesticide is being stored. If the complete label is not available and the pesticide’s identity is known, the person storing the pesticide shall obtain a hard copy of the EPA pesticide label.

(f) For every pesticide that is being stored, a hard copy of the complete label, shall be made immediately available for inspection to the Department’s inspector at the site where the pesticide is being stored.

DIVISION 7. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS 4 TAC §§7.201 – 7.205 – This will be a brand new section for school IPM, rather than falling under the compliance and enforcement section of the structural pest control rules, school IPM will have its own section under the TAC code.  The TX school IPM rules will remain the same, except there are a couple of changes that many IPM coordinators will be happy to see.

  • 7.202.Responsibilities of the IPM Coordinator. You will notice in this section, what is considered continuing education credit for IPM coordinators is clearly spelled out, you will also notice if you are licensed applicator and the coordinator that you can obtain dual credits for both IPM and your license.

The IPM Coordinator(s) shall be responsible for implementation of the school district IPM Program. In addition, the IPM Coordinator(s) shall:

(1) successfully complete a Department-approved IPM Coordinator training course within six months of appointment;

(2) obtain at least six hours of Department-approved IPM continuing education units (CEU) every three years, beginning the effective date of this rule or the date of designation, whichever is later. The three-year period will begin from the date the IPM Coordinator receives initial training after being appointed by the superintendent, or if currently designated and trained as the IPM Coordinator, when this rule revision goes into effect. No approved course may be repeated for credit within the same three-year period. One of the six CEUs must be related to laws and regulations specific to IPM programs in schools. IPM Coordinators may satisfy the CEU requirements through one or more of the following methods:

(A) Completing a Department approved training course for IPM Coordinators;

(B) Completing courses that have been approved in the pest, lawn and ornamental, weed control or general IPM category; or

(C) By submitting information for a course completed, that was not previously approved by the Department, for the evaluation of credit. The information must include the name of the instructor(s), verification of attendance at the course, length of time of the course stated in hours and minutes, a detailed course outline indicating the scope of the course and learning objectives, and the number of continuing education units requested. Additionally, the IPM Coordinator must demonstrate that the course content is appropriate and pertinent to the use of pesticides and the implementation of IPM strategies at school buildings and other school district facilities.

(3) If the IPM Coordinator is also a licensed applicator, the CEUs obtained for the license under §7.134 of this title (relating to Continuing Education Requirements for Certified Applicators) will count towards the six hours of IPM CEUs.

(4) Following the three-year effective CEU period, IPM Coordinators must maintain certificates of completion for one additional calendar year (period through December 31). The certificates are subject to inspection by the Department at any time upon request.

  • 7.204.Pesticide Use in School Districts. For this section the wording is almost the same as it was prior to the moving to the new section. However, under item four (4) you will notice one major change – the allowance of the IPM Coordinator to be able to train an unlicensed employee to place out monitoring devices. For years we have been encouraging TDA to implement this change to help schools out, as you can see they were listening.

(4) The use of non-pesticide control measures, non-pesticide monitoring tools and mechanical devices, such as glue boards and traps as permitted in accordance with Division 7 of this subchapter (relating to Integrated Pest Management Program for School Districts), are exempt from posting requirements. The use of non-pesticide tools and devices by unlicensed school district personnel, for monitoring purposes, shall be permitted. Monitoring by unlicensed school district personnel shall be done only as directed, under the supervision of the IPM Coordinator.

As stated at the beginning of this narrative if you would like to see the full set of rules you can visit the Texas Register website at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/September182015/Proposed%20Rules/4.AGRICULTURE.html#4

What do you need to do, tell TDA if you are happy or not.  For many IPM coordinators you have been patiently waiting for the day when you could legally train someone to put out a monitoring device, tell TDA thank you. If you don’t like what you see, tell TDA as well, your governmental agencies are only as good as the public input they receive.  Remember we can all participate if we just take a few minutes out of busy day to let our government leaders know how we feel.

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School Pest News, Volume 14, Issue 8, August 2015

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Texas School Health Advisory Committee (TSHAC) Resources, Recommendations and Research

SHAC Guide for Texas School Districts – Revised July 2015
Logo for The School Health Program of the Department of State Health Services produced this helpful School Health Advisory Councils Guide for Texas School Districts The School Health Program of the Department of State Health Services produced this helpful School Health Advisory Councils Guide for Texas School Districts for help to get started while building a successful SHAC.  The guide has been updated with the most current information available in support of efforts to provide school health education and services through the district’s SHAC.

To access the guide, go to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/sdhac.shtm.

To find out if your school district has a SHAC, who is in charge and how you can be involved or get more information, contact the district’s administrative office and schedule a time to meet with the staff person that has oversight for the SHAC.

The TSHAC has resources, and recommendations and research schools and district School Health Advisory Councils (SHAC) can use to meet legislative requirements and support important issues schools may face.  Go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/shadviserecommendations.shtm to access the following Research and Recommendation documents created by the TSHAC:

  • Recommendations and Research on Benefits to Students in School Districts that Prohibit Physical Activity as Punishment
  • Recommendations and Research on Health Education for all Texas Students, Kindergarten through 12th Grade
  • Recommendations and Research on Offering Physical Activity Outside of the School Day
  • Recommendations and Research on Physical Education
  • Recommendations and Research on Recess and Physical Activity: Impact on Student Health and Academic, Social and Emotional Development
  • Recommendations for Sodium Reduction in Schools
  • Recommendations for Offering Physical Activity Outside of the School Day
  • Recommendations and Research on Student Consumption of Regular and Diet Sodas in High Schools
  • Recommendations and Research on School Bus and Automobile Idling

Go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/shadviseresources.shtm to access the following resources for schools and SHACs developed by the TSHAC:

  • Bullying Prevention Tool Kit
  • Childhood Obesity Prevention Resolution
  • Coordinated School Health Resource Data Sets
  • School Health Services Staff Roles
  • School Health Advisory Council Self-Assessment
  • Annual SHAC Progress Report to Local School Boards
  • School Health Initiative Screening Tool
  • Resources for Students and Families:  Dealing with the Economic Crisis
  • SHAC Meeting Agenda Topics
  • Resolution Supporting Inclusive Practices for Students with Exceptionalities in Texas Public Schools

Communicable Disease Chart and Notes for Schools and Child-Care Centers 

Revised June, 2013, the Communicable Disease Chart and Notes for Schools and Child-Care Centers is available.  To order the wall size poster, go to https://secure.immunizetexasorderform.com/default.asp and request item number 6-30.  To access a copy on line, go to https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/schools_childcare/resources/. This chart includes information about prevalent diseases/conditions for school and child-care facility staff members to be used in day-to-day operations.  Other groups might find the chart helpful as well.  The following information is included for 43 conditions:

  • Incubation
  • Transmission
  • Signs and symptoms
  • Exclusion and readmission criteria
  • Whether it’s a reportable condition
  • Immunization
  • Comments on prevention, treatment etc.

In the “Notes” section there is information about when a communicable disease is suspected, hand washing, diapering, environmental surfaces and personal items, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, standard precautions, immunization, and antibiotic use.

Back to School with Green and Healthy Products

Custodian Carl Crossman wipes down classroom tables as he makes his rounds through the Capri street school in Brewer. The foreground shows cleaning supplies in a bucket.

Maintaining a healthy learning environment is an important part of making sure that every child can learn. But all too often, conventional products—from computers to paints to cleaning supplies—expose school occupants to toxic chemicals that can pollute the indoor air. Children and staff who can’t concentrate or miss school or are uncomfortable in class will not succeed this year. Fortunately, reducing toxic chemicals in products will reduce air pollutants inside schools and thus will benefit all occupants. There are a few ways to help the school use a wide range of greener products.

  • Select nontoxic (low emission) school supplies, such as nontoxic markers and pens, and notebooks and binders made without PVC plastics.
  • Select EPEAT-rated electronics to minimize toxic chemicals, reduce the disposal costs of outdated electronics, and save on energy. (EPEAT is a certification system for greener electronics).
  • Do not send cleaning or disinfecting products from home to school to use in classrooms.
  • Ask your local school if it is using money-saving, third-party certified green cleaning products (reliable certifiers are Green Seal (US) and UL-E (EcoLogo). If the school is already using green products, those can be diluted with plain water for wiping up sticky spills in classrooms.
  • Ask the school if it plans to do any interior painting in the coming year, and if so, ask it to buy low-emission, third-party certified interior wall or ceiling paints. These will help reduce indoor air pollutants.

To find resources and tip sheets to help get started on reducing chemical hazards inside schools, go to http://healthyschools.org/coalitionactionkit.html and http://www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org/.

Check out these resources from National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)

New search mechanism for pesticide product information!  NPIC Pesticide Research Online (NPRO)
Webinar explaining NPRO (30+ minutes)  For help getting started with NPRO, call us at 1-800-858-7378.

New Video!  Pesticides on Clothes: How do I clean them? (1.5 minutes) … also available in Spanish

New web pages!     Beneficial Insects – A quick list
– In the lawn
– In the garden
– In agriculture

New FAQs:
What does it mean when food is organic?   … also available in Spanish
Is ‘food grade’ diatomaceous earth okay for pest control?  … also available in Spanish
What can I do after a flood?  … also available in Spanish

Newly revised & updated web pages:
Protecting Wildlife from Pesticides
Problem Wildlife in the Garden & Yard
Problem Wildlife in the House

New podcast!
Is ‘food grade’ diatomaceous earth okay for pest control?

In case you missed it, mouse-over the circles on our new web page: Natural and Biological Pesticides
You will learn about the similarities and differences between the terms “organic”, “biopesticide” and “minimum risk pesticide.”
National Pesticide Information Center
Oregon State University
Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology
(800) 858-7378
Email: npic@ace.orst.edu
If you have any questions, please call us at 800-858-7378, Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (Pacific), 11:00 am – 3:00 pm (Eastern).

School Indoor Air Quality Assessments Go Mobile / EPA Launches School IAQ Assessment Mobile App

Logo for EPA tools for schoolsBy: Julia P. Valentine, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched a new mobile app to assist schools and school districts with performing comprehensive indoor air quality (IAQ) facility assessments to protect the health of children and school staff. The School IAQ Assessment mobile app is a “one-stop shop” for accessing guidance from EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit.

“Kids learn best in a healthy school environment. Now there’s an app for that! This app puts a powerful tool in the hands of people at the state, district and school level to protect children’s health” said Janet McCabe, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “This mobile app is our latest effort to provide updated, user-friendly guidance to help schools identify, resolve and prevent indoor air quality problems, using low- and no-cost measures.”

The mobile app provides schools and school districts with an efficient, innovative technology integrated with proven strategies for addressing critical building-related environmental health issues such as ventilation, cleaning and maintenance, environmental asthma triggers, radon, and integrated pest management. Schools that want to develop, sustain or reinvigorate their IAQ management programs can use this tool to identify and prioritize IAQ improvements. The School IAQ Assessment mobile app complements existing IAQ management programs and can become the central tracking mechanism schools and districts use to organize building assessments and prioritize IAQ improvements.

Today, half of the schools in the United States have adopted IAQ management programs, the majority of which are based on EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools guidance. EPA developed the mobile app to help these schools more efficiently carry out their IAQ management programs and to help the remaining nearly 60,000 schools to conduct regular and thorough assessments to ensure their schools are safe and productive places to learn.

How It Works

• DOWNLOAD: Go to www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/iaq_schools_mobile_app and initiate the app on your Apple or Android smart device. Access the How to Get Started section to review the set-up options, intent and capabilities of the app.

• ASSESS: Conduct a walkthrough of your school buildings using a set of easy-to-follow checklists — all you need is an Internet connection. Then, submit your completed checklists via email to a designated IAQ coordinator for review and follow-up action. You can also attach photos and detailed notes about the assessed area in your completed checklist submission.

• DISCOVER: The completed checklists will identify IAQ concerns and validate good IAQ practices already in place. Checklists are provided to your designated IAQ Coordinator with recommended action steps generated by the app to address identified IAQ problems. Recommendations are based on the Framework for Effective IAQ Managementfor comprehensively addressing IAQ.

• LEARN MORE: The mobile app includes other valuable resources from the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit, such as information on radon and asthma management in schools, as well as, EPA’s newest guidance – Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades, which integrates IAQ protections into school energy retrofits and other building projects.

Visit http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/iaq_schools_mobile_app/ to download the new mobile app andwww.epa.gov/schools for other valuable school environmental health resources.

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School Pest News, Volume 14, Issue 7, July 2015

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Why worry about cockroach control? By Faith M. Oi, PhD, Director of Pest Management University, University of Florida

German cockroaches on glue board

German cockroaches on glue board

There has been much attention given to the bed bugs over the last few years. However, cockroaches remain a pest of major importance because it is a known trigger for asthma. Like the bed bugs, there is not clear experimental data indicating that cockroaches are major disease vectors, but many pathogens have been recovered from them. As always for more information on other pests or on developing an IPM program please visit our website http://schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu/newtp4.htm

Know the Facts: Hungry bug history lesson
In 1966, Ebeling placed baited trap-jars along baseboards and in the center of a kitchen.

  • Without removing competing food sources, an average of 2.4 cockroaches was caught in the traps in the jars along the baseboard, but no cockroaches were caught in the jars in the center of the room.
  • When all competing food was removed, the average cockroach trap catch increased to 13.5 in jars along the baseboard and 1.2 cockroaches were trapped in jars that were placed in the center of the room.
  • Hunger not only increased the number of cockroaches trapped in baited jars, but it also increased the foraging range of German cockroaches as it searched for food because competing food sources were removed.
  • Take home message: remove food sources that might compete with baits and traps

Emphasis on bait Resistance Management. Are you using the same bait over and over because it seems to be working so well for you? There can be too much of a good thing. Product

American cockroach on a potato chip

American cockroach most commonly found outdoors in organic matter, but can be found lurking in kitchens, custodial closets and other damp areas.

rotation is key to staving off and possibly avoiding insecticide resistance.

According to the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), Insecticide resistance has defined as “a heritable change in the sensitivity of a pest population that is reflected in the repeated failure of a product to achieve the expected level of control when used according to the label recommendation for that pest species.” http://www.iraconline.org/about/resistance/

Using baits that contain active ingredients from different chemical classes on a monthly basis will help avoid cockroach populations from becoming resistant to your favorite baits. The principles of insecticide rotation were also true when the industry used primarily liquids for cockroach control.

Some researchers believe that resistance management is a misnomer and resistance is inevitable, (not futile, like the Borg ala Star Trek) but we can certainly delay its onset by proper product rotation.

Smoky brown cockroaches outdoors on an outdoor surface.

Smoky brown cockroaches live primarily outdoors. They prefer warm,humid areas that don’t have a lot of air movement.

10 Best Cockroach Gel Baiting Tips from Dr. Austin M. Frishman

  1. When baiting cracks, do not fill the crack. Leave room for the cockroaches to sit and feast. Cockroaches like to enter tiny cracks and crevices where they’re protected.
  2. Avoid placement in areas over 100°F. Overly warm temperatures can cause gel baits to run, and shorten the useful life of the bait.
  3. Avoid placing the bait in the open in very dusty or windy areas. The material will dry out too quickly. Dried baits can harden and become less palatable or attractive to roaches.
  4. Suit your bait placement to the type of cockroach you intend to control. Use many small placements for German cockroaches and larger placements for American cockroaches. There might be more than one type of cockroach present at some account locations; avoid using a one-size-fits-all approach.
  5. Remove old, dried bait where possible. Once baits become old, hardened and dried, they’re not attractive to cockroaches. Such baits should be replaced as needed.
  6. Do not fill cockroach bait stations with gel. Solid baits are for the bait stations. Think of the bait tray as a tank and the gel placements as individual soldiers scattered around the protective area. Filling stations with gel might prevent cockroaches from entering to feed.
  7. Do not apply liquid pesticide on top of gel baits. You can only kill each cockroach once. But it’s not a good idea to contaminate your cockroach bait placements with insecticide because they might render the baits non-attractive.
  8. To apply in hard to reach areas, use a straight wire (from a hanger). Cover the tip with a small piece of tissue or a paper towel secured with a rubber band. Smear with the bait. Paint the hard to reach corners with the treated tip. Some bait applicator guns are available with extension applicator tips, but sometimes we need to be resourceful.
  9. Use a bait gun for precise application amounts. Commercially available bait guns are fine application tools that offer adjustable dispensing, which helps apply baits in an optimal fashion and avoid waste.
  10. After placement, take a few seconds to see whether the cockroaches respond positively and eat the bait. If not, you may have behavioral resistance and have to switch bait products. Manufacturers have conducted extensive studies on cockroach feeding preferences to provide the best cockroach bait products. However, cockroaches are masters of survival, so it’s wise to watch for any rejection of bait.

Source: PMP Magazine and The Cockroach Combat Manual II www.pest-consultant.com

School Districts Compete in EPA’s Sixth Annual Energy Star Battle of the Buildings
By: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, U.S. EPA Region 6, Dallas, TX

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 2015 Energy Star Battle of the Buildings. In Texas, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Mansfield, Houston, and Frisco Independent School Districts are among 125 teams and 6,500 buildings nationwide competing head-to-head to reduce their energy and water use. In support of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for businesses to cut waste and become at least 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020, the competition specifically targets wasted energy in commercial buildings and motivates organizations to improve energy efficiency, reduce harmful carbon pollution, and save money.

Frisco ISD Career and Technical Education Center

Frisco ISD Career and Technical Education Center

“We fully expect our competitors in this year’s challenge to lead the way for other companies to follow,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “Our schools and businesses have proven, time after time, their ability to reduce energy and water use by relying on both practical best practices and creating new innovative tools.”

“Congratulations to all of the competitors in this year’s Battle of the Buildings, from police and fire stations to some of our biggest office buildings, and just about every type of building in between,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Year after year, you show us the power of competition to unlock energy and water savings and protect the environment. In this race, everyone wins.”

In the only coast-to-coast competition of its kind, dozens of different types of commercial buildings face off in each year’s Battle of the Buildings. The Team Challenge features groups of five or more buildings that will work together to reduce their collective energy use over the course of a year. For example, Target, TD Bank and Union Bank have all signed up teams for this year’s competition.

Last year’s winner, the small town of Woodville, Alabama, has also returned for another round of savings. Other teams include Des Moines, Iowa’s 37 elementary schools, competing against the county’s middle and high schools. The City of Los Angeles’ animal shelters are competing against the City’s libraries, offices and facilities from the general services and sanitation departments.

And this year’s competition offers some exciting individual building contests, with both the William Jefferson Clinton and the George Bush Presidential Libraries competing, and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, hoping to score more savings than Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions.

Competitors measure and track their energy and water consumption online using EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool. Over the course of the competition, participants work to optimize or upgrade equipment, retrofit lighting, and change occupants’ behaviors— all with help from Energy Star. The team and individual buildings that reduce energy use the most on a percentage basis over a 12-month performance period will be declared winners. More than 1,000 buildings are also competing in a special water reduction category and will work with EPA’s WaterSense program to apply best practices for commercial building water management. Midpoint results will be posted in early October, and the winners will be announced in May 2016.

This is the sixth year EPA is hosting the Battle of the Buildings, and the competition and positive environmental impacts keep growing. Last year’s competitors saved a combined total of more than two billion kBtus of energy and an estimated $50 million on utility bills. More than 60 buildings in the competition demonstrated energy use reductions of 20 percent or greater over the course of the year.

Commercial buildings in the United States are responsible for 17 percent of the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $175 billion annually. By improving the energy efficiency of the places Americans work, play, and learn, the competitors help save energy and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Energy Star is the simple choice for energy efficiency. For more than 20 years, people across America have looked to EPA’s ENERGY STAR program for guidance on saving energy, saving money, and protecting the environment. Behind each blue label is a product, building, or home that is independently certified to use less energy and cause fewer of the emissions that contribute to climate change. Join the millions already making a difference at energystar.gov.

More information on the competition: http://www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings

EPA’s August 4, 2015 Webinar features Information on How School Districts are Saving Money, Increasing Energy Efficiency and Protecting Health

Improved occupant health, cost savings, energy efficiency webinar, the NPSD Director of Facilities and Operations will share how he achieved health and energy savings goals using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades (the Guide) and Energy Savings Plus Health Checklist Generator.

Webinar Highlights
• Hear how a Director of Facilities and Operations uses the Guide to protect student and staff health during building maintenance and retrofit projects.
• Find out how to take a proactive approach to saving energy and money, including what procedures, policies, best practices and key principles facility managers need to understand to effectively protect IAQ while increasing energy efficiency.
• Learn how to use the Energy Savings Plus Health Checklist Generator to create customized verification checklists.

Featured IAQ and Energy Efficiency Experts
• Kudret Ütebay, The Cadmus Group, Inc., Deputy Program Manager for EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Commercial, Institutional and Industrial Sectors
• Tom Schneider, Director of Facilities and Operations, North Penn School District, Pennsylvania
• Michele Curreri, Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. EPA Indoor Environments Division

Don’t miss out!

Register today at: education.cefpi.org/index.cfm?pg=semwebCatalog&panel=showLive&seminarid=6235

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School Pest News, Volume 14, Issue 6, June 2015

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Summer is time for deep cleaning at your school

It is that time of year, summer! When the students and teachers leave, and school districts across the state are systematically deep cleaning their school campuses. As custodial and maintenance staff work through your campuses here are a few things to remember.

Image of classroom supplies stored in rubber containers stacked on top of one another

Classroom cleaning – remember to store supplies in rubber containers.

The pests we generally see in schools during the summer months include cockroaches, mice, spiders, ants, silverfish, and occasionally crickets. These pests are animals and they like the same things we do, food, water, harborage and safety. Summertime is a great time for these pests to proliferate, or be found as your staff progresses through their cleaning routines.

Places that provide the necessities for pest survival are what we term pest vulnerable areas (PVA). Each of these areas should be thoroughly inspected and cleaned during the summer break. Areas that need special attention include the kitchen and cafeteria, faculty lounge, custodial storage areas, science classrooms, art centers, special needs classrooms, kindergarten and daycare classrooms, locker rooms, home economics classrooms and other reported pest “hot spots.” IPM coordinators this is the best time to investigate that classroom, building or other area that you have been fighting all school year.

The kitchen and cafeteria will require some deep cleaning. Floor drains should be cleaned with a microbial scum digester and all equipment and floors, especially corners

Image of a trap guard for floor drains that can help reduce cockroaches and flies coming up through the floor drains

Installing a trap guard to floor drains can help reduce cockroaches and flies coming up through the floor drains

and around furniture legs should be degreased. Don’t forget that walls and light fixtures should also be cleaned. Consider installing a specialized gasket to help keep organic matter down and also aid against American cockroaches crawling out of the floor drains during the summer months. I recently saw this “Green Drain” installed at a school district; I was told that by installing these devices they saw a dramatic decrease in their American Cockroach population in the school kitchens over the summer.

In the teacher’s lounge, check refrigerator seals, clean inside and under the microwave, behind and around soda machines and under sinks. These are excellent places to harbor pests. Also, be sure to clean any pest droppings you find. Droppings are difficult to age, and the pest manager won’t be able to conclude whether the infestation is old or new, unless they know that the area has been thoroughly cleaned. If the lounge or other areas in the campus has furniture like couches and chairs, be sure to remove the cushions and clean in all the cracks and crevices, remember insects only need a crumb to be full.

How about classrooms? Clutter, candy and improper storage are a pests best hiding place and feeding station. Upholstered furniture is a pest haven. By reducing clutter, the jobs of the sanitarian and the pest manager become easier. This is a perfect time to reduce your cardboard load and make a switch to plastic storage containers. Remember your local Wal-Mart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot and other retail stores often have small grants for school districts, this a perfect way to pick up more storage containers for teachers and staff to use to store then classroom supplies.

If you come across any live pests while cleaning, be sure to record what type and where on the pest sighting log. Make sure your staff turns in the proper work orders to report areas where pests can enter the building. The time to make these improvements is now while you can install a new door sweep, fix a window leak, or remove vegetation too close to the building.

Bees in Buildings By Dr. Mike Merchant

Everyone knows bees are our friends. They pollinate flowers, increase crop yields, and make honey. But bees are definitely not our friends when they move into a school building. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring a bee colony that has taken up residence in one of your school’s buildings.

In addition to the hazard posed by bees to students and school staff, established bee nests can create unexpected problems. Large abandoned or exterminated nests will leak honey and become infested with many different types of insect and rodent scavengers. Abandoned bee nests can become a source of odors as the honey begins to ferment and leak into ceilings or wall voids.

If you are called upon to deal with a bee nest in a building, keep these points in mind:

  • Bees around a hive can sting without warning and with little provocation.
  • Bee control should be attempted only by trained and experienced professionals. A beekeeper or pest control professional are your best options when you need bees removed.
  • Do not simply caulk up a bee nest entrance. This makes control more difficult and may force the bees indoors.
  • In addition to killing or removing the bees, the nest MUST be removed. Failure to remove the nest, honey and any dead bees can result in odor and insect problems later.
  • The longer a bee hive is permitted to exist in a building, the larger it will get and the more difficult it will be to remove.
  • Bees move into a structure ready to build a nest. A nest weighing several pounds will be constructed in a matter of days.
  • Keep children and others at least 20 feet away from a known bee nest. A wider zone may be prudent if you live in areas known to be inhabited by Africanized honey bees.
  • For more information about bees and swarm control, visit the Insects in the City website
Image of person removing bees from the side of the building before removing the hive.

Removing bees from the side of the building before removing the hive.

Image of bees from a in a wall at a school campus

Courtesy of Adams Bee Removal – removal of bees from a school campus

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Flooding and Fire Ants

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By:  Wizzie Brown

I think saying that weather has been interesting for Central Texas as of late is a bit of an understatement.  We have had so much rain that has led to flooding in multiple areas, causing much loss and devastation. While clean-up efforts are underway for various parts of the state, people need to be aware of fire ant movement.  I know this is one the the last things on everyone’s mind when looking at the results of the flooding, but it can be important information for those people who are allergic to fire ants.

Image of an individual ant's exoskeleton repelling water as a droplet on it's head

An individual ant’s exoskeleton repels water, as shown by the contact angle of the water drop resting on this ant.
Credit: Nathan Mlot and Tim Nowack

We all know that red imported fire ants live in the soil.  What happens to them when we have flooding?  Many people may think that they will drown in the flood water.  Unfortunately this isn’t true.

When fire ant colonies are flooded, the ants form living raft by clinging together.  They float along the water surface until they hit dry ground, a tree, rock or other dry object.  Once they come into contact with a dry area, they emerge from the flood waters and take shelter anywhere possible until they can re-create a colony in the soil.  Living rafts of fire ants can take on different shapes from long ribbons to mats to a ball of ants.

Fire Ant Raft floating in water with leavesPhoto by Sandwedge

Fire Ant Raft
Photo by Sandwedge

Any floating mats of fire ants that are encountered should not be touched or disturbed.  Do not touch them with sticks or other objects as the fire ants will quickly grab onto the object. If working in flooded areas, make sure to wear appropriate clothing.  Long sleeves, pants and gloves will create more of a barrier against fire ants reaching skin where they will bite and sting.  Be aware that fire ants could be hiding anywhere that was flooded.  Wear gloves when picking up debris or other objects.  You may want to spray insect repellent containing DEET on your shoes and pants.

If you encounter fire ants in debris, use a fast-acting contact pesticide labeled for ants, but make sure the products are not sprayed into water as they can be toxic to aquatic organisms.  Fire ant baits should not be used after flooding because many of them are slow acting and colonies will be disorganized and not foraging for food.

Also be aware that fire ants may be showing up in areas that may have not had them previously or areas that were treated.

 

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School Pest News, Volume 14, Issue 4, May 2015

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Fire Ant Management  by Molly Keck, Extension Program Specialist II

Fire ant mound hidden in the grass with bluebonnets behind the mound

Hidden fire ant mound. Image by Molly Keck

Rain brings fire ants… at least that’s what people say. Rain doesn’t necessarily make fire ants more abundant – they were always there, they just weren’t as noticeable. When it rains, the ground becomes saturated and the fire ants move their colonies higher. When they pop above the ground, you come across them more readily and its gives the impression that there are more and they are worse than during dry months.

Unless you have been treating regularly, I think its a pretty safe assumption that at least one mound is in your yard. I have many (way too many) mounds. I find them when I’m weeding my garden, in my veggie beds, along the sidewalk, next to my newly planted fig tree, and in the smack middle of the yard. They are huge, ugly, and ominous. Not since my graduate days studying and digging up fire ant mounds have I had as many stings on my hands and feet!

So… what to do about them? There are many options for fire ant control, so I’m going to give you the most common situation and my suggestions for control:

Fire Ants in Veggie Gardens. You have limited options here and must be careful to read labels to make sure they are labeled for use around vegetables. Boiling water and oils will work, but depending on how close that mound is to the plants, you may kill the roots. I suggest Spinosad as either a drench or bait. Both are labeled for use in vegetable gardens.

Fire Ants without Visible Mounds. Baits are definitely the way to go here. If you can’t see the mound, you can’t drench it properly. Baits are taken back into the nest and fed to everyone, including the queen. Baits may take up to 2 weeks to work, so be patient.

Fire Ants in Yards. My suggestion for this is to treat individual mounds and follow up a couple of days later with a broadcast bait. You will eliminate or at least reduce the size of the mounds you treat individually and the bait will help keep the populations down and knock out the mounds that you didn’t see.

I’m Having a Party (Game)…. Tomorrow! In this case, you want to use either a broadcast granule or individual mound treatments…. or both. If the populations are super dense (like we are seeing right now), treat the individual mounds with a liquid drench or dust labeled for fire ants. Then do a broadcast granule to provide a barrier to prevent new mounds from popping up and treat the unseen mounds you missed.

Long Term Fire Ant Management. If you can’t stand the emergency treatments and want to get on a regimen, baits are again the way to go. If the populations are fairly low to begin with, you can treat every 6 months. Treatments in the fall may result in no ants in the spring, in which case you can eventually drop back to once every 12 months. If the mounds are pretty dense, you may need to treat once and then again in 6-8 weeks. Then get back on the every 6 month routine.

As with all pesticide use – read the label first, apply only what is recommended, wear protective clothing, and don’t overuse. One reason I like baits is that food for the fire ants and they are attracted to it. You end up applying less pesticide into the environment and usually get better and more long term results. If in doubt of what to use, see if an bait is available

For more information check out these links

School IPM Action Plan for Fire Ants

 Fire Ants and the Texas IPM in Schools Program

All about Fire Ants – eXtension 

What is a Pesticide Half-Life and Why Should I care? Article published by NPIC

A half-life is the time it takes for a certain amount of a pesticide to be reduced by half. This occurs as it dissipates or breaks down in the environment. In general, a pesticide will break down to 50% of the original amount after a single half-life. After two half-lives, 25% will remain. About 12% will remain after three half-lives. This continues until the amount remaining is nearly zero.

Diagram of pesticide half-lives

Image courtesy of NPIC http://npic.orst.edu/index.html

Each pesticide can have many half-lives depending on conditions in the environment. For example, permethrin breaks down at different speeds in soil, in water, on plants, and in homes.

  • In soil, the half-life of permethrin is about 40 days, ranging from 11-113 days.
  • In the water column, the half-life of permethrin is 19-27 hours. If it sticks to sediment, it can last over a year.
  • On plant surfaces, the half-life of permethrin ranges from 1-3 weeks, depending on the plant species.
  • Indoors, the half-life of permethrin can be highly variable. It is expected to be over, or well over, 20 days.

Why is a pesticide’s environmental half-life important?

The half-life can help estimate whether or not a pesticide tends to build up in the environment. Pesticide half-lives can be lumped into three groups in order to estimate persistence. These are low (less than 16 day half-life), moderate (16 to 59 days), and high (over 60 days). Pesticides with shorter half-lives tend to build up less because they are much less likely to persist in the environment. In contrast, pesticides with longer half-lives are more likely to build up after repeated applications. This may increase the risk of contaminating nearby surface water, ground water, plants, and animals.

However, pesticides with very short half-lives can have their drawbacks. For example, imagine that a pesticide is needed to control aphids in the garden for several weeks. One application of a pesticide with a half-life of a few hours will probably not be very effective several weeks out. This is because the product would have broken down to near-zero amounts after only a few days. This type of product would likely have to be applied multiple times over those several weeks. This could increase the risk of exposure to people, non-target animals, and plants.

To read the complete fact sheet go HERE

Announcing EPA’s Updated Website for schools:  Managing Pests in Schools

As part of EPA’s ongoing effort to build a more user-friendly website, we have transformed our Managing Pests in Schools website into a new, easy-to-use format. Information on school Integrated Pest Management (IPM) should now be easier than ever to access, regardless of the type of electronic device being used, including tablets and smartphones.

PESP.logoIPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach that offers a wide variety of tools to reduce contact with pests and exposure to pesticides. The website focuses on providing vital information in the school setting for parents, school administrators, staff and pest management professionals. Knowledgeable, proactive stakeholders can help a community prevent or significantly reduce risks from pests as well as unnecessary pesticide use.

The website is organized into the following areas:

  • About Integrated Pest Management in Schools
  • Establishing Integrated Pest Management Programs
  • Pests of Concern in Schools
  • IPM Training and Certification

The old Web pages will redirect to the new website, and we encourage visitors to update their bookmarks with the new URLs.

The address for the new website is http://www2.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools

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