Main Articles Listing: Entomology 6. Integrated Pest Management: a healthy alternative for Arizona's school children By Dawn Gouge Safeguarding children's health while at school is a priority for school administrators, pest managers, teachers, parents, lawmakers, and clinicians. For most District Superintendents and Facility Managers ensuring a safe learning environment is a commitment and a daily concern. While pests such as mice, scorpions, and cockroaches, do pose a health hazard, children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of pesticides that are used to manage them. Since the 1990s, we have become increasingly aware that due to anatomical, physiological and behavioral differences, children are impacted to a far greater extent compared with adults. There are significant data demonstrating deleterious affects on asthmatics, autistic children, and students with learning and behavioral difficulties. One shocking point to consider is that the adverse affects are as a result of intended and legal pesticide use. However, it is very possible to manage pests and reduce pesticide dependence. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a common sense approach to pest management that focuses on remediation of the fundamental reasons why pests are in a given area. Pest-proofing, improved sanitation, habitat manipulation and the education of human occupants are strategies that are combined with biological and chemical pesticides. IPM is one of the oldest pollution prevention strategies around. The following steps provide a helpful guideline to the implementation of IPM: 1. Facilities should formulate there own IPM policy and effectively communicate it to the school community. 2. Facilities should designate a contact person to answer questions from parents and staff about IPM and the district policy. The IPM specialist should help educate the school or child care community. 3. Pest management remediation should be based on the results of regular inspections and monitoring. Pest management professionals partner as educators and diagnosticians, they are IPM experts not spray techs. 4. Pest management professionals visit the premises during operational hours and interact with building managers and inhabitants. 5. Pesticides should not be applied in a routine manner and should only be considered if an active pest infestation is confirmed. 6. Restrict pesticide products to those with an EPA �Caution� label or a specified �Green List� of allowable pesticides. 7. No one other than a certified pesticide applicator should make pesticide applications. Pest Management personnel whether contracted or on staff, should partner with school/child care facility staff and function as an educator and diagnostician of pest problems. 8. Provide new staff with orientation training on Integrated Pest Management. 9. Ensure that pesticides are not applied when children are present at the facility. Toys and other items mouthed or handled by the children should be removed from the area before pesticides are applied. Children should not return to the treated area within twelve hours of a pesticide application or as specified on the pesticide label, whichever time is greater. 10. Inform parents and staff members in writing of the facility's pest control policy at enrollment and/or annually. 11. Provide at least three operational days but not more than 30 days advance notice of pesticide application to parents and staff except in emergencies where pests pose an immediate health threat to children or staff (e.g. honey bees). 12. In the event of an emergency where pests pose an immediate health threat to children and staff (e.g. bees) and pesticides are applied, ensure that children will not return to the treated area within two hours of a pesticide application or as specified on the pesticide label, whichever time is greater. 13. Ensure that pesticide MSDS and labels are available and up-to-date. They must be located in a known and accessible place. 14. Notify parents and staff as soon as possible when advance notice is not provided and include an explanation of the emergency, the reason for the late notice and the name of pesticide applied. 15. Make accessible, upon request, all records of pesticide applications and advance notices, pest sighting logs, and monitoring logs for the minimum time period required by state law. Professional IPM services should include: � Thorough and regular inspection of all pest vulnerable areas of buildings and grounds � Monitoring for pests (no pests = no pesticides) and pest identification � Interacting with community members during operational hours � Recommendations for control which may include recommendations on housekeeping or maintenance items � Pesticide applications only when needed. No routine sprays! � Provide schools with information/labels for pesticides used � Use of low-risk pesticides and application methods � Scheduling pesticide applications when the building is not occupied � Detailed record keeping: pest activity, recommendations, and pesticides used � Evaluation of control measure success The state of Arizona has a very active Children�s Environmental Health Coalition. The group combines experts from many fields who offer advice and help for districts and child care providers who want to transition from traditional spray programs onto verifiable IPM programs. The effectiveness of the coalition has been documented and IPM implementation has resulted in the following averaged results: a 71% reduction in pesticide applications and a 78% reduction in pest complaints to school administrations. Currently, 34.2% of K-12 children in Arizona schools are currently benefiting from verifiable IPM programs. Children are the most vulnerable members of society, they are the future and we are the custodians of their world. Contact: Dawn Gouge, Maricopa Agricultural Center, dhgouge@cals.arizona.edu, (520) 568-2273. - Updated: May 24, 2007 [e-Mail me the articles]    -     [Search our articles]    -     [contact us ]     return to media home