School Pest News Volume 11, Issue 4, August 2012

Posted on August 10, 2012 by janet.hurley

Cricket invasion hits parts of East and Central Texas By Steve Byrns, AgriLife Extension

The current cricket invasion many are experiencing in parts of East and Central Texas isn’t particularly unusual, but the timing is, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.

Dr. Michael Merchant, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at Dallas, said he’s had a number of reports from Central and East Texas folks concerned with the high number of crickets they’re seeing this year.

“I attribute this to early warm temperatures and recent rains that serve as a trigger for cricket flights,” Merchant said. “This is the earliest cricket infestation that I can recall though. We usually have cricket swarms following our late summer and fall rains.”

Merchant said cricket outbreaks are among the most predictable pest occurrences in Texas. Most of the invaders are black field crickets belonging to the Gryllus assimilis complex.

“We usually see this phenomenon in August and September when our typical summer drought is broken by rainfall and cooler temperatures,” Merchant said. “That’s happened earlier this year, leading to the high numbers we are seeing now.”

Merchant said field crickets are outside insects which don’t breed or live indoors, so the chance of damage is minimal.

“During severe outbreaks, like some are having now, they can become a nuisance around homes and businesses due to the sheer numbers. They swarm up walls, over sidewalks and eventually die, causing an unsightly mess and foul odors,” he said.

Merchant said home and business owners can greatly reduce the onslaught by turning off outdoor lights that attract the insects. He said bright outside lighting is the leading cause of high cricket concentrations.

“If it’s practical, just turn off your outside lights as early in the evening as possible or replace the bulbs with low-pressure sodium vapor lamps or yellow incandescent ‘bug lights’ which aren’t as attractive to crickets as brighter light sources.”

Merchant said it’s also important to seal all entry points to your home, especially those near bright lights. He recommends using steel or brass wool as a temporary barrier, because it’s easily stuffed into weep holes, cracks and other entry points, but doesn’t hinder needed air flow.

“Insecticides should only be considered as a last resort due to safety and environmental concerns, and even then only as a partial solution to the problem,” Merchant said. “Insecticides should be used with reduced outdoor lighting for best results. Crickets drawn to bright lights will continue to cause problems no matter how much insecticide is used.

“The good news is the heaviest mating flights, which is what these infestations are, only last a week or two. If this naturally occurring invasion gets on folks’ nerves too bad, I recommend they catch a few for bait and go fishing!”

For more information on crickets and other insects go to http://citybugs.tamu.edu

What’s really killing Texas trees? By: Robert Burns, AgriLife Extension

Hypoxylon is a fungus that is usually considered a weak pathogen — not aggressive enough to take over healthy, unstressed trees, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service forestry specialist. Once the signs of the fungus infection are obvious, as here, the tree is already dead.

Although drought is often the cause, trees can die for other reasons besides lack of soil moisture, said Dr. Eric Taylor, Texas AgriLife Extension Service forestry specialist, Overton.

“Drought is the primary contributor to tree kill, but it may not be exactly the way you might be thinking,” Taylor said. “You may find this hard to believe, but relatively few trees likely died directly from dehydration in 2011. Instead, the 2011 drought severely weakened mature trees, making them susceptible to opportunistic pathogens like hypoxylon canker and insects like pine bark engraver beetles.”

He said that in most instances, the trees that died in 2011 were already stressed from a number of pre-existing environmental factors such as overcrowding, growing on the wrong site, age, soil compaction, trenching or inappropriate use of herbicides. If not for these factors, a large proportion of the trees that died might have recovered from the drought.

“This is an important concept to remember because our best defense against drought is to promote a tree’s health and vigor through proper care and management,” Taylor said.

This is not to play down the importance of water to tree health, he said. Water, particularly soil moisture, is critical for all a tree’s physiological processes. Trees require water to make and transport food, take in and release carbon dioxide, conduct biochemical reactions, build tissue and more.

“You name it, the tree needs water to do it,” Taylor said.

Though moisture stress may be the trigger,many trees likely died from insect damage, invasion of fungi and other diseases, and even heat stroke, according to Taylor.

“Much of the recent tree deaths and general decline might also be attributed to the extreme and prolonged heat of 2011,” he said. “Extreme temperatures, not only during the day but also in the early evenings and night, have negative impacts to tree physiological processes.”

Taylor said although it is the lack of water that’s at the root of tree death by heat stroke, there’s more to it than the tree being thirsty. As do humans, trees sweat to cool themselves off. Only with trees, the process is called “transpiration,” and it’s water evaporating primarily from leaves that dissipates heat.

Inadequate soil moisture coupled with hot air temperatures means a tree’s ability to transpire is limited.

“As a result, the cells in leaves and small branches can ‘cook’ to death,” Taylor said.

This “cooking” results in cell and protein breakdown, the generation and/or buildup of toxins, lesions and eventually death of the tree, he said.

As for tree deaths from macro fungi on hardwoods such as hypoxylon canker, it’s stress brought on by drought and heat that creates opportunity for the disease, not the direct effects of moisture shortage, Taylor said. Hypoxylon is a white-rot fungus that is usually considered a weak pathogen — not aggressive enough to take over healthy trees.

“It is only of consequence when the trees are under severe stress and wood moisture drops significantly,” he said. “Often, the first symptom that may be observed is the dying back or thinning of the crown.”

As the fungus develops underneath the bark, it causes the bark to pop loose and slough off, exposing a mat of grey, tan, olive green or reddish-brown powdery spores,” he said.

“By the time the spores become visible, the tree is dead,” Taylor said.

For more information about the identification and prevention of hypoxylon canker, go to http://txforestservice.tamu.edu , he said.

Another odd sign occurring this year is the dropping of seemingly healthy, green leaves, according to Taylor. One explanation for green leaf dropping is that the tree lost part of its root system during the 2011 drought.

“When spring came, there was enough food reserves for the trees to leaf out, but the root system was no longer sufficient to provide enough water to all of the leaves that developed,” Taylor said. “Now the trees are compensating by dropping some of the leaves in order to provide adequate moisture to the residual leaves.”

But don’t start your chainsaw yet, he said. If this is the first year that a tree’s dropped leaves, it may eventually recover, according to Taylor.

If the drought continues or intensifies, homeowners can reduce tree stress by paying attention to over-crowding, proper pruning, minimizing damage to the stem and roots, and proper watering.

For existing landscapes, proper watering during a drought is the best way to reduce water stress.

“A rule of thumb is to begin supplemental watering if significant rainfall has not occurred in the past seven to 10 days,” he said. “Begin sooner if it’s extremely hot and humidity is low.”

Taylor recommended using a soaker hose or by trickle or drip irrigation, and water just outside the drip line of the tree’s crown. (The drip line is the area on the ground directly under the farthest-reaching branches.)

“It is not necessary to encircle the entire tree, especially if a very large tree” he said. “A good watering on half or one quarter of the root system can be very beneficial. Do not concentrate the water at the base of the tree. Doing so can lead to root diseases.”

The water should soak into the soil without run off. If the water runs off or puddles, reduce the flow rate. Water until the moisture has soaked in to the soil to a depth of at least 8 to 10 inches.

The best time to water is during the early evening and at night, Taylor said. This is the time when trees normally catch up and replenish the water they loose during daytime activities like photosynthesis.

During the drought, plan on watering trees once a week. Be forewarned though. Large trees drink from a big bucket, Taylor said.

There’s more than just water involved in maintaining healthy trees. In August, Taylor is conducting a four-part course on woodland management with urban landowners in mind. See http://today.agrilife.org/2012/07/10/private-woodlands for more information.

Proactive Action Plans Discourage Bed Bug Problems By: Jodi Schmitz, IPM Institute of North America

Bed bugs are on the radar at many school districts. More than 1,000 people registered for US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2’s June webinar, “Bed Bugs go to School.” The presentation covered basic facts about bed bugs and tips for keeping them from becoming a problem in schools.

Bed bugs remain a growing problem nationally. However, breeding populations of bed bugs have not been reported in schools. Rather, bed bugs are “introductions,” arriving in staff and student belongings including clothing or book bags. Unless a school is a boarding facility, or also serves as a shelter where people are staying overnight, schools do not offer feeding opportunities at night which are critical for establishing bed bug infestations.

Long before a bed bug is found, school districts should create a policy and action plan for responding to a bed bug detection. All staff should be aware of their responsibilities in the event of a confirmed bed bug specimen. A policy and plan can help avoid confusion and overreaction when a bed bug is discovered.

There is no need to close the school or send any students home when a bed bug detection is confirmed. Instead, districts should have a comprehensive procedure in place, which includes:

Discretely remove the affected student from class so the school nurse can check the student’s clothing and belongings. Remember that bed bugs are very seldom found on the body.
The nurse or school principal should contact the student’s parents or guardian to inform them of the situation. The student should not be excluded from school activities.
Send additional bed bug information home with the child, including basic information about bed bugs and how they are controlled.

Schools should educate students, parents, faculty and staff about basic bed bug biology and habits and how to recognize all life stages of bed bugs. Let parents know the school has a bed bug action plan in place and send an awareness flier home to educate them on how to avoid sending bed bugs to school with their children.

Tried and true IPM approaches can discourage all pests, including bed bugs, cockroaches, rodents and ants from setting up shop:

Inspect rooms regularly. Tools of the IPM trade include a magnifying glass, strong LED flashlight, plastic zip-bags or clear tape for collecting specimens, a probe (like a cut credit card) and tools for removing outlet and light switch covers.
Encourage staff to reduce clutter by at least half, focusing on anything that hasn’t been used in the last two years.
Clean and vacuum regularly. For classrooms where bed bugs have been confirmed, vacuum up a small amount of talcum powder to discourage any bed bugs that are inside the vacuum from crawling back out.
Isolate all student belongings in clear plastic bags or bins, especially if there has been a bed bug detection in a particular classroom.
Reduce items brought back and forth from home to school. Identify items that can be left at school or at home until the end of the year.

Pesticide treatments are not needed in typical school environments. A dryer can be used to heat belongings to the lethal temperature for bed bugs. For boarding schools, dormitories or other educational facilities where people sleep at night, a variety of heat treatments are very effective including hot boxes to treat infested furnishings, books, etc., whole-room hot air generators and application of steam to potential harborages. Avoid steam treatments to electrical outlets or fixtures.

Bed bug dogs can be effective tools, but can also be expensive and performance can be variable. Given schools are typically not harboring breeding populations of bed bugs, canine inspections have limited value. If used, children should not be in the school while the dog is working to reduce distractions for the dog team.

EPA has developed a collection of additional information on bed bug prevention and management, including tips on hiring pest management professionals, identifying and treating bed bug infestations, and common bed bug myths.

Or follow this link to our Bed Bug Management Plan http://www.extension.org/pages/61823/school-ipm-action-plan-for-bed-bugs

Mosquito-proof your yard

Posted on August 9, 2012 by janet.hurley

The year 2012 is turning out to be one of the worst years in north Texas for West Nile virus since the disease crept into the state in the late 1990s. As of last Friday, there were 115 total human cases of West Nile virus (fever and neuroinvasive forms included) in Dallas County alone. And the summer, and peak WNV season, is far from over.

Do-it-yourself Options

There are several simple things everyone can do to fight back against mosquitoes.

When going outdoors, using a personal repellent remains your’s and your family’s primary, and most secure, line of defense. My summer intern, Jeremy Farmer, wrote on this subject a few weeks ago, so if you didn’t catch that post, check it out. But many of us get caught without repellent when stepping outside for a short trip to retrieve the mail or newspaper. Also, health department officials note that indoor mosquitoes may be another source of bites in some WNV cases.

So besides repellents, what can you do to reduce the risk of mosquito bites for yourself and your family in your backyard and indoors? It turns out that there are several relatively inexpensive steps anyone can take to reduce mosquito risks around the home.

Look for standing water in and around your backyard. Before you dismiss this as something YOU don’t have to worry about in YOUR backyard, go outside and take a hard look. If you or your neighbors are washing the car or running irrigation systems, there is always possibility of standing water in small containers, drainage catchment basins, and city storm drains next to your home. Also, check overflow dishes in potted plants and neglected bird baths. After summer showers make sure that buckets, wheelbarrows and children’s toys are emptied. It only takes a little soil, compost or a few leaves, and water that stands for 1-2 weeks, to breed mosquitoes.
Drain or treat standing water. Standing water in sewer lines or catchment basins can be treated with mosquito dunks or an insect growth regulator called methoprene. Methoprene granules or briquets last the longest, but both products will kill mosquito larvae when you can’t drain the water from a breeding hole. Remember, koi ponds, streams or creeks with fish generally don’t need treatments–fish do a pretty good job in most cases of controlling pest mosquitoes.
Ridding your yard of breeding sites is not the full answer, because mosquitoes will disperse into your yard from neighboring properties. Use an aerosol or propane fogger to clear mosquitoes temporarily from a yard. Having a picnic this weekend? One of the short-lived insecticides like pyrethrins or resmethrin can be applied to shrubbery, tree foliage and shady areas around the home to kill resting mosquitoes. Effects of such sprays can last for a few hours to a couple of days.
Use your garden sprayer to apply pyrethroid sprays to treat shady areas around the house, especially around entryways where resting mosquitoes are more likely to come indoors when you enter and leave the home. Sprays like lambda-cyhalothrin, cyfluthrin and others can provide several weeks of mosquito killing power on soffits and wood siding. Applications made to brick are a little tricky and may need to be reapplied more frequently.
If you are ready for more drastic action, several manufacturers make hose-applied pyrethroid insecticides for general backyard insect control. While I’m not generally a fan of broadcast applications of insecticides to the backyard (because of possible effects on beneficial insects), these products can provide extended control of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Sprays should be applied to shady lawns, shrubs, trees and shady areas of the house exterior where mosquitoes hide during the day.
Note: Pyrethroid insecticides are very effective at mosquito control, but should be used carefully. Only use during the peak time for disease risk (July-September in most areas of Texas), and follow all directions on the label carefully. To minimize the risk of these products to butterflies and honey bees, apply in the evening just before dark. And don’t apply pyrethroids on windy days or when rain is expected. To learn more about using pyrethroids safely, click here.

Hiring a Professional

If the thought of do-yourself-bug battling isn’t for you, consider using a professional. Many pest control companies in metropolitan areas offer mosquito control services. A professional can offer applications and pesticide formulations that reach higher into trees (where WNV mosquitoes hide) and work better on porous surfaces like brick. This may be the best alternative for many of us.

Ask about the various options offered by the company. Mister systems are more expensive, and require constant attention to minimize the impacts of the sprays on beneficial insects. They should only be used when mosquito season is at its peak. Residual treatment of plants and outdoor surfaces is generally effective for 4-6 weeks, and more economical than mister system installation.

Finally

If this post seems a little more insecticide-oriented than usual, there’s a reason. Mosquitoes, especially this summer, are serious business. Despite care to rid my own yard of all possible breeding sites, the mosquitoes in my, and my neighbors’, yards have been abundant this year. This summer I’m diligent (more than usual) about using repellent whenever I go outside, even for a few minutes, and I’m ready to use longer-lasting insecticides in my (normally insect-rich) back yard. One thing’s for sure. The beneficial insects will return to my yard after mosquito season. I want to be around to enjoy them.

Pest Identification is Vital to IPM

Posted on August 3, 2012 by janet.hurley

“Proper pest identification is very important, because if you don’t know what kind of pest you’re dealing with, it’s very difficult to come up with a successful management plan,” says Janet Hurley, school IPM extension program specialist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Ants are a good example. Insecticide baits are available for many but not all species, and each bait product is effective for a limited list of species. With some types of ants, such as odorous house ants and carpenter ants, it is best to locate and treat the nest directly. In species such as pharaoh and Argentine ants, however, treating the nest with a spray like a pyrethroid can cause the ants to bud, or create multiple new colonies.

Hurley encourages IPM coordinators for school districts to have access to a microscope, jeweler’s loupe or high-powered magnifying glass during inspections. “Some schools have science labs with microscopes that IPM coordinators can use for pest identification,” says Hurley.

In many states, those who aren’t well-versed in pest identification can contact their county extension office. “Seasoned county agents should have some knowledge of pest identification,” says Hurley, “but those who don’t still have access to extension entomologists.” Most extension agencies are able to accept digital photos for identification, or pest samples can be sent in a vial or small container containing some rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Websites such as bugwood.org or bugguide.net house libraries of insect images and make great aids for pest identification. Commercial identification services are also available, such as IdentifyUS, LLC, founded by Dr. Richard Pollack. IdentifyUS provides identification of both physical specimens and digital photos, as well as guidance on pest management.

Several pests that often get confused are bed bugs and bat bugs, blacklegged ticks and dog ticks, and common species of ants. Below is a brief guide to help with identification of these pests. If you are still unsure about what kind of insect you’re dealing with, always check with an extension agent, entomologist or other expert before taking action.

Bed Bug Cimex lectularius (Image credit Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org)

Bed bugs are broadly flattened, oval-shaped insects with greatly reduced wings. They are unable to fly or jump, but can move very quickly. They have segmented abdomens. They are light brown to reddish-brown in color before feeding, but become swollen and mahogany red after a blood meal. Eggs are white and newly hatched nymphs are translucent, becoming increasingly brown in color as they mature. Some individuals may exhibit skin rashes and other allergic reactions to bed bug bites, but not everyone exhibits symptoms after being bitten. Bed bugs typically leave small blood spots behind after feeding. Studies show that bed bugs can survive without feeding for up to a year, but they typically try to feed every five to ten days.

Western Bat Bug Cimex pilosellus (Image credit Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org)

Bat bugs feed primarily on the blood of bats, but will feed on other warm-blooded animals including humans if bats are not available. They will not become established on humans as a regular host. Bat bugs look very similar to bed bugs, possibly requiring microscopic examination to distinguish between them. A key difference is that the fringe hairs on the upper covering of the thorax (pronotum) are longer in the bed bug.

American Dog Tick (Wood Tick) Dermacentor variabilis (Image credit Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org)

Dog ticks are predominantly found in the US east of the Rocky Mountains and are part of the family of ticks called hard ticks, which have a scutum or hard shield on their backs. Adults have eight legs and are brown to reddish-brown in color with a grayish scutum. Unfed males and females are about 3/16 of an inch long, and females grow to about ½ inch long after feeding, about the size of a small grape. They can be carriers of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Nymphs feed on small rodents and adults prefer dogs or medium-sized mammals, including humans. They are most often found in the spring and early summer along animal paths in grassy, shrubby areas adjacent to wooded areas or forests.

Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick) Ixodes scapularis (Image credit Scott Bauer, USDA ARS, Bugwood.org)

Blacklegged ticks are common in the northeastern and upper midwestern US and can be carriers of Lyme disease. They are also hard ticks. Unlike the dog tick, adult blacklegged ticks have no white markings on the scutum. They are about 1/10 of an inch long and dark brown to black in color. Females are often orange or red behind the scutum. Adults feed on large mammals, primarily white-tailed deer. Engorged ticks, or those that have had a blood meal, look significantly different from unengorged ticks, appearing swollen with a light grayish-blue colored abdomen. When identifying an engorged tick, it is helpful to focus on the legs and upper part of the body, which do not change upon feeding.

Argentine Ant Linepithema humile (Image credit Alex Wild, alexenderwild.com)

This is the most accomplished invasive species or “tramp” ant. It arrived in the US in the 1990s and is the predominant pest ant in California. It is also found along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida. Argentine ants have only one node (also called a petiole; a small bump between the thorax and the gaster, or abdomen), which is distinct but small and is never hidden by or fused with the abdomen. They are almost completely hairless, and are about 1/10 of an inch long. During the summer, multiple Argentine ant colonies may merge to form large supercolonies. They are monomorphic, meaning all ants within a colony are the same size.

Black Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus (Image credit Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org)

Carpenter ants have only one node and a tuft of hair at the tip of the gaster. The thorax, when viewed from the side, is evenly convex with no obvious bumps and ridges. They are generally large in size, ranging from ½ inch to more than ¾ inch long, and are polymorphic, meaning the colony includes several different sizes of ants that have different jobs. These include winged reproductive ants that overwinter and emerge in the spring. They prefer dead, damp wood in which to build nests, but they do not eat wood like termites.

Fire Ant Solenopsis geminate (Image credit Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org)

Fire ants have two nodes between the thorax and gaster. Their antennae are composed of ten segments, with the last two forming a distinct club. They have a visible stinger. They do not have any spines on their thorax. Thief ants have the same basic characteristics but are smaller, with fire ants greater than 1/10 inch long and thief ants less than 0.07 inches. Like carpenter ants, fire ants are polymorphic.

Pavement Ant Tetramorium caespitum (Image credit Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)

Pavement ants have two nodes, which are attached to the front of their abdomen rather than the top. They are dark brown or black in color and are about 1/10 of an inch long or slightly larger. They have distinct ridges on their face, which give a striped appearance, and no antennal club. They have a pair of small spines on the thorax close to the nodes.

Article written by Jodi Schmitz, IPM Institute of North America

Tips for More Effective Asthma Management in Schools

Posted on July 6, 2012 by janet.hurley

Asthma is a growing health problem, especially among school-aged children. Asthma prevalence has increased from 7.3% of the population in 2001 to 8.4% in 2010 (CDC NCHS Data Brief no 94 May 2012). In its 2011 Asthma & Children Fact Sheet, the American Lung Association reported that 7.1 million children under 18 had asthma. The Association also reports that the annual direct health care cost of asthma is approximately $50.1 billion (Asthma in Adults Fact Sheet). In 2008, there were more than 14.8 million asthma-related school absences (Meng et al. 2012).

A life-long disease once acquired, asthma causes wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightening and coughing. Susan Hoffmann, the Delaware director of the National Association of School Nurses and lead school nurse for the Caesar Rodney School District in Camden, Delaware, compares asthma episodes to the embers of a fire—“sometimes it’s just smoldering in the background but then you have flare-ups.” Asthma symptoms are caused by three issues: inflamed airways, increased mucus production and tightening , called bronchoconstriction, of the smooth muscles that surround the airways.

According to Hoffmann, schools should “develop a multi-disciplinary team of administrators, teachers, parents, custodial staff and coaches to create asthma management policies and look at ways to reduce triggers throughout the school.” Hoffmann recommends the following actions to deal with asthma at school.

Establish strong links with asthma-care clinicians to ensure appropriate and ongoing medical care. Medical providers should develop an asthma action plan. Plans should include actions for tiered symptom levels, such as green (no symptoms), yellow (moderate symptoms) and red (asthma crisis). The school nurse should keep plans for each student on file and share them with teachers, physical education coaches and other staff.
Use a coordinated, multi-component and collaborative approach that includes school nursing services, asthma education for students and professional development for school staff.
Ensure that students have access to all medications. Consult state laws to determine if children are allowed to carry their own quick relief medications.

Well-controlled asthma should not limit a child’s ability to participate in school activities. However, uncontrolled asthma is the leading reason for school absences. “Asthma symptoms can lead to a disruption in sleep because the child cannot rest due to coughing, which can result in decreased school performance, learning difficulties, restlessness or fatigue,” comments Hoffmann. Additionally, the side effects of some asthma medications include irritability and sleeplessness.

IPM in schools and homes go hand-in-hand with asthma management. Common triggers for asthma include mold, pet dander, and cockroach and pest allergens. Sealing leaky pipes, promptly cleaning up spills, and sealing cracks and crevices can greatly reduce these triggers by denying pests water, food and shelter. Reducing moisture is critical to eliminating mold.

According to the US EPA’s Asthma Triggers: Gain Control, “Droppings or body parts of cockroaches and other pests can trigger asthma. Certain proteins are found in cockroach feces and saliva and can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms in some individuals.” Some IPM tips for reducing cockroach allergens include:

Keep counters, sinks, tables and floors clean and clutter-free. Cluttered areas provide harborage for cockroaches and are difficult to clean. (More information about cockroach habits can be found in our December 2011 newsletter.)
Clean up any crumbs and spills right away. These are a great source of food and water for roaches.
Store any food or food products (like pasta or rice used for art projects) in airtight containers, such as Tupperware® containers or Ziplock® bags.
Seal cracks or openings around or inside cabinets.

Resources

The US EPA Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools program has a number of free resources to help schools implement IAQ programs, including a set of lesson plans to teach children about asthma. To manage IAQ in schools, EPA recommends six technical solutions, including providing quality HVAC systems, controlling moisture and mold, practicing IPM and using proper cleaning and maintenance techniques. The American Lung Association’s Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative also includes information and tools for school asthma management. The National School IPM Working Group created a document, Reducing your Child’s Asthma using Integrated Pest Management: A Practical Home Guide for Parents, to educate schools and parents about the cost benefits and asthma reduction that can be achieved through IPM implementation.

Educators and others can gain access to best practices, tools and resources with AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org, a national network designed for community-based asthma programs. EPA’s School IAQ Connector email discussion list is also available for members to ask questions about asthma management. Join by sending a blank email message to schools_iaq_connector-subscribe@lists.epa.gov.

School Pest News Volume 11, Issue 3, June 2012

Posted on June 13, 2012 by janet.hurley

Typhus – By: Elizabeth “Wizzie” Brown, Extension Program Specialist

Travis County recently had a death due to typhus, last year typhus showed up in the Lower Valley area. Typhus is one of those “diseases” that has not been prevalent for many years, but like everything else it is making a comeback.

Typhus is a bacterial disease that can be spread by lice or fleas; fleas (rat fleas & cat fleas) are often the common vector. Typhus is caused by one of two types of bacteria- Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia prowaze-kii. The type of typhus contracted depends upon the type of bacteria. R. typhi causes murine (also known as en-demic) typhus. It often occurs in the summer through fall and is rarely deadly. Risk factors include exposure to rat fleas, rat feces or exposure to various animals such as cats, rats, skunks, raccoons or opos-sums. Symptoms of murine typhus include abdominal pain, backache, diarrhea, head-ache, joint and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, a high fever (105-106 F) and a dull red rash that begins on the torso and spreads.

R. prowazekii causes epidemic typhus. Lice and fleas of flying squirrels spread this bacterium. Symptoms of epidemic typhus include chills, cough, delirium, high fever (104 F), joint pain, light sensitivity, severe headache, severe muscle pain, and a rash that starts on the torso and spreads out.

People get murine typhus from of an infected flea. Most fleas defecate while feeding, so the bacteria can enter the body through the bite wound or by the area being scratched. You may also get murine typhus by inhaling fecal material infected with the bacteria.

Treatment of typhus generally involves antibiotics. Epidemic typhus may need intravenous fluids and oxygen as well. If someone suspects that they have typhus, they should see a physician as soon as possible.

Of course, to reduce the chance of having flea-carrying organisms around, encourage the following:

1. Do not leave pet food out overnight.

2. Make sure all garbage cans have tight fitting lids.

3. Keep fire wood and other items off the ground.

4. Keep yard maintained.

5. Inspect the outside of the home and seal any areas where rodents may enter (use stainless steel mesh screening or flashing).

6. Treat pets with a monthly flea treatment (see veterinarian for recommendations).

7. Treat any indoor & outdoor flea infestations promptly.

Gnats Driving You Crazy? By: Molly Keck, Extension Program Specialist

Examples of different types of small flies Bart Drees

With all the mositure we have had, you might be one of those folks Molly wrote about. Most people are dealing with are fruit flies and mistakingly calling them gnats. Fruit flies are smaller than house flies, and have red eyes. They appear tan in color and are no larger than an 1/8 of an inch long. In the photo of small flies above, the fruit fly is on the far right.

Fruit flies are attracted to ripened or decaying fruit and vegetables, but they are also known to breed in drains, dirty mops or rags, recycling bins, trash cans, soil, and other areas of moisture and decaying or fermenting food.

In order to manage fruit flies, you truly have to find the source. Once you have eliminated the source, its important to keep fruit and veggies either in the refrigerator or a brown bag for a couple weeks or you will attract them back into the home.

If you’re still seeing flies, check the drains. An easy trick is to put tape over half the drain overnight. If flies are stuck to it, you know they are breeding in the organic matter that lines the drains. There are drain cleaners that will eliminate that “gunk” using enzymes. Bleach, boiling water, and other products will only kill the larvae in the drain now; it does not keep the adults from laying more eggs.

If you have potted plants, they may breeding in the soil. Check by digging, or placing the plant in a small space overnight. Its easier to re-pot the plant, but at the minimum, don’t over water and allow the soil to dry out.

I’m noticing a correlation between the new green compost bins the city has provided us. Its wonderful that we are composting and reducing our trash, but we are also keeping our rotten food longer in the home, which is attracting and allowing fruit flies to breed. If this is your issue, remove the food regularly, if not immediately.

Again, finding the main source is the key. Recently, we had a MAJOR issue in our office. I’m a little embarrassed to admit, I was the cause! I had placed an apple in an insect cage and allowed it to rot and ferment. Removing those rotten apples almost immediately (within a weekend) got rid of the problem! It may not be as easy as that, but searching for “ground zero” will make your problem less of a problem.

For more information about fly treatments and sample management plans check out our website at https://schoolipm.tamu.edu/forms/pest-management-plans/

Putting out the Unwelcome Mat for borers By: Dr. Mike Merchant, Extension Urban Entomologist

Since early spring Dr. Charlie Helpert has tirelessly driven the country roads of north Texas, and knocking on doors in the area, in a effort to make Texas trees safer from insect attack. The enemy is the emerald ash borer, and the weapon is an early detection network of traps and volunteers trained to spot this foreign invader that threatens ash trees throughout the eastern U.S.

I wrote about this project last year and so far the news has been good. No ash borer yet in Texas. But the work goes on, and so Dr. Helpert continues to deploy and man his early warning system.

The project is part of a nationwide effort to monitor and control the spread of this borer with a selective appetite for trees in the genus Fraxinus. Ash trees are important hardwood and shade trees for this country, and in areas where the borer is active are putting the hurt on trees and tree owners alike. The goal of the project is to give states like Texas early warning and, in the process, a chance to slow the spread of the borer.

Last year Dr. Helpert was the only man standing between emerald ash borer and Texas forests. This year, in a strategic move, the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) decided to expand the trapping network in Texas. Approximately 1700 traps have been deployed throughout the state in a cooperative effort between Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Forest Service and Sam Houston State University.

The city of Plano, TX recently interviewed Dr. Helpert for a video (see above) about his efforts to install the purple sticky traps in ten north Texas counties. He and Denise Moore with the City of Plano explains the effort and what tree owners can do to protect their trees from borers of all kinds.

Finally, if you happen to see this pest on your school property please drop Dr. Merchant an email at m-merchant@tamu.edu

Pest Private Eye Video Game Allows Kids to Become a Pest Detective

By: Jodi Schmitz, Project Assistant, IPM Institute of North America

Looking for something to keep the kids busy this summer? Want to teach them about pests, pesticides and IPM? Let them become the Pest Private Eye, a detective who helps schools solve their pest problems! The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension’s Pest Private Eye and the Case of IPM in Schools (Pest PI) is a free educational video game that teaches kids about pests and IPM.

As the Pest Private Eye avatar, kids explore the rooms of Eureka Elementary School, pick up IPM tools such as a vacuum cleaner, window screens and snap traps, and use them to manage various pests. “In some parts of the game, you need to apply critical thinking to find out how to deal with difficult pests,” says Erin Bauer, extension associate at the Pesticide Education Office for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). “The cockroaches in the kitchen are one example. In real life, you may need to use both sticky traps and roach bait to manage them and it’s the same in the game.”

Bauer and Clyde Ogg, associate extension educator for pesticide safety education at UNL, have been working on Pest PI in some form since 2007. “We had a few beta versions and it just got better as we went along,” says Bauer. “The first version looked more like a cartoon but then we transitioned to a 3D look.” It mimics role-playing point-and-click games that are popular with kids today.

Bauer says the purpose of the game was to get the word out about IPM. “Hopefully, kids can walk away with one or two things that they can tell their friends or parents which helps bring IPM to an even broader audience.”

In addition to the game, there is also a comic book of Pest Private Eye’s adventures at Eureka Elementary School, as well as a teachers’ guide, Power Point and other IPM resources for child care facilities. Educators can use the game and associated materials in their classrooms, 4-H groups, libraries or other environments.

School Pest News Volume 11, Issue 2, April 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by janet.hurley

Learning Opportunities Abound
By Janet Hurley

Over the past ten years, we have watched school IPM information become more frequent. In addition to school IPM, we have seen IPM in public housing also increase. Rather than duplicate, AgriLife Extension will either be forwarding more emails or announcing more online training resources. Below is just a sample of what we have seen so far:

During the month of March, the University of Florida released its Bed Bugs and Book Bags curriculum. The curriculum is designed for third through fifth grade students, although it can be adapted to any age group. There are three lessons with a total of ten activities and a teacher’s guide that focus on bed bug biology, feeding, and prevention and is appropriate for classrooms, day cares, camps, and meetings. You can find all the information you need at the Duval County Extension Website http://duval.ifas.ufl.edu/Bed_Bugs.shtml

During the month of May you can catch two webinars on ant control. The first one is on fire ants and it will be held Thursday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT (10 to 11 a.m. CDT or 8 to 9 a.m. PDT. Killing fire ants is actually easier than you think—if you understand how they live. This seminar will help you learn how to apply integrated pest management tactics that are as economical and environmentally friendly as possible. You’ll also learn about fire ant biological control agents such as the Pseudacteon phorid flies. To participate, log in as “guest” (YOU DO NOT NEED TO PREREGISTER) at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/fireant If you have specific questions that you want us to address during the webinar, post them to the Imported Fire Ant eXtension Facebook page (Fire Ant Info).

The second webinar will be on other nuisance ant species Ant Management on Thursday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT (10 to 11 a.m. CDT or 8 to 9 a.m. PDT) and brought to you by the Urban Integrated Pest Management eXtension Community of Practice. Managing ants is actually easier than you think—if you understand how they live. This seminar will help you learn how to apply integrated pest management tactics that are as economical and environmentally friendly as possible.

Topics:
– How Can You Tell if You Have Odorous House Ants? Dr. Karen Vail, University of Tennessee
– Understanding the Biology and Behavior of Carpenter Ants, Dr. Dan Suiter, University of Georgia
– Managing Problems with Pharaoh Ants, Dr. Michael Merchant, Texas A&M University

Participation link has not been released – I will send this out later in the week with the final details.

National Healthy Schools Day Provides Opportunities for IPM Education

Spring is a great time to take on new challenges and with National Healthy Schools Day on April 24, 2012. Now is a perfect opportunity to both prepare for the inevitable increase in pest activity that comes with warmer weather, and take your IPM program to another level.

School officials, staff and parents can use materials like Kick the Pesticide Habit: Children, Learning and Poisons Don’t Mix, The Business Case for Integrated Pest Management in Schools: Cutting Costs and Increasing Benefits and IPM Standards for Schools: Tactics and Resources for Reducing Pest and Pesticide Risks in Schools and Other Sensitive Environments to look for opportunities for improvement.

Districts looking to implement a new IPM program can start with developing an IPM policy to formally state their commitment to IPM. Next steps can include designating an IPM coordinator, providing training for the coordinator and key custodial, maintenance and food service staff, and beginning to assemble an IPM plan. Districts with existing programs can evaluate schools using an audit checklist. Particular attention should be paid to potential sources of food, water, harborage and access for pests.

The most cost-effective measures you can take include installing door sweeps under exterior doors, sealing cracks and crevices around baseboards, and trimming vegetation back to reduce pest access and leave a clear inspection path around buildings. Our Building Out Pests article series, published in October, November and December 2011, gives more tips for structural pest management.

National Healthy Schools Day graphics, flyers and posters are available to download and print. Contact Healthy Schools Network, Inc. for more information.

IPM Coordinators Vital to IPM Program Success By: Jodi Schmitz, IPM Institute of North America

An IPM coordinator is an essential piece of the school IPM puzzle. They provide the leadership and networking to achieve pest complaint and pesticide risk reduction by working hand-in-hand with parents, students, teachers, staff members and pest management professionals.

C.G Cezeaux and David Henderson, Co-IPM coordinators for Spring ISD discuss their outdoor IPM program with Dr. Tom Green and their contractor

According to Janet Hurley, extension program specialist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service, “The ideal coordinator is someone who is a key, influential person within the district who can motivate teachers, administrators, food service, custodial and maintenance staff.” The coordinator should have the power to make decisions and effect change quickly. “If the coordinator doesn’t have that power,” says Hurley, “it can be a little like a Mario game. The issue has to jump up a level to the coordinator’s boss for resolution, and then back down to the coordinator level. It’s just not efficient.”

IPM coordinators can be responsible for tasks including interpreting the district’s IPM policy, maintaining the IPM plan, ensuring notifications of pesticide applications go out to the right people, conducting facility inspections and maintaining records of pest complaints and pesticide applications. Depending on the size of the district, the IPM coordinator may also be the pesticide applicator, facilities director and/or superintendent. Coordinators often wear many hats, so it is important for them to enlist strong support and cooperation of key staff.

Spring Independent School District (ISD), located in Texas, has worked hard to obtain cooperation with other departments like risk management, child nutrition and student health to implement IPM practices. David Henderson, IPM coordinator and lead certified applicator at Spring ISD, says it’s incredibly important to build a rapport with key school departments so the entire IPM program is a success.

In addition to knowing key pests and appropriate solutions, Hurley suggests coordinators should also be trained on how to change human behaviors. “IPM is no different than any other behavioral science. Coordinators need to know how to change a teacher’s belief that all bugs are evil and must be dealt with immediately using pesticides,” says Hurley. IPM coordinators function as educators to teach staff their role in the IPM process.

Cecil Fueston, IPM coordinator with McKinney ISD in Texas, also stresses the importance of communication and education. When he became the IPM coordinator, Fueston made it a priority to stop by the schools regularly to introduce himself and explain his role. “Now I’m known as ‘the bug man,’” Fueston says. Chris Mills, IPM specialist at Union County Public Schools in North Carolina, says it’s important for him to make periodic visits to the schools because, “I’m constantly talking with the students and staff to train them on how they can help with pest management,” says Mills.

State or regional workshops put on by organizations like Texas AgriLife Extension, California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), University of Minnesota IPM3 and Rutgers can be a great source of information and often include continuing education credits for IPM coordinators. The Facility Masters Webcast Series hosts informative webinars, and professional listservs such as Schoolbugs provide an avenue for school IPM professionals to ask questions and get answers. “We attend trainings every year, despite the Texas requirement that training only needs to happen every three years,” says Henderson, “because we want to learn new things right when they happen.”

Mills comments that it would be useful to have more regional training opportunities strictly for IPM coordinators, like that handled by Texas Integrated Pest Management Affiliate for Public Schools (TIPMAPS). Fueston describes TIPMAPS as an avenue for training, networking, and problem solving. “It’s really helpful to be able to bounce ideas off of others and talk about pest management techniques that work in a school system,” says Mills.

Need a position description for an IPM coordinator for your district? Samples are available from the California DPR, Guilford County Schools and Texas AgriLife Extension

School Pest News, Volume 11, Issue 1, March 2012

Posted on March 14, 2012 by janet.hurley

Who Can Work Under My License? By Dr. Don Renchie

There seems to be a lot of confusion buzzing around schools these days about who can apply pesticides. First, only licensed applicators can make ANY type of pesticide application – even “organic” on school properties. The Texas Department of Agriculture’s “Structural Pest Control Act” has required all applicators be licensed as commercial, noncommercial, or technicians before they make applications in or around schools, childcare centers, or educational institutions since the mid-1980s.

What has many school IPM coordinators confused are the differences between the “Incidental Use” rule and the TDA category 3A “Ornamental and Turf” license, which allows political subdivision non-commercial applicators to supervise non-licensed district employees.

Incidental Use allows the IPM Coordinator to train someone within the district, whose primary job responsibility, is NOT to respond to pest complaints or calls, to treat an occasional pest problem. First, the pest problem must be considered an “Emergency; such as fire ants in a classroom, bees, wasps, or hornets next to an exit door, or some other stinging or venomous insect. The rule allows the coordinator to train an individual on a specific insecticide for use in a specific location or area. For example, the district has an A/C tech that travels the district replacing filters and other A/C related repairs. When an individual gets to a site and it has a hornets nest in close proximity of the A/C unit, under the Incidental Use rule, the person could use their supplied can of hornet killer to help reduce the insect population. This same individual would need to complete an application use record for incidental use and return that form to the school IPM coordinator. TDA requires the IPM Coordinator to train all individuals on Incidental Use upon initial employment before any applications are allowed, annually before any applications are made and anytime pesticide products are changed or anytime the pesticide product label changes. If individuals find themselves constantly treating for a pest, TDA would require that person to become a licensed applicator in the appropriate category.

The political subdivision non-commercial ornamental and turf category (3A) license was established by TDA to allow cities, counties, state, and other governmental entities/agencies with their landscape and grounds maintenance programs. Schools fall under this classification as well. Under the 3A category license, the school district noncommercial applicator can supervise unlicensed district employees as long as they work out of the same office or the same location. Furthermore, the supervising applicator would need to insure the non-licensed applicators were trained annually and before they made any 3A applications. All SPCS requirements for posting under the IPM in Schools regulations would have to be satisfied. The supervising applicator would also need to insure that a TDA “Affidavit of Supervision” was in the employee (s) or IPM Coordinators files (if the applicator isn’t also the Coordinator) to maintain compliance with TDA recordkeeping requirements. The licensed applicator and the unlicensed person in accordance with recordkeeping requirements for TDA and the school IPM program must also complete application use records. While the unlicensed person will not have a license number, their name should be clearly written on the record in the event there are questions later.

Finally, individuals who are licensed with the 3A category or work under someone, can only make pesticide applications outdoors. These applications can be for insects, weeds, or diseases but must be done outdoors and preferably away from children as well. And remember all records should be keep on file for two years, with many schools having to abide by the Open Records Act, some districts have been keeping their records for five

School IPM Website – One Stop Learning and Resources

When was the last time you visited the Texas School IPM Website (https://schoolipm.tamu.edu ) Over the past year, we have been trying to update and reorganize the website so you can find all the forms and resources you need to keep your program in compliance and help educate your staff about your IPM program.

At the top of the page are tab headings, these headings are the most frequently used areas of the webpage. For example, are you looking for a specific TDA – SPCS form, then click on the “Structural Pest Control Service Forms”you will find links to TDA and selected forms that you can download and save to your computer. Not sure, how to establish

thresholds and pest specific management plans; then check out our “pest management plans” tab. Under the section titled “Management Plans” you will notice a list of thirteen common pests in and around schools. Extension Entomologists and Biologists from across the southern region have constructed these management plans. We will also be releasing additional plans in April to give you twenty plans for the most common pests around schools.

Confused about training your teachers and staff about IPM, then check out our IPM Presentations section, where you will find power point presentations, handouts, and fact sheets that you can use in your district. Thanks to several of our School IPM Trainers from around the country, we recently added a YouTube school IPM video site. Check out the IPM Minute Videos and submit us your topics that you would like to see in the future.

Healthy Schools Heroes 2012: Champions for School Quality and Safety By: Ellie Goldberg, M.Ed

Every year to mark the anniversary of the March 18, 1937 Texas School Explosion, Ellie Goldberg, salutes a Healthy Schools Hero whose inspirational leadership sets a high standard for safety that protects children from hazards and unhealthy school conditions.

The Healthy Schools Hero award is part of a campaign to make March 18 an annual day to bring the lessons of the 1937 Texas School Explosion to every school, to update school values and technical skills for 21st century citizens, and to celebrate the leadership for safety that can save lives.

This year, on the 75th anniversary of the tragedy, two school leaders from small Texas towns are Healthy Schools Heroes because each demonstrates extraordinary personal responsibility in making safety a core value and taking pride in schools that are clean and in good repair.

They both understand that high standards, regulations, and professional training are essential safeguards for ensuring the quality and well-being of their communities.

Both school leaders know the story of the 1937 New London School Explosion. They take no short cuts when it comes to safety.

More Details About Healthy Schools Heroes 2012

Pride of Purpose, Pride of Place

Superintendent Harold Cowley of Yantis ISD is a 2012 Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to the safety and well-being of the children and teachers in Yantis, TX. Superintendent Cowley is high qualified to be chief administrator of a modern school system because of a special combination of his values as well as his technical knowledge and skills. READMORE

We Make Decisions Based on Health and Safety

Disa Schulze, Director of Support Services, Danbury ISD, TX, is a 2012 Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero for more than twenty years of dedication to the safety and well-being of the children and teachers where she is responsible for Maintenance, Food Service, Transportation, and Safety. READMORE

Gee, I love my job by Mike Merchant

Posted on February 29, 2012 by janet.hurley

As I write, I’m sitting in a mostly dark room listening to my Texas AgriLife colleagues Don Renchie and Janet Hurley walk a group of almost 40 school IPM Coordinators through a long list of rules and regulations about how pesticides must be used in Texas public schools. In between jokes, back-and-forth banter, and scribbling pens, learning is taking place and it’s a beautiful thing.

Given a choice, I suspect most of us would probably not choose to spend our day watching a PowerPoint slide show and listening to speakers for hours. But there is little boring about this session between a group of eager learners and an entertaining speaker (and if you know Dr. Don Renchie, you know what I mean). I know the efforts made by Janet Hurley to keep this training interesting, relevant, and interactive. A wireless audience response system gets students interacting with us trainers, and shows both the class and the trainers how well the message is being conveyed. Refreshments are handy and (at least today) the chairs are comfortable. Life is good.

I’ve found few things more satisfying that imparting knowledge to a motivated group of adult learners. Some of my personal best friends are teachers and find great fulfillment in teaching children important life skills. Personally, give me a group of adults. Sure kids are cute, and their innocence and naivete is engaging; but adults need education just as much as the kids. Adults are easily bored, often critical, sometimes prejudiced and usually forgetful; but nothing in my book is better than giving adult learners skills that they need to excel in their jobs and/or life. The rewards outweigh the pains.

School IPM coordinators, and the PMPs who work for them, are given the weighty responsibility of keeping school districts pest-free while balancing pesticide risks. This isn’t easy. Coordinators have to first master a dozen or so pages of laws and regulations; they have to learn tongue-twisting pesticide names and their properties; they have to organize reams of records; they have to fight for scarce budget dollars; they have to counsel frustrated principals, teachers and sometimes parents; and they have to be ready for unannounced visits from state inspectors. Few of them asked for their jobs as IPM coordinator, rather they were assigned the position usually on top of several other jobs.

Watching and listening to classes like this respond to speakers and ask intelligent and probing questions is highly satisfying. Over the years I watched some of our IPM class and PMP alumni work their way up through the food chain in their school districts and pest control companies. I’ve seen people who were initially reluctant to be assigned the job of “bug killer” only to embrace the position and take great satisfaction in their new job. I like to think that I and my colleagues have played a part in the pride and high performance of more than a few of these men and women. And that’s why I love my job.

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Posted By Blogger to Insects in the City at 2/28/2012 02:46:00 PM

Structural Pest Control Service Winter Update

Posted on January 30, 2012 by janet.hurley

The Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee met today after a (literally) stormy day in Austin–and I don’t mean politics. Yesterday brought some wet relief to parched central and north Texas, as well as rare winter tornadoes in several communities.

Today’s committee meeting was mostly uneventful in terms of actions; however some interesting topics were introduced that should lead to follow-up discussions in later meetings. The meeting started off with a moment of silence for Bill Stepan, our committee member who passed away in November. David Kostroun then led the committee through responses to the Self-Assessment Questionnaire that we were asked to fill at the end of the year.

Priorities for the Committee
One of the priorities for the coming year that some respondents mentioned was better communication with the public about pest control issues and how to help the public find answers to questions about pest control, the reliability of pest control businesses, and pesticides. Tommy Kezar noted that the TDA website formerly allowed visitors to view regulatory actions to see what companies had been recently cited or fined for violations. This page is no longer view-able on the agency’s new home page. In fact, apart from information on how to file a structural pest control complaint, there is relatively little useful pest control-related information for consumers on the new consumer protection site. Given that the site is new, I trust that this will change. One feature I always found useful was the ability to check a company’s license information to assure myself that it was operating with a valid license. I hope this feature is restored.

Kezar also noted a couple of cases that he has seen where license renewals have been held up because of problems with background checks. Department staff were, allegedly, not very helpful in responding to efforts by licensees to discover the particulars about why a background check failed. Chief Administrator Kostroun promised to look into procedures for responding to such requests for information.

Performance Data for SPCS
Stephen Pahl, Administrator for the Consumer Protection Division of TDA (the new division that houses structural pest control) gave a brief presentation on data that the agency is required to report to the LBB (Legislative Budget Board). The data includes statistics on numbers of new business and individual licenses issued, complaints resolved and inspections conducted each quarter. Some of the more interesting numbers for the Sep-Dec Quarter included:

275 SPC business inspections were conducted in the fall of 2011 (slightly exceeded target goals).
45 complaints were resolved that resulted in a formal enforcement action (more than double the target goal).
The 43 non-commercial establishment inspections (hotels, restaurants, local governments, etc.) was about a third of the target for the quarter; however staff attribute this to the priority they have placed on conducting school IPM inspections and some difficulties with new schedule-optimization software.
139 schools were inspected, representing nearly 70% of the schools scheduled for inspection in the year. I understood that the rate of quarterly school inspections will likely taper off this year as software improvements are made to rebalance the scheduling of commercial and non-commercial establishments over the next few months.
Although quarterly data on school compliance rates for FY 2012 were not available, last year 52.4% of Texas schools were found to be in (complete) compliance during inspections. This metric, however, gives little insight in to the type or significance of non-compliance issues found by inspectors.
Complaint case sufficiency rate is the percent of cases sent to Austin from local SPCS inspectors that ultimately are approved for enforcement action. A high sufficiency rate indicates that inspectors are not submitting many frivolous or unenforceable cases. This year’s sufficiency rate was 92%.

School IPM Coordinator CEUs

Michael Kelly noted that the Department will be prioritizing the effort to publish formal rules for the new school IPM Coordinator CEU requirement imposed by Sunset committee action two years ago. To refresh your memory, as of January 1, 2011 School IPM Coordinators are required to obtain 6 CEU hours on pest control, pesticide and IPM-related topics every three years. We are now 13 months into the three year period, and rules for how this system will work have not yet been published. Kelly handed out the draft rule which specifies that only one of the six hours must be in laws and regulations specific to IPM programs in schools (I have stated in the past that I think this is inadequate, but won’t go into that today). What is still missing from the rules, however, is a mechanism for approval of the school IPM laws and regs CEU, and specific instructions for when CEUs will be due. It was suggested that there may need to be a new CEU category for School IPM rules and regulations. The committee agreed that coordinators who were certified prior to Jan 2011 should be required to complete their six hours by Dec 2013. Newer coordinators should be required to get their 6 hours within three years of taking their initial 6 hour orientation course (which they must take within six months of appointment as IPMC). Presumably the Department will be publishing new rules for public review within the next quarter.

Should Bed Bug Dogs be Licensed?

One of the most interesting discussions was a review of some information collected by Leslie Smith on bed bug dog certification, and discussion about whether dog handlers should be licensed. While no one is actually proposing that dogs be licensed, handlers and companies who provide dog-sniffing services appear to be another matter. The committee asked if Kelly would come up with some proposals on possible licensing options so that the issue could be discussed more rigorously, and recommendations formalized by the committee at the next advisory committee meeting.

Agency Legal Staff

Deputy General Counsel for Enforcement, David Gipson, reported that the SPCS has been without an official attorney for several months. It has been difficult, he said, to find qualified lawyers willing to work for the salary offered by TDA. As a result, legal work for SPCS has been divided among three TDA legal staff. According to Gipson, this has the added advantage of minimizing the impact on SPCS programs when an attorney leaves for any reason.

The next committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 26. The SPCS is receiving applications for positions on the advisory committee, especially the two open seats for industry and a consumer position. If interested, you should contact Michael Kelly.

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Posted By Blogger to Insects in the Cityat 1/26/2012 05:53:00 PM

Michael E. Merchant, PhD, BCE

Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist

School Integrated Pest Management

Teaching, Research, Extension and Service

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