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| What is IPM? |
There is a delicate balance between protecting our children and other school occupants from unnecessary exposure to pesticides and protecting them from the health risks associated with pest organisms. It is to everyone's advantage to protect and maintain indoor air quality and a healthy environment as children may be more sensitive to environmental health threats.
Integrated pest management (IPM) looks at pest problems using a multi-tactic approach. It considers all aspects of the interactions between people and the pest to find the easiest way to resolve the pest problem with the lowest overall risk to people's health and the school environment. IPM looks beyond exterminating the pest and the use of preventative regularly scheduled pesticide applications. IPM considers factors that allow pests to become problems in the first place and uses a combination of cultural, physical, biological and chemical pest management strategies.
The most important strategy is communication and cooperation among school officials, teachers, staff, custodians, and parents. How people use and manage a school determines the pest problems that will occur. IPM emphasizes regular inspections and monitoring to detect pests before they become a problem, making it easier to manage them in less toxic ways. Inspections, information on the pest's life cycle, setting action thresholds, and information on how the school facility is used determine when and what action is taken. IPM's flexibility to adapt to any pest problem is what makes it work. IPM does not rule out the use of pesticides. Pesticide use is weighed against other less toxic and more permanent methods. (TOP) |
| Why IPM? |
| A school is a difficult place to practice pest management. The design and use of schools buildings and landscapes may encourage pest problems. Schools also operate on tight budgets and have to craft policies which incorporate a diversity of people and opinions. Only by looking beyond pest extermination and routine pesticide applications can pesticide exposure to users of schools be reduced. The benefits and barriers to the use of IPM are: |
| Benefits |
- Provides long term results
- Environmentally friendly
- Reduces unnecessary chemical use and its liability
- Reduces risk of pesticide resistance
- Proactive, not reactive
- Detects a potential pest problem before it's a major problem
- Provides a written record of pest activities and control actions
- Promotes a better school/community relationship
- Site-specific
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| Barriers |
- May be more expensive to implement - especially when first starting IPM
- Requires everyone, even students, to take an active role
- Requires more skill and knowledge than traditional pest control
- Additional paperwork and communication
- May require on-going training
- Persistent attention
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| The four basic IPM components: |
Monitoring
IPM is based on consistently inspecting and monitoring for pests to determine the location and degree of infestation. Monitoring includes traps, visual inspections, and interviews with staff members, and can be incorporated into other activities such as cleaning. Proper indentification of the pest is critical to gathering information about the pest's life cycle and habits. Identification is essential for selecting the combination of strategies which will be most effective and knowing when to implement them. Map out and prioritize problem areas. Take thorough notes to help
you determine what to do now and in the future. |
Setting Action Levels
School officials must set thresholds to determine if and when action should be taken against a certain pest. The action level is the number of pests that can be tolerated before treatment is necessary. While health concerns are always most important for determining the action threshold, economic and aesthetic factors cannot be ignored. An example of an action threshold would be detecting one mouse. Because mice can pose a significant health threat, action should be taken immediately. In other words, one mouse is too many. |
Applying IPM Strategies
IPM employs a multi-tactic approach, integrating several strategies to combat a particular pest.
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| Criteria for selecting a treatment strategy are: |
1. Least hazardous to human health
2. Least disruptive of natural controls
3. Least toxic to non-target organisms
4. Most likely to be permanent
5. Easiest to carry out safely and effectively
6. Most cost-effective
7. Most site-appropriate |
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There are four common types of control strategies that remove a pest's food, water, and shelter, and limit its access into and throughout buildings and on school grounds.
1. Cultural control is a preventative measure using fertilization, plant selection, and sanitation to exclude problematic pests and weeds.
2. Physical control is another preventative strategy. It includes, pest exclusion; creating barriers; modifying conditions such as temperature, light and humidity; trapping; and manually weeding. Foods and beverages should be eaten and stored only in designated areas.
3. Biological control makes use of a pest's natural enemies. This strategy introduces beneficial insects or bacteria to the environment or, if they already exist, provides them with the necessary food and shelter and avoids using broad-spectrum chemicals that will inadvertently kill them.
4. Chemical control is used after all other control strategies are deemed inappropriate or ineffective. Target-specific, low-toxicity pesticides should be applied in a manner that will maximize the effectiveness of pest management and minimize the exposure to humans and other non-target species. Spot treat if possible to reduce exposure. |
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Evaluation
Program evaluation involves reviewing monitoring data, actions taken, treatment impacts and effectiveness, and any other relevant observations.
These reports will provide information on previous and current pest populations and which strategies were applied. Comparing data will clearly indicate which pest management strategies were most effective for the amount of time and money spent. IPM practices and procedures can be modified, if necessary, based on past experience, results, and gained knowledge.
Ask yourself questions about the program. |
- Was the treatment(s) effective?
- What were the effects on non-target species?
- What worked and what did not?
- What can I do differently next time?
- Should I consult an outside source of expertise for further IPM recommendations?
- Is the program compatible with current public expectations?
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Remember, be flexible! The key to a good IPM program is adaptability and allowing for continuous fine-tuning in your program. Keeping other school personnel informed and involved will help make them aware of the school's IPM program and its advantages.
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- Modified from A Practical Guide to Management of Common Pests in Schools, developed by the Illinois Pest Control Association, Illinois Department of Health, Structural Pest Control Advisory Council and University of Illinois Extension, 1999.
- Taken from Integrated Pest Management for Schools: A How-to Manual, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, 1998.
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture-Integrated Pest Management Fact Sheet Series
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In Accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, an alternative form of communication is available upon request. No endorsement intended or implied of products or companies.
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To obtain additional copies of this publication, contact the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Pesticide Control Program at 907-376-1870 or in state at
1- 800-478-2577. Rosemarie Lombardi Rosemarie_Lombardi@dec.state.ak.us |
(TOP)
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