School Pest News VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7

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SECTION 1 THREE TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR IPM EFFORTS
By Steve Byrns
Students aren’t the only ones in class this fall; unwanted insect and animal pests of all shapes and sizes also “attend school” at times, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist II.

Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension school integrated pest management specialist in Dallas, said school districts across the state face a constant invasion of pests to the degree that since 1995 every independent school district in the state is required to have an integrated pest management coordinator.
Hurley said three school districts in the Houston area, Katy, Klein and Spring independent school districts, all recently earned the IPM Star certification after passing a rigorous 37-point inspection.

“The IPM Star evaluates school systems and childcare centers for integrated pest management or IPM, which is a common-sense approach to solving pest problems with a minimum amount of pesticide use,” Hurley said.

“All three school districts will be receiving national recognition for their work during the 2011 Statewide School IPM Coordinators Conference set for Nov.
16-17 in San Marcos,” she said. “Dr. Tom Green, the conference keynote speaker and president of the IPM Institute of North America, will present the awards.
“Winning this honor is no easy feat, because it really takes commitment on the part of the whole school district to make this achievement happen. It’s quite an honor.” Hurley said Spring ISD started their integrated pest management program in 1995.

Prior to that, they were essentially in a reactive mode when it came to dealing with unwanted critters. Since then they have all but eliminated the use of harsh pesticides in favor of only the safest products which, when applied correctly and only as needed, have provided effective and longer-lasting control than the methods used previously.
Klein ISD has a similar story, she said. Their school district looks at ways to solve pest problems without chemicals whenever possible. This includes sealing insect entry ways and using individual control methods which allows them to seldom resort to broad spectrum approaches.

Katy ISD is one of the fastest growing school districts in Texas and the nation and since it is located in a relatively rural setting, pests of many types are a constant concern, Hurley said.

“Katy ISD uses tactics similar to the other two winning school districts by employing a proactive approach to IPM that relies on proper sanitation, pest exclusion and monitoring as their first line of defense before resorting to any chemical use. They also have an active mentoring and educational program that provides opportunities for teaching other school districts similar successful tactics.”

To learn more about the three winning school districts’ programs or about integrated pest management in schools see, https://schoolipm.tamu.edu .

To find out more on the 2011 Statewide School IPM Coordinators Conference http://www.tasbo.org/training/ipm-coordinators-conference we are offering 6 CE credits for school IPM coordinators. Walk-ins welcome – $125 payment made to TASBO

SECTION 2 EPA IMPROVES THE PESTICIDE PRODUCT LABEL SYSTEM
EPA recently launched an improved version of the Pesticide Product Label system (PPLS). Below is an excerpt from an email from the director of the OPP IT division. A link is at the top of the OPP homepage.  PPLS was first created as a CD-based tool in the late 1990’s and moved to the internet around 2001. As you know, the old PPLS provided access to EPA approved labels via the EPA registration number. These files were TIFF images — an older technology which is really only an image or picture of a document. These files were increasingly difficult to access as computer technology evolved. You may recall that many of us had problems accessing these TIFF files using our new CTS computers.

Since then PPLS has become an essential part of our historical record and a resource and is heavily used by us and outside groups, particularly our state regulatory partners. Many users, both internal and external, have expressed interest in modernizing PPLS and we drew from everyone’s ideas and
suggestions in our design for this new version. Particularly, I want to thank those who have participated in demo sessions over the last several months and provided very useful input to our design.

New Features

As you explore this new version, you will find some new enhancements, including the following:
All 170,00+ labels have upgraded from TIFF images to text searchable PDFs. You can now use the search feature in Adobe Acrobat to search the text of an individual label. New options for finding labels. On the front page of PPLS, we have added the ability to search by product name and company name, in addition to the traditional search by registration number.

Google-like interface. Start typing in a product or company name and the new PPLS will start suggesting options for your search. Information on transfers. This new version of PPLS has information on when and to whom a product has been transferred. When a product has been transferred, a tab will appear with the details of its transfer history.
New flexible format. We are using a new web technology that allows you to easily refine your results, resort columns, reorganize the results, and download to a spreadsheet, if you like.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – INSECTS IN THE NEWS
Recluse spiders by Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist II
With the holidays quickly approaching (holy crikey Thanksgiving is only two weeks away!), many people will begin to venture into garages, attics and storage areas to get out decorations. My husband and I generally have a heated discussion as to when all the stuff will come out- hubby likes it right after Thanksgiving (possibly even right after we get finished eating) while I prefer to wait until December rolls around. Only time will tell who will triumph this year….
Anyway, back to y’all taking out decorations. I really recommend that you wear leather gloves to avoid spider bites when venturing into those little-disturbed areas to dig out those once a year decorations. There are numerous spiders that may lurk in areas that are seldom disturbed, but recluse spiders are ones that could cause concern. I don’t want to make you panic or be paranoid, I just want you to take precautions.

Recluse spiders are also known as fiddle-back or violin spiders. While many people use the violin shaped marking on the cephalothorax (the front part of the spider’s body) as a key characteristic, there are other spiders that have similar markings that may be mistaken for recluse spiders. The key characteristic is the eye pattern which is three pairs of eyes, called dyads. There is one dyad in the front center and then a dyad on each side in the front (see image).

Recluse spider. Image courtesy of Mike Merchant.
Recluse spiders come by their name because they do not like to be out in the open and are reclusive. They hunt at night and during the day hide in dark areas. They may be found in cracks and crevices, under plywood, tarps or in boxes among other places. Recluse spiders do not occur everywhere, so here is a distribution map to see if they’re in your part of the US.

The venom causes necrotic skin lesions that usually heal fine as long as they are tended to in a proper manner. If you are bitten by a spider, it is recommended that you capture the spider to have it identified. If you are concerned about any reaction to a spider bite, see a physician.

So when you’re digging out those holiday decorations (whether it’s right after Thanksgiving or in December), take care and wear some gloves for protection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DATES TO LOOK FOR:

66th Texas A&M University Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop
Date: January 11 -13, 2012
Location: Brazos Center, Bryan, TX http://pcoconference.tamu.edu/

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EPA Takes Next Step to Cancel 20 Mouse and Rat Control Products Used in Homes

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Action will reduce accidental exposures to harmful chemicals

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today took another step in the process to cancel 20 mouse and rat control products that do not adequately protect people, particularly young people, from exposure to toxic chemicals. EPA has determined that safer rodent control products are now widely available, effective, and affordable. The products EPA plans to remove from the consumer market are those that contain the most toxic and persistent active ingredients, products sold as loose bait and pellets and any remaining products without protective bait stations, which keep children, pets and other animals from accessing the enclosed rodenticide bait.

This action would further implement a 2008 decision in which EPA identified risk reduction measures to protect children, pets and wildlife from harmful chemicals in rodent control products. EPA asked manufacturers of consumer-use rodenticide products to adopt these new, more protective measures by June 2011. Many companies now sell new products that meet the updated safety requirements. When used as directed, these products help consumers control household rodents and reduce accidental exposure. A list of these products and tips to safely control rodents is available on EPA’s website:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/mice-and-rats/consumer-prod.html

As part of the administrative cancellation process in section 6(b) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA will convene its FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to provide independent input on the scientific basis for the proposed cancellation of the 20 products. The public meeting will take place November 29 through December 1, 2011. EPA will also seek comment from the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services prior to issuing a Notice of Intent to Cancel to the manufacturers of the non-conforming rodenticide products.

The companies that have not adopted the new more protective measures include: Reckitt Benckiser Inc. makers of D-Con, ; Spectrum Group makers of Hot Shot and Rid-a-Rat; and Liphatech Inc. makers of Generation rodent control products.

More information on EPA’s review of rodenticides: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/mice-and-rats

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October is Children’s Health Month

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October is Children’s Health Month as you can see from a statement sent out by Lisa Jackson, Administrator U.S. EPA.

EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP) posted this article (see link below) this month of October for Children’s Health Month.  From the University of PA, an article on the “Importance of a Safe and Healthy School Environment: Pests, Pesticides and Children” will be posted on the EPA website.  The article focuses on: What is IPM?, The steps of IPM, Head Lice at school and home, and bed bugs.  The PA IPM Program is a collaboration between PSU and PA Dept. of Ag aimed at promoting IPM both in agricultural and urban situations.

http://extension.psu.edu/ipm/news/2011/importance-of-a-safe-and-healthy-school-environment-pests-pesticides-and-children

 

In addition to this article you will also find a couple documents that deal with Asthma, asthma triggers and how integrated pest management can help reduce indoor allergens.  Remember IAQ and IPM do go hand in hand. October is a good month to remind students and staff about possible allergen and asthma triggers that can happen inside and out.

American Council on Science and Health – Asthma [PDF]

Allergy & Asthma Today – We are what we breathe [PDF]

Reducing Your child’s Asthma using IPM: a Practical Guide for Parents around the Home

 

Dear Colleagues:
Every year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrates October as Children’s Health Month. A critical part of our mission to protect human health and the environment is addressing the vulnerabilities of children exposed to pollution and doing all we can to protect their health and ensure a brighter future. I am proud of the many actions taken across the agency’s programs and regions to ensure that our children have a safe environment in which they can live, learn and play.

This year, Children’s Health Month focuses on clean, green and healthy schools. We are celebrating the many EPA activities that contribute to healthy school environments and that support children’s health and academic achievement. The EPA plays an important role in ensuring healthy indoor air for young students and encouraging well-located, thoughtfully designed, soundly built and efficiently operated schools. By fostering a safe and healthy environment for children, teachers and other staff, we can help our nation’s children reach their full potential inside and outside the classroom.

There are a range of Children’s Health Month activities planned throughout October and many opportunities for EPA staff to promote healthy school environments and to address other pressing children’s health issues. I encourage you to take a moment to visit the EPAs Children’s Health Month website for a list of events and activities and to learn more about our agency’s special responsibility to safeguard children’s health.

As EPA Administrator and as a mother, I am grateful for your continued efforts to protect children from environmental health threats. Thank you again for all of your hard work.

Sincerely,

Lisa P. Jackson

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Got ants in your pantry? Tiny ants can be big bother to many South Central Texas homeowners

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Pharaohs and rovers sighted in homes throughout South Central Texas!

No, it’s not a tabloid headline. The pharaohs aren’t related to King Tut or Ramses, and the rovers aren’t really too wild. However, these two diminutive ant species – found in pantries, on kitchen counters, and in and around sinks — can be a big bother for many South Central Texas residents, said Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts.

“These ants typically become more active in the summer,” said Wizzie Brown, integrated pest management specialist for AgriLife Extension in Travis County. “Usually people immediately think any small, abundant ants making trails – usually to and from food or water sources in the home — are pharaoh ants, but they might be rover ants. Though different species, both types of ant are very small and move single-file in a row, so it’s easy to be confused.”

Brown said, however, that rover ants are darker – a dark brown or almost black color as opposed to the pharaoh ant’s orange or rust color. Also, rovers are outdoor ants that come indoors searching for food and water – an activity that has become more prevalent with the region’s prolonged drought.

“Pharaoh ants are also known as sugar ants due to their preference for sugary or sweet foods, and are also called pissants,” she said.

While rover ants come indoors from the outside, pharaoh ants are already in the home, and only need a little encouragement to come out, Brown said.

“The pharaoh ant is really about the only ant you can call a strictly urban ant in that it usually lives indoors, making its home behind walls or under appliances or carpet,” said Molly Keck, integrated pest management specialist in Bexar County. “They’re often found going into or coming out of the cover plates of electrical outlets. The outlets make it easier for them to access interior walls and they can use the wires as their super-highway to your kitchen or bathroom.”

Rover ants typically make their home in the leaf litter on roofs or in gutters or under rocks, stones or concrete, she added.

“While rover ants will eat sweet foods when they get really hungry, they seem to be most attracted to foods containing protein, such as dog food or meat,”
she said. “You’ll more often find them clustered around a small piece of meat than something sugary.”

Like other ants, rover ants that invade homes will often nest in damp interior walls around plumbing or near leaky window sills.
Keck said the diminutive size of both species makes them relatively unobtrusive – unless moving en masse in a long trail across a household surface — and that neither species has much of a bite.

Still, most people consider the ants a pest and are interested in ways to control them, Brown noted.

“Ant baits are the best method of control for both types,” Brown said. “You don’t want to use a spray on either of these species as that likely will split up the colony and ultimately lead to more ants in more locations,” she said. “You need to be aware of differences in baits and the safest and most effective ways to apply or set them out.”

“Typically there are only liquid baits or bait stations labeled for indoor use to control pharaoh ants, so you shouldn’t go putting a pile of ant bait in your kitchen or bathroom,” Keck warned.

Keck said she prefers to use a solid bait to control pharaoh ants and a gel or liquid bait to control rover ants.

“Rover ants can enter your house through weep holes, cracks or any other opening large enough to fit through,” she said. “For better pest control, you should seal any cracks or openings around windows and doors as well as other possible points of entry.

“Outdoors, remove the remnants of any uneaten dog food, and trim the grass touching your house and the branches touching your roof as these may provide a means of access. Indoors, remove food sources – bread, cakes, chips, etc. – from kitchen surfaces and clean those surfaces thoroughly before using the bait.”

Brown noted that removing alternative food sources makes the ant bait more appealing to the ants.

“But if the ants don’t seem to be eating the bait, you may want to try a different type,” she said. “For example, some ant baits are sugar-based and others are protein-based, so the effectiveness of the bait may depend on the type of ant and the sort of food the ants are seeking.”

Brown said placing a bait station near the area where the ants appear to be most active is likely the best approach to control.

“But if you’re using a bait, be sure to keep it out of the reach of children and pets, and particularly keep it away from places where your cat might be able to get to it,” she said. She added that since pharaoh ants often enter and exit thought electrical outlets, taking the cover plate off and dabbing a small amount of gel bait in the wall void can be very effective.

“Many people think you have to put a lot of gel in there to do any good, but a small amount is plenty to be effective,” she said. “Just remember to scrape off the old bait before putting on any new bait since the bait will dry and harden over time.”

Brown and Keck both noted that while the ants are not a major health threat, they can potentially transmit disease and contaminate sterile materials – a particular problem in a hospital or similar setting where a high level of sanitation needs to be maintained.

“For both ant species, it’s important that you choose the right type of control because of their ability to disperse and repopulate,” Brown said. “That’s why it is so difficult for some people to get rid of them. They’re persistent and can re-establish quickly, so you have to manage them properly so they don’t relocate and repopulate in multiple locations.”

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