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School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 7, July 2014

Posted on July 14, 2014 by janet.hurley

Forming a battlefront against pests in schools: the pest management team

By Rosemary Hallberg, Southern IPM Center and Janet Hurley, TX A&M AgriLife Extension

Think of a school IPM program as a battle with a powerful army. The more people you have on your side, the more likely you are to have victory. Insects and small rodents may be smaller than us, but they adapt quickly and enter and exit through places that are normally ignored by people, such as tiny cracks under a door or a small hole in a dark corner. To outsmart insect and mammalian pests, people have to do two things: think like a pest and work as a team.

Think like a pest? That sounds crazy, right? Fortunately, scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension have a tool that helps even the person who is totally unfamiliar with insect habits to find places where insects may be gaining access to or residing in a building. Known as the IPM Risk Calculator (http://ipmcalculator.com), this 92-item questionnaire leads the IPM Coordinator on a virtual scavenger hunt around crevices and into floor drains and pipes—inspecting every nook and cranny that may be hospitable to an insect.

The benefit to the Risk Calculator is that it will not only alert the facilities staff to the potential, or risk, of various pests in the building, but it will also reveal places that might already be popular to pests, such as under a leaky pipe or in a cluttered storage closet.

The IPM Coordinator in a school is the main contact for the environmental quality team for the school or district. That person not only should have some education (or be able to attain it) in integrated pest management, but he or she must work with upper administration, principals, teachers, custodians, food service, maintenance, and sometimes the students to make sure everyone hears the same message, and is on the same team.

The Team

The school IPM team should consist of the following players, each contributing to the overall goal of the school to keep students safe from pests and an abundance of pesticides:

School Administrators: Administrators should review the state laws about IPM in schools, pesticide use in school, any other regulations addressing pest management and the district’s IPM policy. Not every state has laws governing pest management in schools, and many of the ones that do have unfunded mandates. However, even without a law, the major role of the school administrator should be to keep students safe and support the IPM Coordinator’s efforts to do the same through IPM methods that may not involve daily or weekly pesticide sprays.

Administrator responsibilities include:

Adopting and maintaining an IPM policy.
Including IPM and part of the health and safety committee, if applicable.
Designating and supporting training for an IPM Coordinator.
Support policies recommended by the IPM Coordinator.
Encourage teachers and staff to respect guidelines of the IPM program.

School Nurses: The nurse should be familiar with the IPM policy and plan and aware of when pesticides are scheduled to be applied on the property. He or she should also be familiar with symptoms of pesticide poisoning and signs of pest infestation from head lice, fire ants, bed bugs, and ticks. In addition, he or she should know:

The probability of exposure to rabies, mosquito-borne diseases, tick-borne diseases and of asthma.
The names of students with asthma, chemical sensitivities and allergies to stinging insects.
Information on IPM strategies for pests that can affect student health.
How to contact the IPM Coordinator when there is a pest issue affecting the health of a student.

Teachers, Staff and Students: Since many pest outbreaks occur in the classroom, teachers need to understand how to report pest sightings, be familiar with pest identification and understand the importance of keeping the classroom clean. Teachers should educate their students about how they can help keep the classroom uninviting to pests and should know the proper method to contact the IPM Coordinator and report pests in the classrooms. Athletic staff should routinely walk the fields to inspect for ant mounds or bee and wasp hives.

Keeping a clean classroom means:

No food leftover after students leave the building, including in teachers’ desks.
Organize files and supplies to reduce shelter for cockroaches and mice.
Be sure locker rooms are clean and food-free.

Parents: While parents may not be on school property, they are a valuable part of the team as well. Parent support for the IPM policies can strengthen the school’s or district’s IPM program. In addition to providing the school nurse with a list of the child’s allergies and sensitivities (e.g. to stings), the parent should:

Talk to the child about pest issues and pay attention to notices involving when the school will be chemically treated.
Notify the school nurse and the administration of a child who is sensitive to chemicals.
Bring the benefits of IPM home by practicing IPM at home and involving the child in actions such as identifying and reporting pests.

Keeping the enemy away:

Long ago in much of Europe, warriors used to protect their people from enemies with a formidable castle, often surrounded by a large moat. Obviously schools aren’t as intimidating as castles, at least not to a pest! However, the school team can adopt two strategies that will help discourage unwanted insects and rodents from entering. They’re called “sanitation” and “exclusion.”

Sanitation: Sanitation involves any action that cleans or neatens an area. While this may sound like routine cleaning, having a clean, orderly workspace will keep more pests out of a space than a pesticide application.

Food products should be stored on industrial grade, stainless steel wire shelving, at least 6 inches from walls and 12 inches from the floor.
Food should be stored in resealable containers that remain sealed while food is not used.
Food prep areas should be cleaned and disinfected once a day, including mopping and cleaning of floor drains.
If the classroom is used for meals, food waste should be disposed of in a single container and removed from the room at the end of the day. Any spillage should be reported to the custodial staff as soon as possible.
Classroom supplies should be stored neatly in plastic, not cardboard, containers.

Exclusion: Exclusion is a vital part of IPM as it serves to prevent pest problems before they happen. Exclusion involves preventing entry to the building in the first place.

The opening here can allow both insects and small vertebrates to enter – seal it up

Cracks and crevices around windows, doors, bathroom fixtures, moldings, water fountains, utility lines, bulletin boards and blackboards should be sealed with caulking material.
Any openings or gaps larger than ¼ inch should be sealed or narrowed. Under doors, for instance, install a door sweep.
Holes around pipes and soffits, and cracks in walls and foundations should be sealed with a durable sealant.
Exterior doors should remain closed at all times except for exit or entry.
Garbage cans and dumpsters should sit at least 10 to 50 feet from the entryways. Rodents love garbage and can slide through an open door while the kitchen staff is disposing of trash after lunch.
Shrubs and trees should be trimmed at least 1 foot away from exterior walls and rooflines.
Exterior lighting should consist of low-pressure sodium vapor lights rather than halogen bulbs. Replacing the bulbs discourages crickets and spiders.
All metal overhangs and roof edges should be sealed to avoid nesting of flying insects, bats and birds.

For any battlefront to be successful, everyone needs to be on the same team. As everyone in the school works together to keep pests out and pesticides at a minimum, they also make the school building more energy efficient (because of sealing cracks) and safer (by keeping exterior doors closed and reducing the need for pesticide applications. That is definitely a goal that every member of the team can live with.

Resources:

https://schoolipm.tamu.edu/

http://www.extension.org/urban_integrated_pest_management

School IPM 2015 Pest Management Strategic Plan

Check out US EPA’s newly renovated Healthy Schools Website!

To better serve our schools community, the US EPA has made a few changes to its www.epa.gov/schools website. The schools website is an excellent resource to find all you need to know about beginning, maintaining or enhancing healthy school environments for children. We’ve added new information and reformatted the site to provide for a more user friendly experience. You will find the latest school environmental health news on our “School Bulletin” board, as well as resources and tools to create or enhance healthy, safe learning environments for children.

Kara Belle
US EPA
Office of Children’s Health Protection

Dealing with Ticks on School Properties? (While written for the northeast this is good info for all)

By Kathleen Murray, Ph.D., Coordinator, Maine School IPM Program, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Start by Identifying and Assessing the Pest. Gordon Murray, IPM Coordinator at Maine Regional School Unit 2 has successfully used a ‘tick drag’ to monitor for ticks at Hall-Dale Elementary School. In 2012, a large number of dog ticks were found on outbuildings surrounded by tall grass behind the school. Using the tick drag he found no ticks on the playgrounds or lawns, but large numbers of the American dog tick in the tall un-mown grass near forested edges of the property. Because dog ticks do not carry Lyme disease and his monitoring efforts showed the ticks were not present in the mowed lawns and playgrounds, the school took an educational approach – working with school staff to keep kids out of the un-mown edge areas and informing families about the importance of tick checks at home. In May 2014, the school nurse reported dog ticks found on students, so Gordon dragged the grass and playgrounds again. This time he didn’t find any ticks. What to do? Gordon plans to let the principals, teachers and nurses know the RSU 2 IPM program is monitoring for ticks and following tick-safe property management protocols (see below). He’s also working with school administrators and nurses to distribute educational materials to families emphasizing personal protective actions: using repellents on clothing and exposed skin when in tick-infested areas off school grounds, as well as showering, changing clothes, and checking family members for ticks after coming indoors at home. He may mark off un-mown areas at the edges of the school yard to help keep kids out of potential tick habitat, too. For now, these measures appear to be enough to effectively minimize tick threats on school properties and help families prevent tick encounters at home.

Know Your Ticks

Deer Tick: carries Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis. Dark reddish color. Nymphs: pin-head sized. Adults: sesame seed-sized. Found in and at the immediate edge of hardwood forests.
American Dog Tick: potential carrier of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever but, to date, no Maine-acquired human cases have been reported. 3/16” to ½” long. Brown with silver markings. Found in unmown grassy and scrubby fields.

Tick-Safe School Property Management Protocols

Keep grass mowed.
Reduce cover for mice. Eliminate wooded, brush-covered habitat, prune lower branches of bushes, clean-up storage areas, woodpiles and junk piles. Remove vegetation and debris around stone walls.
Remove leaf litter, brush, and weeds at the edge of the lawn.
Keep playground equipment away from woodland edges and place them on wood-chip or mulch-type foundation.
Use wood chips under shade trees to reduce tick abundance. Avoid groundcover plants such as pachysandra in areas frequented by people.
Trim trees and brush to open up wooded areas in and around areas of human activity, allowing sunlight to penetrate to reduce moisture and thus reduce tick habitat.
Move bird feeders away from school buildings.
Reduce deer habitat or erect deer-exclusion fencing.
Avoid landscape plantings that attract deer or use deer-exclusion fencing to keep deer off school properties.
Create three foot or wider wood chip, mulch, or gravel border between turf and woods.
Widen woodland trails/walkways to permit trail-users to avoid contact with woody vegetation and tall grasses.

Personal Protection

Avoid tick-infested areas, especially in May, June and July.
When going outdoors, apply a tick-effective repellent to clothes and exposed skin. Repellents containing 20% DEET are effective. The EPA Repellent Selection Tool is an excellent resource for information about repellent products and their use. Wash repellents off skin after returning indoors.
Clothing can be treated with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact. Only use products labeled specifically for treatment of clothing.
Shower as soon as possible after being outdoors.
Check yourself and family members for ticks after returning from potentially tick-infested areas, including your backyard. Use a mirror. Feel and look for small brown bumps on scalp, in and around ears, under arms, in belly button, around waist, between legs, and the backs of knees. See www.cdc.gov/features/stopticks/
Attached ticks should be removed with tweezers or tick removal device by grasping the tick close to the skin and gently pulling until it releases.

Application of Pesticides

Schools concerned with frequent deer tick encounters on school properties may wish to consult with a licensed commercial pesticide applicator. A single spray (directed into and immediately at the edge of wooded areas in mid-May to early June) of pesticide product labelled for wide-area tick control, applied with sufficient volume and pressure to penetrate vegetation and leaf litter, has been shown to be effective in controlling ticks through the summer season. A second application in the fall to kill adult ticks will help reduce tick populations the following year. Spraying open fields and lawns is not necessary.

FMI:

Maine School IPM Tick Fact Sheet
GotPests.org (type tick) into the search bar
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
eXtension School IPM Action Plan for Ticks
TickEncounter.org (Univ. of Rhode Island)
University of Maine Tick Identification Lab
Texas and Southern US

Lawn care requires proper spray applicator calibration

Posted on June 20, 2014 by janet.hurley

Maintaining a healthy landscape often requires application of plant health products. The key to these applications is a properly calibrated sprayer, said Dr. Casey Reynolds, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state turfgrass specialist in College Station.

“It’s not uncommon when you are managing grasses, whether they are on athletic fields, home lawns or golf courses, that you get impacted by weeds, diseases or insects,” said Reynolds, speaking at a recent turf and landscape event in Dallas. “We all know one of the best ways to manage these is to maintain healthy turfgrass through proper mowing, fertilization, irrigation practices and plant selection.”

But, he said, inevitably there are going to be pests out there. One of the most fundamental things to managing those pests and applying control products is using a properly calibrated sprayer. There are various types of sprayers on the market, from boom-type sprayers to backpack sprayers to landscape skid sprayers, and each is calibrated differently.

“Sprayer calibration itself is very simple,” Reynolds said. “There are multiple ways to do it. I would encourage you to pick a method that works for you and stick with it. Every time you change things, you introduce potential for doubt and miscalibration. What’s important is that you have a known volume of solution and a known area to spray.”

He said for professionals in the landscaping market, efficiency is the name of the game when they have many lawns per day to treat.

Check out the YouTube video here

“You want to know when you get out on the lawn, that if you are calibrated at 30 gallons per acre and you have a 30-gallon tank then you can spray 1 acre of turf. If that product goes out at 1 pint per acre, you put 1 pint in the tank and take off,” Reynolds said. “That’s the kind of confidence and efficiency we want to have in mind.”

When looking at a product label that says to apply 2 to 3 pints per acre in a spray volume of 20 to 260 gallons per acre, keep in mind that it is the spray volume that will impact the area sprayed. He said 40-50 gallons per acre is a commonly used spray volume that often fits a wide range of products.

“The higher you go, the fewer acres you can spray,” Reynolds said. “The main thing is to calibrate to a spray volume that is within the label and fits the lawns you have to manage. Depending on what product you apply, if thorough coverage is extremely important, you might want to bump the spray volume up and make sure you get really good coverage – but the trade-off is you can cover less acres and will have to fill the tank more often.”

Reynolds outlined two common methods of sprayer calibration:

The 1/128th spray method is easily used to calibrate landscape skid sprayers, said Dr. Casey Reynolds, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state turfgrass specialist in College Station.

The 1/128th spray method, easily used with backpack or landscape skid sprayers, is based on the concept that there are 43,560 square feet in an acre and 128 ounces in a gallon. Instead of spraying an entire acre and collecting the amount of gallons you apply, you simply shrink both numbers by a factor of 128. This allows you to spray a 340 square foot area, which is 1/128th of an acre and collect the spray volume in ounces.

“Just lay off a 340-square-foot area and time how long it takes to evenly spray it with water at the rate you would spray a lawn. Then spray into a bucket for that same amount of time and the ounces you catch is equal to gallons per acre. For example, if it takes 28 seconds to the spray area, then spray into a bucket for 28 seconds. If you catch 60 ounces of water, then the sprayer is calibrated at 60 gallons per acre.

The 5940 method is more appropriate for sprayers with fixed nozzle booms, said Dr. Casey Reynolds, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state turfgrass specialist in College Station

The 5940 method is more appropriate for sprayers with fixed nozzle booms. In this method,simply calculate gallons per acre or GPA by inserting the appropriate information into the following formula: GPA = GPM x 5940 and miles per hour or MPH x nozzle spacing in inches or NSI.

GPM is obtained by collecting the volume of water coming out of one spray nozzle in one minute and converting it to gallons, MPH comes from either the driving or walking speed, and NSI is simply measured as the number of inches between two adjacent nozzles. A sprayer with a 0.4 GPM nozzle, at 3 mph and 20-inch nozzle spacing provides an output of 39.6 GPA.

“Either way you decide to calibrate, the most important thing is to obtain an accurate spray volume,” Reynolds said. “One tip to improve calibration accuracy is to keep all the factors as consistent as possible between calibration and actual application.

“So, if you calibrate at a certain speed and pressure using a certain type of nozzle, then any application you make should be using the same speed, pressure and nozzles. If any of these are changed, simply go through the calibration process again to obtain a new spray volume.”

School Pest News Volume 13, Issue 6, June 2014

Posted on June 9, 2014 by janet.hurley

Enhancing School Pest Control Safety
By: Maron Finley, IPM Specialist, Texas Department of Agriculture

As the 2013 – 2014 school year wraps up, it makes sense to begin planning for next school year. The control of unwanted pests in and around school facilities is an ongoing process for many school districts and adopting an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and incorporating procedures for preventing and managing pest problems using an IPM strategy is a priority. It’s now time to get the school IPM Coordinator(s) trained and ready. The article included below from the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Structural Pest Control Service, is a reminder of requirements as we enforce the use of integrated pest management practices by Texas school districts and ensure safety of the students, men, and women who work in Texas schools.

Texas is a national leader in school pest control safety. By utilizing integrated pest management techniques (IPM), the state helps ensure school children are protected from both pests and the pesticides used in schools. Since 1995, every Texas public school district has been required by law to implement an IPM program that enhances pest control safety, as well as appoint a staff member as an IPM coordinator.

As a result, Texas is the leading state in providing a comprehensive program designed to control pests and diseases, while also allowing for the judicious use of pesticides. By law, each school district must have a school board approved IPM policy that states the district’s commitment to following integrated pest management guidelines. This policy oversees all pest control activities and lays out the IPM program for the district. It also allows for decisions to be made at the local level, which ultimately leads to the highest level of protection throughout each of the state’s 1,027 school districts.

Each school district is also required to have a monitoring program in place that includes written guidelines with set thresholds for when pest control actions are justified. The goal is to use the lowest-risk pesticides possible in schools. To protect children with pesticide sensitivities, each school district is required to have procedures in place to notify parents and guardians before a pesticide treatment application is conducted.

Texas Department of Agriculture inspectors assist school districts with their IPM programs and enforce the regulations. Inspectors also are on the lookout for untrained and unlicensed pesticide applicators who may not have the expertise needed to safely apply pesticides. Licensed applicators will know how to avoid potentially risky situations that can happen when pesticides are improperly applied. The goal is to provide a safe environment by enhancing the consumer protection for children, staff and visitors. For more information on school IPM requirements, visit www.TexasAgriculture.gov/spcs

Keeping the landscape in shape, there is an app or device for that
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife

Many tools are available for turf managers to help monitor soil or weather conditions, diagnose turf problems or even take the guesswork out of selecting the best-suited grass type for the shade environment, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turf expert.

Dr. Ben Wherley, an assistant professor for turfgrass science/ecology with AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University soil and crop science department in College Station, demonstrated some of the new tools and technologies available to attendees of the turf and landscape industry at the recent Turf, Landscape and Irrigation Expo at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-FBlNel8ik

Whether it is shade, pH, salinity, soil compaction, air circulation, soil type, spray application, lawn size or soil moisture, Wherley said there are an increasing number of helpful apps and tools available for professionals, such as landscapers, golf course superintendents and athletic field managers, as well as homeowners, since most of the devices are reasonably priced.

Some iPhone or iPad apps that are handy, he said, are:

Sunseeker app allows a person to enter any date and determine the exact trajectory of the sun for that date, helpful in determining how many hours of direct sunlight will reach a given area. Wherley said it also is used for tree pruning and planting, allowing landscapers to identify the problem trees when they have shade issues and determine where the shade pattern will fall when a new tree is planted.
Planimeter app allows a landscaper to pull up a GPS map of a client’s home and drop pins on the corners of their property to get a quick, accurate estimate of the size of their lawn. “You could literally do a bid remotely or at the customer’s doorstep without having to walk off or measure the site,” Wherley said.
Landscape and Garden Calculator app helps the landscaper or do-it-yourselfer calculate the quantity of materials, such as fertilizer and mulch needed for any given area, as well as fence lengths, spaces between items and angles if needed.
Turfgrass Management app is designed for the southern U.S. and has pictures and information for all types of insects, pests and diseases – “things you might want to be looking out for on your site and it gives you an alert on your phone,” Wherley said.
SoilWeb app allows anyone to access the GPS-based system, identify their location and determine what soil type is there.

The tools or devices Wherley demonstrated and his comments about each include:

Wind meter. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research Photo by Kay Ledbetter)

A wind meter – “Very helpful when a turf manager needs to make spray applications. When spray technicians go out and make an application, they need to be sure and document that the application was made under a minimal wind speed to avoid off-target movement of the application. This device can be picked up for less than $100.”
Daily light integral or DLI meters – “Think of them as a rain gauge for light.
Daily light integral or DLI meter (Texas A&M AgriLife Research Photo by Kay Ledbetter)

They can be turned on and put anywhere on the landscape and you come back 24 hours later. It will register the amount of photons in a 24-hour period that that given spot has received – and ultimately that is what plants respond to.
“In recent years, we have begun to get a pretty good idea of the minimum DLI requirements for maintaining acceptable quality of different turf species and cultivars. It measures moles of light. By taking a quick 24-hour measurement of your landscape – both in full sun and shade – you can get an idea of how a given turf species or cultivar will perform before you invest money in that sod.”
Soil stick pH reader, electrical conductivity meter and turf thermometer. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research Photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Soil stick pH meter – “Designed to take readings in the field, you just press the tip of the unit onto the soil and you can get a reading instantaneously. If the soil is not wet, it will just need to be moistened slightly.”
Quantum light sensor – “Light is a big issue, and this tells how much
Quantum light sensor. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research Photo by Kay Ledbetter)

photosynthetic light is hitting a spot. Homeowners want to know ‘If I get X amount of shade in a spot, will a certain turf grow there?’ These are a little more expensive, about $200 to $300, so probably will be used by a professional rather than a homeowner.”
Soil profile sampler – “This provides you an undisturbed soil profile sample 6 inches deep, which is good if you want to show a customer they have a thatch problem. Or maybe they laid sod and they are watering and it is still wilting. You dig down, find out they have soil layering issues, and the water can’t get down through the clay to the sand. You can learn a lot about a system by looking at the soil profile.”
Soil moisture meters or soil probes – “These are utilized to monitor moisture level in the soil profile. Many golf courses have begun to use these daily on greens for determining precisely where and how much to hand water, allowing the course to save water by not using the automatic irrigation system until the entire green has dried down.”
Turf thermometer – “This can give you an idea early on of whether your turf is becoming water stressed. There can often be as much as a 20 degree difference between a watered lawn and a dry lawn, and as much as a 50 degree difference between the lawn and pavement or stone.”
Electrical conductivity meter – “If you think salts might be the reason for turf decline, this will help you test. Wherever the tip is will be where you measure salinity. Salt tends to accumulate at the surface or at the waterline, so you don’t stick this too deep into the soil. The device also allows you to track where salts have moved following rain or irrigation events, allowing managers the ability to know when they’ve effectively ‘flushed’ salts below the roots of their turf.”

“These are just a handful of some of the latest tools and technologies that have enhanced the capacity of today’s turfgrass professional to more effectively diagnose issues and better manage high quality greenscapes,” Wherley said.

National Safety Month Focus – Respirators
By Univar USA

Respirators are important tools for the pest control trade and we need to understand their proper use.

Respirators are important tools of our trade and we need to understand their proper use. Approved respirators are tested and approved by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health), and OSHA (Occupational Safety & Heath Administration) regulates respirator use in the workplace. OSHA requires the use of NIOSH approved respirators. Respirators come in two basic types:

Air Purifying – uses a filtering element (cartridge and filter combination)
Air Supplying – pumps in clean breathable air from a source away from the user

Air Purifying respirators are most commonly used in our business. These respirators utilize prefilters and chemical cartridges to purify the air we breathe. The prefilters remove particulates (dusts and mists), and the cartridges, usually packed with a special charcoal material remove gases and vapors.

There are three basic types of prefilters designated as N, R and P. N Series filters can only be used where the filter will not be exposed to an oil mist in the air (N means “not resistant” to oil mist). R Series filters, on the other hand, can be used in the presence of an oil mist, but they have a use restriction of 8 hours. Finally, P Series filters designate oil proof – these filters can be used in the presence of an oil mist without concern to service life (other than when it traps a sufficient amount of particulates to create breathing resistance). These standard industry designations apply to all manufacturers.

In addition, you will generally see a number of assigned to filters, such as N95 or P100. The number portion refers to the minimum filtration efficiency of the filter. Most prefilters have a designation of 95, 99 or 100. For prefilters with a 100 designation, they are actually required to provide a minimum of 99.97% efficiency, but for labeling purposes are designated N100, R100 or P100. So then, a P100 prefilter would provide the greatest durability to materials (oil resistant) and the greatest efficiency at 99.97%.

Thankfully, we now have a wide choice of very effective and comfortable respiratory protection products.

Be sure you and your employees are using the right type of respirator, cartridges and filters for the type and concentrations of pesticides you are using. Read and understand product labeling and use recommendations, and ask your Univar associate if you have questions about the right product to use.

Be sure to consider your other everyday safety product needs as well: Protective eyewear, disposable chemical-resistant gloves, Tyvek coveralls and shoe covers, first aid kits—all are available at Univar in a range of materials, sizes and styles, depending on your application and preference.

EPA and Reckitt Benckiser Inc. Reach Agreement to Cancel Certain Rodenticide Products

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached agreement with Reckitt Benckiser Inc. to cancel 12 d-CON mouse and rat poison products that do not currently comply with EPA safety standards.

“Millions of households use mouse and rat poison products each year. Canceling these products will help prevent risks to children, pets and wildlife,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “This voluntary move will get us far faster results than would otherwise be achieved through an administrative process.”

Before EPA tightened the safety standards for household rat and mouse poison products, more than 10,000 children a year were accidentally exposed. Since the new standard took effect, the number of children exposed has decreased. The agency worked with a number of companies to develop safer mouse and rat poison products that are effective, affordable and widely available.

The cancellation of these 12 d-CON products that do not comply with current standards will continue the trend of reduced exposure to children, pets and wildlife. The company has agreed to stop production by the end of the year and stop distribution to retailers by March 31, 2015. The new standards require consumer mouse and rat poison products to be housed in protective bait stations.

Pellets and other bait forms that cannot be secured in bait stations are prohibited. EPA also prohibits the sale of products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum to residential consumers because of their greater risk to wildlife such as mountain lions, eagles, wolves and foxes.

For more information, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/rodenticides/canceling-some-d-con-mouse-and-rat-control-products
For a complete list of the homeowner use rat and mouse products that meet EPA’s safety standards, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/rodenticides/choosing-bait-station-household-use

School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 5, May 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by janet.hurley

SUMMERTIME MEANS DEEP CLEANING; WHY GO GREEN?

Deborah J. Young, Ph.D., Colorado Center for Integrated Pest Management

The Healthy Schools Campaign, a project that started in Illinois has done extensive research on the benefits of green cleaning for schools.

Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients designed to preserve human health and environmental quality.

Why go green?

1. Green Cleaning Helps Students Stay Healthy and Learn:
EPA estimates that children miss more than 14 million school days each year due to asthma exacerbated by poor indoor air quality. Green cleaning can help reduce the environmental hazards produced from certain chemical combinations.

2. Green Cleaning Protects the Health of Custodial Staff:
Research shows that, six out of every 100 custodians are injured on the job each year. Choosing safer products and training staff in proper usage can help reduce the number of injuries caused by caustic chemicals, respiratory irritation, and inappropriate or dangerous equipment.

3. Green Cleaning Increases the Lifespan of Facilities:
Proper maintenance and effective cleaning extends the longevity and performance of school building materials and furnishing by preventing damage and premature aging. A square foot of typical carpet can hide as much as three times its weight in dirt and sand, which act like thousands of small knives, cutting and wearing our fibers in a few short years – long before its useful lifespan and before the district has budgeted to replace it.

4. Green Cleaning Preserves the Environment:

According to ISSA, the cleaning industry consumes six billion pounds of chemicals, including non-renewable natural resources such as petroleum, and generates 4.5 billion pounds of paper products, requiring the cutting of 35 million trees annually.

For more resources on Green Cleaning Check Out these links
The Quick + Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools

Guide to Green Cleaning: Healthier Cleaning & Maintenance Practices and Products for Schools

NEA Health Information Network – Environmental Health – Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Targeted Disinfecting Fact sheets for classrooms, cafeterias, kitchens, athletic departments, and school buses.

EPA Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Household Products Database

IS IT SAFE TO USE CHLORINE BLEACH?

Household bleach is an effective disinfectant, works quickly, and is available at a low

The CDC recommends that you wash surfaces with a general household cleaner to remove germs, use bleach sparingly.

cost. Several schools and institutions have recently questioned its use. The active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, denatures protein in microorganisms — killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The downside is that bleach irritates mucous membranes, skin, and airways, decomposes under heat or light, and reacts readily with other chemicals. Overuse of bleach, or using a bleach solution that is too concentrated, results in the production of toxic substances.

When handling relatively concentrated chlorine bleach right out of the container:

Wear eye protection such as wrap-around safety glasses and/or goggles to avoid getting the bleach in your eyes.
Wear rubber household gloves or nitrile gloves to avoid skin exposure.
Wear clothing that will cover your skin in case of spills. At a minimum, wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, socks, and shoes.
Open the container and mix out-of-doors or in a very well-ventilated room to avoid a buildup of vapors, which can cause eye and/or respiratory irritation.
Wash your hands vigorously with mild soap and water before you use the bathroom, eat, smoke or use smokeless tobacco.

Always follow label directions on cleaning products and disinfectants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you wash surfaces with a general household cleaner to remove germs. Rinse with water, and follow with an EPA-registered disinfectant to kill germs. Read the label to make sure it states that EPA has approved the product for effectiveness against influenza A virus.

If an EPA-registered disinfectant is not available, use a fresh chlorine bleach solution. To make and use the solution: Add 1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 quart (4 cups) of water. For a larger supply of disinfectant, add ¼ cup of bleach to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water. Apply the solution to the surface with a cloth. Let it stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse the surface with clean water.

News Advisory – Asthma Awareness Month Resources

David Bryan, US EPA Region 7

Since 1980, the biggest growth in asthma cases has been in children under 5.

Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for millions of Americans. Although there is no cure for asthma yet, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers.

May is Asthma Awareness Month. This is part of EPA’s ongoing effort to increase public awareness of the asthma epidemic and partner with thousands of organizations taking action to get asthma under control in communities across the nation. EPA promotes scientific understanding of environmental asthma triggers and management through research, education, and community-focused outreach. During Asthma Awareness Month, EPA encourages state and local asthma programs to hold community-based events to increase awareness of asthma triggers and the successful strategies for addressing asthma disparities.

Asthma afflicts about 20 million Americans, including 6.3 million children. Since 1980, the biggest growth in asthma cases has been in children under 5. Some of the most common indoor asthma triggers include secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, cockroaches and other pests, household pets, and combustion byproducts.

“Improving air quality is one of EPA’s top priorities, and our commitment is stronger than ever during Asthma Awareness Month,” said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 administrator. “By working together with diverse partners in communities across our four-state region, we are making a real difference in the lives of people dealing with asthma.”

As part of Asthma Awareness Month, EPA Region 7 has put together a number of resources you might use to promote asthma awareness in your news stories and features.

Program References/Resources:

General Asthma Information: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/index.html

EPA Asma en Espanol: www.epa.gov/iaq/espanol/asma.html

National Asthma Awareness Month: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awareness.html

Children’s Asthma Campaign – Fight Asthma, Learn More campaign: http://noattacks.org/

Student Curriculum: Recipes for Healthy Kids and a Healthy Environment: http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/curriculum.htm

Publications and Resources: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html

Multimedia Resources (videos, audio, podcasts): http://www.epa.gov/asthma/multimedia.html

Federal Partners and Expert Contacts: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/partners.html

National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI): http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/naci/

Indoor AIRepair Kit, Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics – for home, school and play: http://www.aanma.org/publication/indoor-air-repair-kit/
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Data: http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/default.htm

Quarterly Report from the TDA Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee

By Dr. Mike Merchant

The spring meeting of the Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee took place last Thursday at the Austin offices of the Texas Department of Agriculture. If you’ve never been to the hub of regulatory activity for pest control in the state, it’s a massive square building with a great view, from upstairs, of the “sunset red” granite of the state capitol building. This quarter’s lively meeting focused on enforcement actions–or what some in the industry feel is not enough enforcement action.

The discussion started with a report from Assistant General counsel AJ Wilson and her staff. They reported that the percent of cases referred to the enforcement team that resulted in enforcement action has seen a slight increase. Last year 54.4% of complaints resulted in some sort of enforcement action, such as a fine. This was up from 43% and 44% in 2010 and 2011. Warren Remmey, industry member from San Antonio, expressed concerns about a need for more investigators, especially for checking up on illegal fumigations. He shared an example of a case from 2013, concerning an unmarked vehicle allegedly carrying fumigation equipment that has still not resulted in any enforcement action.

Later in the meeting, during the public comment period, Debbie Aguirre, of Elite Exterminating in Corpus Christi, expressed concern about what she termed “lax oversight” of illegal operators. “And no place is enforcement more important than fumigations,” she said. Harvey West with Coastal Fumigators in Houston echoed her concerns, expressing his belief that there was benefit to the whole industry and regulators in making examples of people who were blatantly in violation of the law with respect to fumigations. Dale Burnett, former regulator, spoke on behalf of Worldwide Pest Control in San Antonio, noted that administrative penalties during the latter years of the Structural Pest Control Board averaged $100,000 to $200,000 annually. According to a recent Open Records Act request, last year the TDA collected only $20,087 in penalties, though penalties have been increasing, with a more than 230% increase since 2011.

If it seems unusual for industry members to ask a regulatory agency for more fines and enforcement actions, it probably is. But the pest control industry in Texas is not just any industry. It is sensitive to its reputation, and leading business owners are often split on the need for more, or less, enforcement. Only a few years ago, industry voices were heard in Austin about perceived overly-zealous enforcement, which ultimately led to the closing of the Structural Pest Control Board and its blending into the Department of Agriculture. Most industry leaders are especially sensitive to the issue of unlicensed operators, however, and few reputable pest control operators seem to begrudge quick and decisive action against businesses that threaten public health and the reputation of the industry. For its part, the TDA team listened respectfully. Policy dictates that they not comment on ongoing investigations, so there was no opportunity for them to respond to critical comments, only listen.

In other business, Randy Rivera reported on upcoming changes to regulations affecting pesticide applicators holding Agriculture (3A) licenses. Most of the proposed changes will be administrative updates, and designed to harmonize TDA and Structural pest control regulations. Definitions for Lawn and Ornamental (formerly Plant and Turf), Nursery Plant Production (formerly Greenhouse Plant Production) and Landscape Maintenance (formerly Plant Pest and Weed Control) categories have been added to the rules. There will also be a new proposed rule requiring TDA decals (not numbers) on vehicles being used by non-commercial applicators, including those who use non-restricted use insecticides. If you carry a TDA applicator’s license, you should expect to see publication of these proposed regulation changes in the Texas Register by mid-May.

The status of continuing education regulations for school IPM coordinators was requested, and the committee was informed that the proposed rules outlining CEU requirements should come out as a package in May with the other proposed (3A) regulation changes. State law mandates that school IPM coordinators begin obtaining 6 CEUs every three years, but enforcement of the law cannot take place until actual rules are in place. Janet Hurley, my colleague at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension who works with school IPM programs, also offered a comment on the need to waive the 48 hour posting requirement for insecticide baits and gels. This would take the regulations back to an earlier standard, under the rationale that baits and gels, unlike sprays, pose little or no drift hazard to passersby.

The next meeting will be held July 24 at TDA headquarters in Austin. Anybody with an interest in pest control is welcome to attend.

School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 4, April 2014

Posted on April 14, 2014 by janet.hurley

A pretty hefty roof rat picture send by Keller
ISD impressed me, but not so much the expert
from New York City.

Moby Rat – How one image spurred a blog post by Dr. Mike Merchant and email chatter with Dr. Bobby Corrigan

I can tell you that fishermen aren’t the only ones to exaggerate when it comes to biggest-catch stories. I’ve heard lots of tales. “I swear that cockroach that flew at me was 6 inches long!” “That rattlesnake was as big as my leg!” And, maybe most impressive, “The rats in our neighborhood are as big as cats!”

Nearly everyone and their brother’s got a story about the biggest rat. “Moby rats” they might be called. Or “super rats”.

A picture of one big roof rat sent recently by one our Texas school districts got me thinking. What is a really big rat? And what would it take to impress someone who has worked most of his life with rats? Someone like Dr. Bobby Corrigan, the rat expert who consults on rodent control for New York City?

I decided I would send the school picture to Bobby and see what he thought. He did not disappoint. In his methodical way, he analyzed the image, and shot back a series of questions:

“Is that a scrotal sack under the tail, or possibly enlarged female genitalia? Hmmm…don’t see any teats.” [This blog post is going to get lots of strange Google hits]
“Was the tail long enough to be pulled back over and beyond the head?” [Knowing what species is critical for the Guinness world record book–roof rat tails are generally longer than the body… otherwise it would be a Norway rat.]
“How long was it dead?” “If it was dead for a few days in a ceiling,” he explained, “…the body begins to decompose, the skin gets stretchy when held by the tail, and they can appear much larger than what they really are. Too, the body gases inside will begin to bloat the cavity and the whole end result is a very large-appearing rat.” [Never thought of that!]
Last but not least, he asked, “How much did it weigh?” [It takes more than a picture… you gotta have real data to impress a rat expert.]

Of course the upshot of all this was that I felt a little sheepish. I should have thought to ask those questions before I even sent the picture. Duh! And who knew that you could rig a big rat competition by letting Fatty stew in his own juices a few days?

My last question to Bobby was, “What would it take to impress you? What’s a really big rat?”

He answered quickly. “Any rat 2 pounds or over.” “But it has to be fresh,” he added.

According to Bobby, the heaviest live Rattus norvegicus on record is 1.8 lbs (29 oz) or about 820 g. Most “big boys” weigh in the 775 g range, he said. And according to his book on rodent control, wild Norway rats over the years have been measured up to 19 inches.

By the way, compare these stats to what might be the world’s fattest cat weighing in at 39 pounds. And an average healthy cat, I’m told, runs 8-12 pounds. No contest between rats and cats there. And chances of seeing a rat as big as a full grown cat is nil.

Of course Dr. Corrigan couldn’t leave things gentlemanly. He had to add, “Texans claims that everything is bigger in Texas. You guys should own up to the bragging.”

I’d say those are fighting words, Texas PMPs. So here’s a challenge. The next time you find what you think might be an impressive rat, check the sex and species (lots of sites online for how to sex rats), weigh it, measure the length, and take a photo and send to schoolipm@tamu.edu. If you come up with anything approaching 1.5 lbs for a Norway Rat, or or 3/4 pound for a roof rat, I’ll post your catch on Insects in the City. And if it’s a really big, record rat, and your office manager or spouse allows it, throw your double-bagged catch in the freezer–for proof. Bobby says he’s waiting. Are we going to let him get away with that?

Bees on the Move

A bee swarm consists of a queen bee surrounded by her colony of worker bees. Children and others should be warned to keep away from such swarms until it can be removed.

A swarm of honeybees temporarily shut down the upper playground at Buda Elementary School last year and reports are that bees are on the move again this spring. According to Principal Charla Salmeron, who ordered the evacuation, stated she has “never seen anything like it.”

Bee swarms no matter where they are can be fascinating to watch, but can also bring about fear and loathing as well. Bee swarms are not usually aggressive. However, taking the time to rope off the area and keep children away is always a good idea. Bee swarms differ from termite swarms. Unlike termites, which send only reproductive castes members out of the nest, a swarm of bees includes queen and worker bees—essentially a fully functional colony.

A bee swarm is a colony in search of a nesting site. Because they are full of honey and do not have an established colony site, swarming bees are usually quite docile. When settled on a tree or fence or playground bench, a few scout bees are always out looking for a new home. Swarms may remain in one location for a few hours to a few days; but generally there for less than a day.

Options for dealing with bee swarms include (1) simply fencing off the area and waiting for the bees to leave; (2) summoning a beekeeper or pest control company to remove the bees; (3) killing the bees with a soap solution.

Option 1, while simplest and most humane, may not be most desirable because of the risk of bees entering a nearby building, or the risk of children or others disturbing the bees while waiting for them to leave. Option 2 involves the expense of hiring a licensed pest control company, or difficulty in locating a beekeeper willing to remove bees for no charge. Under current regulations, any beekeeper who controls or removes bees for a fee must have a structural pest control applicator license.

Use of soapy water is relatively quick and requires only a hand-pump or backpack sprayer. There is little risk of bees flaring in response to soapy water drenching and TDA/SPCS licensed school district employee can perform it.

Bee swarms and hives can be treated or removed immediately under Texas school IPM regulations. When nesting in buildings, bees can be considered to pose an imminent health threat, so an emergency exemption from the 48-hour posting requirement is usually justified. Outdoor treatments of swarms do not require posting under current regulations.

For more information about control of bee swarms with soapy water, see Honey Bee Swarms and their Control

BEE DECLINE? WHAT CAN I DO? By Molly Keck

Did you know that there are over 4,000 native bees? They are great pollinators and can pollinate certain plants (especially native plants) better than honey bees can. While we hear a lot about the decline of managed honeybee populations, we should also take care of our native bees – after all they were here long before Europeans brought the honey bee over to America.

So how can you help? There are a few simple things you can try to do in your landscape to help native and honeybees. Start by planting a good variety of blooming plants so bees have some food. A variety is good because it provides a well-balanced diet to pollinators. Just as it wouldn’t be healthy for you to only eat apples, it isn’t quite healthy for bees to only feed on apple pollen. Mix it up and plant a variety of blooming plants, and I bet you will find a greater variety of bees visiting your plants.
Everything needs water to survive. If you can provide cool clean water, bees are more likely to stick around. Some bees even use mud to form their homes, so many experts also recommend keeping a muddy location nearby.

For some good references and ideas for having a great wildscape for pollinators, visit the Xerces Society website at www.xerces.org

There is a lot we can do for our native bees and with very little effort; we can make a big impact! You may not be able to have a honeybee hive set up in your backyard, or the time to care for it, but you can contribute to conserving native and honeybees in other ways.

School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 3, March 2014

Posted on March 14, 2014 by janet.hurley

Fire Ant Control: The Two-Step Method and Other Approaches

When it comes to insect pests, fire ants would probably top everyone’s list! Red and black imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri) are invasive species and their painful bites can injure or kill livestock, wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Their large mounds (as many as 300 per acre) are unsightly and often damage mowers and other equipment. Fire ants also infest buildings and can damage electrical equipment by chewing on wire insulation.

Fire ants cost Americans $6 billion a year, including the cost of insecticides. The Two-Step Method and other approaches described here can lower that cost while reducing environmental damage and improving fire ant control. Knowing your options will allow you to make better choices to protect your family, pets, and property.

Identifying Fire Ants

There are hundreds of ant species in the southern United States, including some native fire ant species, and most of them are considered beneficial insects. Collectively, ants till more earth than earthworms and some prey on other insect pests to help to reduce their numbers.

Fire ants will build their mounds almost anywhere—in the open or next to a building, tree, sidewalk, or electrical box. A fire ant mound does not have a central opening. Fire ants emerge quickly and begin biting and stinging when the mound is disturbed. They will even run up vertical surfaces.

Worker fire ants are dark reddish-brown with shiny black abdomens, and are about 1/16- to about 1/4-inch long. Fire ants are similar in appearance to many other ants, so make sure you have correctly identified the species before attempting to solve your ant problem. If you are uncertain about the species, call your local extension office for assistance in identifying your ants.

Controlling Fire Ants

Most people (about 80 percent according to one survey) try to control fire ants by treating individual mounds. Mound treatments are expensive, up to $2 or more per mound, and require lots of time and labor if you have much land to treat. You can easily use too much insecticide, which may lead to environmental contamination if rain-washes the insecticide into lakes and streams. To be effective, the mound treatment must kill the queen(s). Otherwise, the colony will survive. Some nests may go undetected. Even an area where every mound has been treated can soon be re-infested by fire ant colonies migrating from untreated areas or floating there on floodwater. In addition, deep-dwelling colonies that escaped mound treatment can quickly form mounds after a soaking rain. It is usually more effective and less expensive for homeowners to treat the entire yard with a product designed for broadcast application.

Fire ants cannot be eliminated because it is not possible to treat all infested areas. There may not be one best method for fire ant control, especially in large areas. Your objective should be to find the method or methods that are most cost-effective, environmentally sound, and fit your tolerance level for fire ants. In areas where these ants do not present problems, doing nothing is one option. Another option is to implement an integrated pest management program (IPM). IPM incorporates biological control methods and selective use of insecticides.

Types of Control

Biological control: Government and university researchers have imported and tested natural enemies of fire ants, such as parasitic decapitating flies from South America. These natural enemies have been successful in areas where they have been released but they are not available to the general public. However, ongoing release programs in all infested states are making decapitating flies more prevalent in the environment. Biological control agents available on the retail market, such as parasitic nematodes, do not sustain themselves or spread on their own once they are released.

Home remedies: Many home remedies have been devised to control fire ants. Drenching a mound with two to three gallons of almost boiling water eliminates ant colonies about 60 percent of the time, but it will also kill plants the water contacts. This method is labor intensive and the hot water must be handled carefully. Some home remedies, such as applying instant grits, molasses, aspartame or club soda to ant mounds, do not work. Pouring chlorine, ammonia, gasoline or diesel fuel on mounds can contaminate the soil and groundwater, is dangerous, and is strongly discouraged.

Organic products: A few products are certified as organic. These include ingredients such as d-limonene, an extract from citrus oil, or spinosad, a chemical complex produced by a soil microbe.

Chemical control: The use of insecticides for fire ant control is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Approved products must be used according to label directions. Read the label carefully! An approved product is one that has directions for fire ant control on the label. Be sure it is appropriate for where you intend to use it, particularly if you will be treating a vegetable garden or other food production site. Products for use in electrical utility boxes and indoors may not be available at retail stores and some products are for use only by professional pest control operators.

Control Products

Most active ingredients are marketed under more than one brand or trade name. This article refers to the generic names of the active ingredients in insecticides, which you should see on the product labels. Some sample trade names are given as well.

Products are formulated as dusts, granules, liquid drenches or baits. They are applied either to individual ant mounds or across the surface of the ground (broadcast). The various active ingredients affect ants in different ways.

Most active ingredients are contact insecticides that affect the nervous system of ants. Contact insecticides include acephate (Orthene®), carbaryl (Sevin®), fipronil (Top Choice® or Taurus™ G) broadcast granules, which are restricted use professional products, pyrethrins, pyrethroids (bifenthrin, beta-cyfluthin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, gamma-cyhalothrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, esfenvalerate, tefluthrin, tralomethrin, or zeta-cypermethrin), and liquid spinosad formulations. These ingredients vary in how quickly they kill ants and how long they remain in the environment. Natural pyrethrins and synthetic pyrethroid ingredients kill ants in minutes. Acephate and carbaryl take about one day, while granular fipronil may take four to six weeks to eliminate colonies. Hot water, pyrethrins, and d-limonene treatments have little or no lasting effect. Carbaryl, spinosad, and acephate break down in a matter of days to weeks. Pyrethroids can remain in the environment for weeks to months, while fipronil can persist as long as a year.

Baits contain active ingredients dissolved in a substance ants eat or drink. Some bait ingredients affect the nervous system. These include abamectin (Ascend®, Award® II, Clinch®, Optigard®), indoxacarb (Advion®), metaflumizone (Altrevin™, Siesta™), spinosad (Fertilome Come and Get It! or Payback), and fipronil (MaxForce FC). Some affect the digestive system (boric acid) or metabolism (hydramethylnon or Amdro®, Probait®). Other bait ingredients interfere with reproduction or growth. These include methoprene (Extinguish®), and pyriproxyfen (Distance® or Esteem®). A relatively new type of bait combines two active ingredients, hydramethylnon and methoprene (Amdro® FireStrike or Extinguish® Plus).

To be effective, baits must be fresh and applied when ants are actively foraging. To determine if the time is right for treatment, place a small amount of bait in the area to be treated and see if foraging ants remove it within an hour. Because ants collect, bait and return it to the colony, very little insecticide is needed. Baits are ruined by water, so do not water baits after application, or apply them when rain is expected.

Control Approaches – The Two-Step Method

Step 1. Broadcast fire ant bait once or twice a year to reduce fire ant colonies by 80 to 90 percent.

Step 2. Treat nuisance mounds or colonies that move into the bait-treated areas. Step 2 may not be needed.

Baiting is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound approach to treating medium to large landscape areas. The bait you apply determines how quickly ants will be controlled and how long the effect will last. Faster acting bait products include indoxacarb (works in 3-7 days), metaflumizone (works in 7-10 days), hydramethylnon (works in 7-14 days for mound treatments and in 2-3 weeks when broadcast), and spinosad (works quickly on foraging ants but may take several weeks for reduction in mound activity). These baits may need to be reapplied more often than slower acting and longer lasting products such as abamectin, methoprene or pyriproxyfen, which work in 1-2 months when applied in spring and six months when applied in fall. Products that combine fast- and slow-acting ingredients, such as hydramethylnon plus methoprene (Extinguish® Plus or Amdro® Firestrike), may control ants better because they act quickly and last longer. Certified organic products that contain spinosad such as Fertilome® Come and Get It! or Payback® Fire Ant Bait can be used for broadcast bait and mound treatments. Use products such as Amdro® Pro, Esteem®, Extinguish®, or Extinguish® Plus for livestock pastures and hay fields.

Use a vehicle-mounted spreader such as the Herd® GT-77 to cover large areas.

Always read and follow the application instructions on the label of the product you are using. Use a hand-held spreader/seeder or a standard push spreader to correctly broadcast bait products. Use the hand held spreader/seeder for baits that are applied at very low rates such as one to five pounds of product per acre. Use the push-type lawn for baits that are applied at higher volumes per acre (two to five pounds per 5000 square feet). Use a vehicle-mounted spreader such as the Herd® GT-77 to cover large areas. For home lawns, calculate the area to be treated and use the smallest spreader setting that allows bait to flow. Apply the bait in swaths, crisscrossing swaths if needed, until the specified amount is applied. For larger areas, see How to Calibrate a Fire Ant Bait Spreader. The agitators in some spreaders may cause bait to cake up so that it does not flow properly.

Individual Mound Treatments

Although treating ant mounds individually is more labor-intensive and may use more insecticide than other methods, it is a suitable approach for small areas with few fire ant mounds (fewer than 20 per acre) or where you want to preserve native ants. Bait products (hydramethylnon, indoxacarb, spinosad) can be used to treat individual ant mounds and are ideal for treating inaccessible colonies like those nesting under sidewalks, in plant beds, and at the bases of tree trunks.

Some mound treatment products are available as liquid drenches, injectable aerosols, dusts, or granules that are watered in to the mound. Ants are killed only if the insecticide contacts them, so proper application is essential. These treatments are most effective when ants are nesting close to the mound surface (as they do when the temperature is mild). Colonies should not be disturbed during treatment. If you use a watering can to apply insecticide, do not use the can later for other purposes.

Long-residual Broadcast Contact Insecticide Treatments

With this approach, a contact insecticide is applied to the lawn and landscape surface. This is more expensive than other control methods but it may be more effective in smaller areas because ants that move into treated areas will be eliminated as long as the chemical is active. Granular products are best applied with a push-type fertilizer spreader and must be watered in after treatment. Granular fipronil products (TopChoice® or Taurus™ G) are slower acting but longer lasting and only one treatment is permitted per year. Faster-acting contact insecticides, such as the pyrethroids (listed above), eliminate ants on the surface for months but may not eliminate colonies nesting deeper in the soil.

Make a Management Plan

Chemical control lasts only as long as the effects of the insecticide used, or until new ant colonies move in from untreated areas. You can expect an ant infestation to return to its original level eventually. Thus, keeping fire ants in check requires a commitment of time and money. To reduce the cost and make control easier, consider making a map of your property. Divide the property into treatment areas and designate the most appropriate treatment approach for each area. Make and maintain a schedule for first treatment and any necessary re-treatments.

For example, you might use a long-residual broadcast contact insecticide at regular intervals in high-value or high-traffic areas (near buildings or in play or recreation areas) where maximum control is needed. In other areas, where 80 to 90 percent control of ants is acceptable, you might use the Two-Step Method. Because control lasts longer when large areas are treated, consider participating in a community- or neighborhood-wide treatment program. These have been shown to improve control and reduce cost. If everyone participates by making coordinated treatments, ant colonies will not be able to migrate from property to property.

For Texas Schools see this fact sheet for additional information to establish a fire ant management program Fire Ants and the Texas IPM in Schools Program

Authors

Bastiaan M. Drees, Retired, Professor and Extension Entomologist; Kimberly Schofield, Elizabeth “Wizzie” Brown, Paul Nester, and Molly Keck, Extension Program Specialists; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Kathy Flanders, Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

EPA Awards More than $500,000 to Schools to Help Reduce Children’s Exposure to Pesticides

Integrated pest management practices are shown to reduce pesticide use By Cathy Milbourn

On March 12, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced three grants to facilitate integrated pest management practices in schools. This funding will help reduce student’s exposure to pests and pesticides in the nation’s schools, while saving money, energy and pesticide treatment costs.
“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and it’s EPA’s job to protect them from harmful chemicals,” said James Jones, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “We aim to help schools implement sustainable pest management practices to create a healthier environment for our children and teachers.”

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) reduces pesticide use, helps to eliminate pests and saves schools money. For example, 18 schools in Monroe County, Indiana have reduced both pesticide use and pest control costs by 90 percent using IPM practices. This approach has the potential to reach all 15,000 school districts and improve the health and well-being of the 49 million children attending public and tribal schools in the United States.

IPM measures help prevent pests from becoming a threat by taking action to address the underlying causes that enable pests to thrive in schools. These actions, such as repairing water leaks, adding weather stripping to windows, and installing door sweeps, reduce pesticide use and treatment costs while reducing water and energy costs. The IPM common-sense approach is a stark contrast to conventional pest management in which an exterminator uses pesticides school-wide on a regular schedule, potentially exposing school children, teachers and staff to pesticides, with little emphasis on removing the underlying conditions that make it inviting to pests.

The three grants will be awarded to:

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to develop a central, internet-based hub for materials and phone apps that will give school districts the information and tools they need to adopt an IPM program. While the project aims to reach 1 percent of schools (552,350 students) within three years, it has the potential to reach all of the 15,000 school districts nation-wide and the 49 million children attending US public schools.

The University of Arizona to develop and carry out a pilot training and certification program for school staff (custodians, kitchen staff, and school administrators) in eight states and four tribes, working with five other universities and stakeholders. Once finalized, the materials will be made available to schools nation-wide through partners.

The Michigan State University to help 5 percent of Michigan and Indiana schools adopt IPM through hands-on education, training, and coalition building, including web-based trainings and a website. About 135,000 children may be protected.

For additional information on the three funded grants and IPM in schools, visit: www.epa.gov/pestwise/ipminschools/grants.

Read our blog: Is Your Child’s School Stuck on a Pest Control Treadmill?

Oregon Schools Use Gardens to Teach Academic, Life Lessons
Schools in Oregon have access to resources from the state department of education about how to use school gardens in student learning. The Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Program provides suggested curriculum and resources to schools to create gardens, along with lessons in math, science, healthy eating and environmental care. Read more at http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2014/03/thumbs_up_for_green-thumb_scho.html.

Texas Students, Schools to Benefit from New Law on School Breakfast

Breakfast for all is a win-win for students and schools. Studies show that students who are well fed participate more in class and earn higher grades, and because schools are reimbursed based on the number of meals served, higher student participation means more money for the program. This week, the Center for Public Policy Priorities released “Making Breakfast Big in Texas,” a resource for anyone interested in ways that Texas schools can serve breakfast to all their students while maximizing revenue. To read the press release, go to http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6212/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1283870. To access “Making Breakfast Big”, go to http://forabettertexas.org/images/FN_2014_02_BreakfastForAll_web.pdf.

Maryland Officials Call for All-You-Can Eat Fruits, Veggies in Schools
Members of the Montgomery County Council in Maryland are proposing local schools make unlimited quantities of fruits and vegetables available to students. District officials, however, say such a plan is not financially feasible. Other council recommendations include preparing more made-from-scratch meals, limiting sugar and giving students greater access to water. Read more at http://www.gazette.net/article/20140312/NEWS/140319790/1080/county-council-members-want-montgomery-students-to-get-unlimited&template=gazette.

Massachusetts School Makes Exercise, Breakfast Part of Morning Routine
Students at an elementary school in Massachusetts get an hour of exercise and nutrition lessons every morning before eating breakfast. The school launched the before-school program for students as part of the YMCA’s Healthy Future Initiative. “We’ve seen improved academic success for the kids who are able to move in the beginning of the day,” said Kimberly Cohen, senior director of health and wellness at the YMCA’s Franklin branch. Read the news story at http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140312/NEWS/140319002/1994/NEWS.

School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 2, February 2014

Posted on February 26, 2014 by janet.hurley

Drain flies By Wizzie Brown

Drain fly by Sam Myers

Drain flies are small, have two wings, and are a brownish or grayish color. Drain flies have a fuzzy appearance and when at rest, the wings are held roof-like over the body making them look like tiny moths, which is why they are also sometimes called moth flies.

Drain flies are often seen in kitchens and bathrooms usually near sinks and tubs. They tend to be more active in the evening. Female flies lay eggs in the thin film of organic matter that builds up on the inside of pipes. Larvae develop in the slime layer, feeding on fungi and other microorganisms.

Killing adult drain flies will only temporarily solve your problem. To manage drain flies, the

Dirty floor drains can lead to several pest problems including drain flies

source should be treated to reduce the population of developing flies. To track down the source, place tape over one side (do not cover the drain completely) of the drain in sinks and tubs be-fore going to bed. In the morning, check the tape for flies that emerged during the night to find out which drain is infest-ed.

Once the drain is located, take a stiff brush and scrub the inside of the drain. Flush the drain with boiling water. If drains are sealed, drain gel for fly control can be used. There is no need to treat the drain with bleach or ammonia. It may take several days to see a reduction of the adult flies once the drain has been cleaned, as the emerged adults have to die off.

Bat Management – What everyone should know.

Bats, which consume huge quantities of insects, including many that damage crops, are important to our local economies and Texans protect them as valuable allies. However, bats sometimes create a nuisance when they roost in buildings in large numbers. Why do bats roost in buildings anyway? Are they dangerous? Moreover, what is the best way to handle bat nuisance problems?

There are approximately 1,100 bat species in the world. Texas is home to 32 species.

“Texas has one of the most diverse bat populations in the United States,” said Dianne Odegard, Outreach Coordinator at Bat Conservation International.

Mexican Free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Texas’ most common species is the Mexican Free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), probably followed by the Cave myotis (Myotis velifer), both of which often occupy buildings, Odegard explains. Texas bats occupy a variety of habitats including caves, trees, bridges and, increasingly, buildings. They prefer to roost close to an abundant food source, but Mexican Free-tailed bats have been known to travel many miles in a night to feed on their favorite foods. Texas bats consume some mosquitoes, but their diets consist primarily of moths, including corn earworm and armyworm moths, and beetles. This diet plays a large role in controlling pests for the agricultural community.

Most of us become concerned about bats when they come in close contact with humans. Bats are creatures of habit and will frequently return to the same roosting area year after year. Some bats move into buildings because they have lost their natural habitats in caves and trees. They usually cause no problems, but when large colonies roost in buildings, they can become an annoyance because of noise, odor, or piles of droppings. Like other wild mammals, some bats contract rabies. Although only very small percentage is infected, a bat that is found on the ground is more likely than other bats to be sick or injured. Therefore, the first thing to remember is that neither adults nor children should handle bats, or for that matter, any other wild animal they can approach. If there is any possibility that a child or other individual may have been bitten or had direct contact with a bat, the animal should be captured and submitted to the local health department for rabies testing.

Entry point where bats were entering this school campus.

Most bats that end up in living quarters get there by accident, and then cannot find their way out. These bats can be safely captured by simply waiting until the bat lands on a wall or ceiling, then carefully placing a box or coffee can over it. Slide a piece of cardboard between the box (or can) and the wall (or ceiling) so the bat is scooted inside. See www.batcon.org for a short video, which can be accessed on the home page, on safely capturing a bat. If it is determined that the bat should be tested for rabies, call animal control or your local law enforcement agency to have it picked up. If no one has had direct contact with the bat, it can be turned over to a wildlife-rescue organization in your area or simply released outside away from people and pets, preferably after sundown

State law requires that a school district take specific actions after bats are found in a school facility: The bat and colony (if present) must be excluded; repairs must be made so that any future bats are excluded; and the areas where bats roosted must be disinfected.

If a bat is found in a room with an unattended child, a sleeping person, an intoxicated or mentally impaired person, or if there is a reasonable possibility that a person has had direct contact with a bat, the bat must be captured (if possible) and submitted to the laboratory designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services that is closest to your community.

Bats in buildings occupied by people can be legally removed or evicted, and a person may transport a bat to have it tested by a laboratory if rabies is suspected.

Bat colonies may roost in attics, under eaves, under shingles or siding or in the wall spaces of buildings. These bats can be safely evicted. First, identify areas in and around buildings where bats can enter. This step is vital for effective placement of bat-eviction tubes and nets.

To witness bats entering or exiting the building, monitor it during early evening (dusk) and just before dawn. Note all locations where bats leave and enter the building. During cooler months, you may need to inspect several nights in a row to establish exit/entry points, because bats may not leave the roost on nights that are cooler than 50 degrees F.

When inspecting the exterior of the building, look along rooflines and behind gutter placement for rub marks, which are stains left by the oils and dirt rubbing off the bats’ hair. Like rodents, bats will leave some evidence of staining; however, bat stains are harder to see. In addition, look at ground level for guano—in most cases, the bat-entry points will have some guano buildup if the colony is large enough.

Inside, identify all parts of the building where they may have established roosts. These areas can include chimneys, attic spaces, wall spaces, ceiling spaces, expansion joints, and roof overhangs. Bats also roost behind gutters, in sports stadiums, and beneath or behind signs and fixtures.

Without disturbing active access areas, seal all potential but inactive entry points using caulk, weather-stripping, flashing, or hardware cloth (heavy-duty, 1/6-inch polyethylene mesh). This is called “bat exclusion.” Bats fly out on their own and are unable to reenter. It is the only safe and effective method for permanently evicting bats from buildings. It is not legal to use pesticides against bats, which often results in sick bats, which then end up on the ground or inside buildings where they are more likely to be found by children or pets. Bat traps are also inappropriate, since they usually result in exits blocked by trapped bats, again causing bats to find their way into places where they could have contact with people.

Sample of a bat eviction tube that can be made from clean caulk tubes

Only proper bat exclusion techniques help to ensure the health and safety of people, while ridding buildings of nuisance bat colonies. Help protect both human and environmental health and use proper bat exclusion methods.

1. Install bat eviction devices.

Buy one-way chutes or make them from 2-inch-diameter PVC pipe, clear sheets of plastic, and empty, clean caulking tubes with the ends cut off. Netting also may be used, as long as it is smaller than 1/6” mesh and is made of flexible plastic. Specific directions on how to make or where to buy bat eviction devices are posted at Bat Conservation International
If using tubes, place the tubes over the holes in the roof or soffit used by the bats. These tubes will allow them to leave but not reenter the building. If bats are roosting in a long horizontal crevice, place a tube roughly every 4 to 6 feet along the entire distance to make sure all the bats can get out (Fig. 11). Be sure the tubes are angled down at a steep angle to insure that bats cannot climb back inside.
If using netting, tack down the top and sides, leaving an opening on the bottom for bats to escape. Be sure the netting is secure, or bats can get stuck or reenter the building because of faulty design.
To ensure that all the bats exit the building, leave these one-way devices in place for at least 1 week during warm weather and 2 weeks in cool weather (less than 50 degrees F).

2. Remove the one-way devices and permanently seal the entry points.

Make sure that there are no new signs of bats leaving the building. If you remove the one-way devices too early, you could permanently seal bats inside, killing them and causing odor and sanitation problems for the school.

3. Clean up.

Once the bats have left the building, begin remediation procedures. Remove the guano from interior structures to avoid attracting other pests such as cockroaches or flies.

Guano can pose two risks: excessive weight on structures, and disease transmission from contaminated materials. A naturally occurring soil fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum, is sometimes found in bird and bat droppings. A person inhaling the fungal spores can develop histoplasmosis, a flulike respiratory disease http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-146/

To prevent illness, employees should take precautions when cleaning up guano in a confined area:

Wear personal protective equipment, including leather gloves, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, approved eye protection, and a respirator that can filter particles smaller than 2 microns in diameter.
Before removing the guano, lightly dampen it with a disinfectant to minimize the amount of dust and spores dispersing into the air. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommend using a 10 percent bleach solution (1 part water to 9 parts of bleach) as a wetting agent.
If the guano buildup is more than 2 inches deep, follow CDC procedures http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-109/ to remove it from the building.
Bag the affected material or use a professional vacuum (high-efficiency particulate absorbing, or HEPA) that exhausts to the outside.
Check with the local landfill or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the appropriate place to send this material, and send it there.

Like other mammals, bats can attract pests such as mites, ticks and fleas. Depending on the roosting location, you may need to apply a desiccant or insecticide dust after eviction to kill any ectoparasites that may have entered the structure.

For more information on a bat management plan for your school visit our website at http://agrilife.org/batsinschools/ or http://www.extension.org/pages/62813/school-ipm-action-plan-for-bats#.Uw4CluNdWIh

Regional Support Models for Sustaining School Gardens – March 4, 2014, 3:00PM CT

Across the nation, foundations, non-profits, school districts, states, and university programs are working to institutionalize school gardens. These “Regional Support Models” work to provide funding, empower garden champions, build partnerships, and lay the foundation for long-term sustainability of school garden programs. In this webinar, various ways that organizations across the nation have created a “culture” of school gardening in their region will be shared. From small district garden programs with four schools to larger organizations that network with over 100 schools, this presentation will share examples of how support organizations can sustain school gardens. Register at http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EC55DD818546.

The National Farm to School Network Releases Training Materials

The National Farm to School Network has recently released a set of new farm to school and farm to preschool training materials developed by and for key stakeholder groups including farmers, child nutrition directors, educators and early care providers. Each training template consists of a customizable slide deck, speaker notes, handouts and an evaluation form. Anyone can use these tools to conduct effective trainings and share the value of farm to school in communities across the country. To access the training materials, go to http://www.farmtoschool.org/trainingtemplates.php.

CDC Releases Healthy Community Design Toolkit

This free online toolkit provides a variety of resources that are easy to read, understand, and use. They include:

A checklist of questions for individuals, to help them consider and understand healthy community design elements.
A customizable PowerPoint presentation on healthy community design that explains to individuals how the physical makeup of their neighborhood affects their health.
A guide to CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network and other online resources to find health data on a community.
A resource guide listing other audit tools, websites, checklists and pamphlets that can help residents, planners, public health and local officials create vibrant healthy neighborhoods.

Access the toolkit at www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/toolkit.

School Pest News Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2014

Posted on January 29, 2014 by janet.hurley

All Bugs Good & Bad Webinar Series- begins February 7, 2014!

The eXtension All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar series is set to begin February 7, 2014. Dr. Kathy Flanders, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says the series is a continuation of the Don’t Bug Me Webinar series with an emphasis on good and bad insects that affect people every day.

Bees are just one of the many beneficial insects that help with pollination.

“This webinar series will feature insects that affect homeowners and gardeners,” says Flanders. “These insects fall into two categories and we hope to provide information that is beneficial when treating your gardens or crops and pest-proofing your home, yard, family and pets.”

Webinars will be held the first Friday of each month at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The first webinar in the 2014 series will highlight pollinators, which are good bugs. “If flowers are restaurants to bees, then what are bees to flowers?” will be Friday, February 7th at 2 p.m.

Dani Carroll, a region Extension home grounds agent, will be moderating the February 7th webinar. She says it is imperative to know the importance of the role pollinators play in the world around us.

“Bees and other pollinators are essential in production of more than two-thirds of the world’s food crop species,” Carroll says. “The necessity extends beyond things we grow in our back yard, like squash and apples. Alfalfa is instrumental in the meat and dairy industries and its growth depends on pollination.”

Upcoming webinar topics include pollinators, termites, ticks, spiders and fire ants.

Flanders says The All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar series is designed to provide useful tips for those interested in solid, research-based information.

More information can be found at All Bugs Good and Bad 2014 Webinar Series including how to connect to the webinars. On Feb. 7, participants can use this link to connect to the webinar. Webinars will be archived and can be found on the All Bugs Good and Bad 2014 Webinar Series page.

All Bugs Good and Bad webinars are an extension of the seven webinars in The Don’t Bug Me Webinar Series, which spanned most of 2013, and included five webinars discussing fire ants, tramp ants, bed bugs and insects that invade homes. Links to view these archived webinars can be found here.

The webinars are sponsored by eXtension, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. They are coordinated by the Imported Fire Ant eXtension Community of Practice, Urban IPM, Bee Health, Invasive Species, Gardens, Lawns and Landscapes, and Disasters.

Carpenter ant season is now, By Mike Merchant

Many social insects periodically do something called “swarming.” Swarming occurs when reproductively mature, but unmated, kings and queens leave the nest to mate. These mating couples are winged and are referred to as alates, or swarmers. The earliest swarmers to emerge in the winter are carpenter ants.

Male (left) and female carpenter ant swarmers. Note the pinched waist that distinguishes these insects from termites.

This week my youngest daughter, home for the weekend for a visit, informed her entomologist dad that the upstairs shower was covered with large ants. A quick inspection confirmed that we were being invaded by carpenter ants. A few years ago we remodeled this particular shower, tearing out sheet rock and insulation and encountered carpenter ants living in the surrounding walls. We throughly cleaned out what we could and sprayed the walls down with a residual insecticide before reinstalling insulation and more water-resistant Hardyboard® in the new shower stall. Apparently, they are back.

Carpenter ants are relatively large for ants, 1/4 to 1/2 inch-long. They may come in different colors, but are usually red or black, or a mixture of the two colors (see pictures). They may or may not have wings. In my home I only spotted the wingless worker ants, but I suspect the swarmers will show up soon. Dozens, even hundreds of swarmers may emerge from an indoor carpenter ant nest.

In some parts of the U.S. carpenter ants are important wood-destroying pests–not something that any homeowner wants to see in their house. But here in Texas our carpenter ants are a little less threatening. They certainly can be a nuisance through their presence, and for the little piles of debris they often deposit on windowsills and floor near their nests. However, they do not do significant damage to 2×4 studs or other structural wood.

Unfortunately, carpenter ants are always difficult to treat and eliminate completely from the home. For my part I plan to inject an insecticide into the gap in the shower grouting from which they obviously emerged, reseal the grout and not lose much sleep over the incident.

If you discover carpenter ants in your home, business, or school, look for the hole where they are emerging. This may or may not mark the exact location of the nest, but it will be close. For most people, calling a professional is the best option for control. If you choose to try the DIY route, you can either seal up the hole and do nothing, or attempt to treat the hole with an aerosol insecticide labeled for use indoors against ants and then seal the hole. You may be fortunate, and eliminate the colony in this way, or you may eventually have to resort to professional assistance. In any case, doing nothing to the ants will not likely result in any serious damage to the home…just some nuisance ants emerging from time to time.

For more information about these ants, see publication E-2001 on carpenter ants, or the publication on swarming insects indoors, Ent-2012.

Report on the Winter Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee Meeting By Mike Merchant

Texas Department of Agriculture’s quarterly Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee meeting was held on January 23, 2014. The purpose of the committee is to advise the TDA and its commissioner on education and curricula for PMPs, examinations, proposed rules and standards on technical issues related to pest control, fees and other issues affecting the practice of pest control in Texas.

Today’s meeting was relatively brief, but informative. We met two TDA staffers that work actively behind the scenes on pesticide-related issues. Rafael Paonessa is in charge of reviewing and approving the structural pest control CEU courses that all license holders must attend each year. Rafael is the person I deal with to get approval for CEU classes that we offer. He is always efficient and easy to work with. He reported on recent overhauls of forms and procedures used in the re-certification program.

The biggest changes in the recertification process are in how course providers handle class attendance records, a subject I wrote about in detail last November. The most common issue in getting courses approved, he said, is when providers do not provide enough detail about the planned course(s). It’s important to provide enough information for his office to determine whether the course meets department guidelines. It’s also important that class content relates directly to pesticide use or pest management. General horticultural topics, or workplace safety topics (unrelated to pesticide safety), for example, will not be approved. The department does conduct spot checks of CEU classes to make sure the content is being covered and does not consist of advertising for a particular product or company. Detailed information on putting together a course for CEUs is available in the just revised Pesticide Recertification Course Accreditation Guide, which is available online.

The other employee we met today was Dale Scott. Dale handles the pesticide product evaluation and registration system at TDA. Many people believe that EPA is THE agency that approves pesticide labels, but in fact all pesticides must also be registered by each state in which they will be sold. This is why not all pesticides are registered, or legal for use, in all states. Approximately 16,000 pesticide labels are registered in the state at any time, and his office processes about 3,500 new pesticide registration requests every year.

A new EPA-mandated Pollinator Protection Icon will appear on many new pesticide labels starting in 2015.

Dale reviewed information about new pollinator protection guidelines that are beginning to appear on pesticide labels. Four neonicotinoid insecticides will be the first insecticides to come under the new pollinator protection label guidelines. Changes to look for include pollinator protection information under all Directions for Use statements, a new bee icon to draw attention to pollinator protection information, and consistent warning label language about applying insecticides when bees are actively foraging. This is a topic that all pest management companies and technicians should be aware of. Dale promised to make his PowerPoint on the topic available to the committee.

Also, Maron Finley, IPM in Schools specialist in the department reported on the top ten violations found in school IPM program inspections this past year. Most, he noted, related to inadequate record keeping. In order, they included:

No written guidelines that identify pest thresholds. (155 violations, 39% of schools)
Not maintaining records showing approvals of Yellow Category pesticides (93 violations, 23% of schools)
IPM program records not maintained for the required time period (64 violations, 16% of schools)
IPM Coordinator not conducting periodic facility inspections (63 violations, 16% of schools)
No system for keeping records of facility inspection reports, pest control service reports, or pesticide applications (57 violations, 14% of schools)
No plan for educating and informing school district employees about their roles in the IPM program (54 violations, 13% of schools)
No monitoring program to determine when pests are present (48 violations, 12% of schools)
No reference [in the IPM policy] to Texas laws and rules governing pesticide use and IPM in schools (40 violations, 10% of schools)
IPM Coordinator training not completed within six months of appointment (32 violations, 8% of schools)
Name and license numbers of persons applying pesticides not on file (31 schools, 8% of schools)

A more serious violation, which occurred only 10 times, and did not make the Top Ten list, was applications made by non-licensed applicators. Maron noted that 9 of these violators were small, class 1A to 3A, schools, and that all were in rural communities.

Several on the committee commented that the overall violation rates seem low, and that compared to when the school IPM program first started, the state has made very good progress. Nevertheless, everyone agrees that there is more work to be done to increase compliance. Stephen Pahl expressed the desire for TDA to do more outreach to school administrators. TASB, TASBO, and TASA are three school-oriented organizations that have ongoing meetings where school IPM talks can be presented. George Scherer, of Texas Association of School Boards, was present and commented during public testimony that it is possible to get the names and contact information for school board members if needed during the compliance assistance phase of helping a school district.

Arnold Anderson, from Katy ISD, provided testimony on the subject of violations during the public comment portion of the meeting. He suggested that schools with little experience in IPM should be encouraged to seek out a mentor school district rather than being fined. A suggestion was made that perhaps the TDA could facilitate mentoring by maintaining a current list of districts willing to mentor other districts in their IPM program development. This might be another way TDA could reduce the number of school IPM violations without having to resort to administrative fines or penalties.

Finally, we were advised today that there is still an opening on the Advisory Committee. If you know of someone who is not connected directly or indirectly with the pest control industry, and is interested in serving as a public member of the committee (with no pay or travel reimbursement), Leslie Smith is accepting applicants.

School Pest News, Volume 12, Issue 9 December 2013

Posted on December 18, 2013 by janet.hurley

Using the holiday break

As the year comes to an end and students are out of school for two weeks. For most of us it’s a time to be with family and friends; however, before you go on break there are few items you should look into.

1) Winter is the time for colds and flu. Use the break for extra cleaning and disinfecting. According to the CDC, there is a big difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning with soap and water is adequate to remove dirt and most germs. But, to truly disinfect surfaces you must have a solution that will destroy all bacteria and germs. A 10% bleach solution will kill most germs and bacteria. Other disinfecting products are on the market, but be sure to read the label, to ensure your product truly disinfects.

Areas to be disinfected:

Classrooms – students & teachers desks, door handles, and other worktop areas
Food handling – counter tops, prep areas and service lines
Restrooms – door handles, bathroom fixtures, including toilet handles
Other – locker handles, telephones, computer workstations, door handles

2) Its often said that the is the most underutilized pest control device. With a vacuum you can eliminate pest problems sometimes faster and more effectively than pesticides. Spider webs, for example, are controlled most effectively by vacuuming. A couple of tips: 1) place a teaspoon of corn starch in the bag to keep the live bugs in the bag, 2) when finished vacuuming, remove the bag, place sturdy tape over the opening and dispose in outside dumpster immediately.

Areas to vacuum:

Classrooms – behind cabinets and book shelves, in corners from floor to ceiling, window sills
Food handling – under storage racks, behind shelves, corners from floor to ceiling, remove panels from large equipment and vacuum the dust bunnies up
Other – storage closets, workrooms and other areas not frequently used

3) Water leaks can be very costly if they go undetected or un-fixed. Winter is a time of year when the drip, drip, drip of water can turn into a major problem should pipes freeze.

Areas to inspect:

Sinks and toilets – check that seals and fittings are secure and there is no moisture around the pipes.
Showers – check that the grout is dry when not in use, if it’s wet after several hours have gone by, then there is a good chance a pipe has broken underneath.
Food handling – check seals and fittings, make sure there is no condensation building up around pipe chases.
Irrigation systems – now is a good time to turn off all outdoor sprinkler systems, the only thing that would need constant watering is a newly sodded field. Winter is a time of rest for plants, trees, shrubs and grasses.

As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Make sure your building is ready for the new year by taking the time to clean, disinfect, vacuum, and repair water leaks. You’ll be glad you did.

Forget the rats…fix the problem Blog Post by Mike Merchant

Sometimes pest problems can be so daunting that it’s easy to overlook the obvious solution. This was the case for many private and governmental PMPs in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately, the obvious didn’t escape the attention of Claudia Riegel, with the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite, and Rodent Control Board.
Riegel was recently featured in a National Public Radio (NPR) piece on the huge city rat problems after the hurricane. While the city and many PMPs were scrambling to dump enough rodent bait in bait stations and sewers to plug the Mississippi levees, the problem wasn’t getting better.

Riegel’s solution was simple in concept. “Forget the rats; fix the problems!”

Norway rat exploring for food

By problems, of course, she meant the overgrown vegetation, poorly sealed buildings, overflowing trash dumpsters other sanitation lapses. In other words, integrated pest management (IPM).

As the story correctly points out, consistently successful pest control has to start with making the environment less hospitable to pests. And for some pest problems, until we do this, all the pesticide in the world isn’t going to make a big difference. This is not to say that rodenticides (or any pesticides for given pests) shouldn’t be used; but they should be used in the context of changing the pest’s environment.

John McDonogh High School before IPM program was adopted

New Orleans’ rodent problems, I’m sure, haven’t gone away. And they didn’t improve overnight either. But the improvements are tangible, according to Riegel. Maybe there’s a daunting pest problem you’re facing right now. The answer could be to “forget the pest for a moment, and fix the problem.”

New IPM Video’s for Childcare Centers released by Cal DPR.

Do you want to train your staff in some simple IPM practices? DPR’s new IPM videos for childcare centers can help get you started. Pests can be a nuisance or even a health hazard in childcare centers. Getting rid of them without using a lot of pesticides takes common sense, good cleaning practices, and some simple tools. These new videos, produced by the Growing Up Green Child Care IPM program at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, walk you through the process of integrated pest management (IPM*), with demonstrations of tools and practices filmed in real childcare centers.

Key points:

Cal DPR staff wrote and produced the video series with input from industry and university people.

The intended audience is childcare providers and center directors. These videos are short and simple, fast-paced videos of narrator/inspector performing inspection tasks, shots of child care center, pests in situ and structural problems associated with pests.

Available in English, closed captioned in English, open captioned in Spanish

Topics:

Video 1: Integrated Pest Management in Child Care Centers

What is integrated pest management and why should you do it?

Video 2: Keeping Pests Out of Your Child Care Center

Keeping pests out is easier than getting rid of them.

Video 3: Do You Have Pests in Your Child Care Center?

Find out where pests are hiding before doing any pest management.

Video 4: Getting Rid of Ants in Your Child Care Center

Find out how to get rid of ants without spraying many pesticides.

Video 5: Getting Rid of Cockroaches in Your Child Care Center

Find out how to get rid of cockroaches without spraying many pesticides.

Video 6: Getting Rid of Mice and Rats in Your Child Care Center

Find out how to get rid of mice and rats without spraying many pesticides.

Video 7: The California Healthy Schools Act

If you run a licensed childcare center in California, you need to comply with the Healthy Schools Act.

The childcare IPM web site is http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/childcare/ but the links to the videos are through YouTube right now

English http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgU4sA8HrUfrrheC4rNNgB1ou7JlnpKvP

Spanish http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgU4sA8HrUfpS149cEHh-Pnaz9utygEAo

School Pest News Volume 12, Issue 8, November 2013

Posted on November 26, 2013 by janet.hurley

Global Harmonization What?

If you haven’t heard by now, new rules have gone into effect on how you train employees or yourself on the new safety data sheets. Just in case you have not heard this, I thought I would share with you some information from TASB and NPMA on the changing of MSDS to SDS and who needs to be trained. Today we had our Fall IPM Seminar at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas. One of our speakers was Dr. Don Renchie, who covered this topic with close to 300 applicators from the North Texas region – in short, we all need to be aware of this new rule and adhere to it. If you are applying pesticides – please remember to review the new rules and train your staff.

Federal Hazard Communication Rules

By: Joanie Arrott, Risk Management, TASB

Background

The Hazard Communication Standard (known as HazCom for short) was originally adopted by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) in 1984. The HazCom Standard is also known as the Worker’s Right to Know Act, based on the fundamental premise of the standard which is that employees have the right to know about the hazards they can be affected by in the workplace. The complete federal standard can be found at 29 CFR 1910.1200.

In early 2012, OSHA began the process of aligning the HazCom Standard with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Prior to the implementation of GHS, chemical manufacturers and distributors were allowed to present information on chemical labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) in whatever format they chose. Once fully implemented, the new standards will lead to enhanced workplace comprehension of hazards, reduced confusion, facilitated training, and safer handling of chemicals. Workplace employees will have quicker and more efficient access to hazard information.

Revised HazCom Standard

As a result of the HazCom rules being aligned with the GHS, there are three major areas of change: hazard classification, labels, and safety data sheets.

The newly revised HazCom standard includes a common and coherent approach to classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information that was developed. The definitions of hazards have been changed to provide specific criteria for classification of health and physical hazards, as well as classification of mixtures. These specific criteria will help to ensure that evaluations of hazardous effects are consistent across manufacturers, and that labels and safety data sheets are more accurate as a result.

Global Harmonization Pictogram – images are universal worldwide

Chemical manufacturers and distributors will be required to provide a label that includes a harmonized signal word, pictogram, and hazard statement for each hazard class and category. Precautionary statements must also be provided. This means that all chemical manufacturers and distributors must prepare new labels and safety data sheets to convey the hazard information to their downstream customers.

Employers must ensure that new labels and safety data sheets are compiled and used throughout the workplace. Chemical labels using the old format of hazard information and MSDS will not be allowed.

Employers must ensure that the SDSs are readily accessible to employees for all hazardous chemicals in their workplace. This may be done in many ways. For example, employers may keep the SDSs in a binder or on computers as long as the employees have immediate access to the information without leaving their work area when needed and a back-up is available for rapid access to the SDS in the case of a power outage or other emergency. Furthermore, employers may want to designate a person(s) responsible for obtaining and maintaining the SDSs. If the employer does not have an SDS, the employer or designated person(s) should contact the manufacturer to obtain one.

Important Compliance Deadlines

December 1, 2013 – Employers must train employees on the new label elements and safety data sheet (SDS) format

Workplaces are already receiving labels and SDSs that are consistent with the GHS, since many American and foreign chemical manufacturers have already begun to produce HazCom 2012/GHS-compliant labels and SDSs. It is important to ensure that when employees begin to see the new labels and SDSs in their workplaces, they will be familiar with them, understand how to use them, and access the information effectively.

December 1, 2015 – Chemical manufacturers, distributors, importers, and employers must ensure all containers are labeled using the GHS label standards.

During the phase-in period, employers would be required to be in compliance with either the existing HCS or the revised HCS, or both. OSHA recognizes that hazard communication programs will go through a period of time where labels and SDSs under both standards will be present in the workplace. This will be considered acceptable, and employers are not required to maintain two sets of labels and SDSs for compliance purposes.

June 16, 2016– Employers must be fully compliant with GHS standards. This means all required employees receive the necessary training for the GHS standards, and all records and all products must be identified with GHS SDS’s and labels.

This will not change how districts conduct business, but it will impact the district’s HazCom Plan and Chemical Hygiene Plan in that training will need to be given on how to read the GHS SDS’s and labels as well as updating all chemical inventories with the proper SDS’s and labels. Remember the deadlines for the rule; this is a four year adoption process to become fully compliant. There is a sample GHS SDS and label attached to this message for your review. Below are a few links and resources that can also answer questions that you may have.

Resources and Links

For an overview of the 2012 update to the Hazard Communication Standard, NPMA created a library update for our PESTWORLD magazine. NPMA also created an online training that meets the December 1, 2013 OSHA specific training requirements. These items are accessible at the following link: http://www.npmapestworld.org/publicpolicy/hazcomm.cfm

ALL pest management professionals including technicians and apprentices that handle pesticides are required to undergo the updated training.

OSHA’s FAQ on GHS compliance: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/hazcom-faq.html#1

United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals- Fourth revised edition: http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev04/04files_e.html

MSDS online GSHS answer center: http://blog.msdsonline.com/ghs-answer-center/

Thank you to George Scherer with TASB’s OnSite Environmental as well for sharing his thoughts on this topic. As well as Marcia Duke with the National Pest Management Association

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