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News you can use
Tag Archives: EPA
SPN: School reopening does any of this impact my IPM and IAQ program?
As everyone is trying to figure out how to educate children during the COVID-19 pandemic, the question on everyone’s mind is how to do this by keeping schools clean? The guidelines from CDC, For a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020 and the Texas Education Agency’s two documents Public Health Planning Guidance and School Reopening Guidance Summary give some advice on how to open your school; however, it’s limited in the actual directions of what, where, and when to clean. In an IPM program the first step… Read More →
EPA Healthy Schools Newsletter Debut
Howdy everyone, Region 6 EPA sent out a Healthy Home and Schools newsletter. It’s four pages of useful information June 2020 Healthy Schools CF Topics include: notes for nurses, information for custodians, Sunwise information to protect everyone during summer, plus ways to stay safe at home with simple tips to keep the house healthy too. While I have your attention, let me introduce you to the newest page on the school IPM website – Recorded Webinar Events on this page are several recordings of webinar events that you can… Read More →
SPN: Recordkeeping one of the most important tasks of an IPM program.
IPM Coordinators and pesticide applicators are required to keep records; however, not everyone keeps records the same and completely. Today we are going to look at what you need to maintain good records so that they can support your program and the important work you do. What you put out, when you put it out, how you apply it, who applied it, and the exact location you made that application is critical to ensuring regulators, customers and the public know exactly what you did and why. Application use… Read More →
SPN: Back to School Reminders
As the new school year starts this is a good time to remind your staff about your IPM program. Many of your new teachers may not be aware of the TX school IPM law and rules, it is your job as the District IPM coordinator to inform them of this rule and ensure they know what to do if they have pest problems. One of the best things you can do is send out is an email reminder letting them know if they see a pest or pest… Read More →
SPN: Online IPM Resources to assist IPM Professionals with their Programs
In 2014, a number of collaborating institutions led by Dawn Gouge, University of Arizona and Janet Hurley , Texas A&M AgriLife Extension received two separate grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide online resources on integrated pest management (IPM) for school personnel. The Stop School Pests team used their grant to focus on education and training for personnel, while Hurley and collaborating scientists created a one-stop online “big box store” of IPM resources, including documents, training, pest ID pamphlets, state legislation and more. The training website,… Read More →
School Pest News, Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2015
Be on the Watch for Asps! By: Molly Keck Puss caterpillars, AKA Asps have been spotted this season in south TX! Be on the lookout and be careful if you encounter them. These fuzzy, almost cute, little caterpillars can inflict a nasty sting without provocation. Hidden inside the fuzzy façade, are venomous spines that result in a painful rash or “burn”. They are not aggressive caterpillars, and stings often occur when individuals accidentally brush up against them, or curious children pick one up to check it out. The… Read More →
School Pest News, Volume 14, Issue 4, May 2015
Fire Ant Management by Molly Keck, Extension Program Specialist II Rain brings fire ants… at least that’s what people say. Rain doesn’t necessarily make fire ants more abundant – they were always there, they just weren’t as noticeable. When it rains, the ground becomes saturated and the fire ants move their colonies higher. When they pop above the ground, you come across them more readily and its gives the impression that there are more and they are worse than during dry months. Unless you have been treating regularly,… Read More →
School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 3, March 2014
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… Read More →
May is Asthma Awareness Month
Asthma Awareness Month provides a time for us to work together to improve the lives of children and families living with asthma and with your help, to build better awareness around this important public health issue. Asthma affects over 25 million people in the U.S., including 7.1 million children. Almost 13 million people report having an asthma attack in the past year. While EPA continues to strive for cleaner air and a healthier environment through regulatory actions such as the Power Plant Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, there… Read More →
School Pest News VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7
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… Read More →
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