The Intelligent Choice

1. IPM The Intelligent Choice Texas Structural Pest Control Board 07/25/2001

2. How It All Works Integrated Pest Management (IPM) uses many compatible methods to prevent or manage pests.

3. IPM Includes: • Inspection • Monitoring pest populations • Identifying pests; • Determining threshold • Developing a plan • Implementing the plan • Continuing to monitor

4. Science On Your Side • IPM is based on the biology of pests • IPM helps target pests when they are most vulnerable • IPM helps keep pests from returning

5. Why Use IPM? • To reduce pesticide hazards to people and pets. • To reduce pest damage.

6. Why Use IPM? • To reduce cost of pest control. • To prevent problems, not just react after they occur.

7. Where Do We Start? Start your IPM program by inspecting structures and surrounding areas to determine the types of pests that may be a problem.

8. Look For……..? • The things pests need for life: food, water, and shelter • Pests • Signs of pests • Ways that pests can enter the property and structures

9. What Next? Exclusion The next step should be to prevent pests from entering.

10. Keep Pests Out By: • Filling cracks and covering holes • Fencing and netting • Using window screens and screen doors • Keeping windows and doors closed

11. Keep Pests Out By: • Weather-stripping doors • Inspecting items for pests before bringing them onto the property • Placing grates or screens on drains and vents

12. What Else? • Keep grass, weeds, and other plants from growing against buildings. • Don’t let trash, stacks of boards, or other materials where pests can hide accumulate. • Avoid outdoor lights that attract insects to your doorways.

13. More Things to Do Outside 11. Keep food in pest proof containers. 12. Create proper water drainage. 13. Remove animal waste.

14. More Things to Do Outside 14. Do not allow access to garbage. 15. Keep trash cans away from the house.

15. Inside Structures: • Fill cracks where pests can enter or hide. • Keep food in pest-proof containers. • Rotate your stock of food so that the oldest food is eaten first.

16. More Inside: 4. Practice good sanitation by cleaning up and disposing of all food scraps after meals. 5. Sweep, mop, and/or clean with the vacuum often.

17. More Inside: 6. Eliminate clutter that may harbor pests. 7. Knock down any spider webs.

18. Physical Control of Pests • Use a fly swatter if only a few flies are present. • To capture pests indoors use fly paper, glue boards, light traps, funnel traps, and snap traps. • To capture vertebrate pests outdoors, use live traps.

19. CAUTION! • Traps and glue boards can harm and even kill pets and beneficial wildlife. • Be careful to place these devices where people, especially children, and pets will not become entangled.

20. What About Pesticides? • Pesticides may be used in some IPM programs. • It is important to select the proper formulation and toxicant for the IPM goals.

21. What About Baits? • Baits are a mixture of a pesticide and food or an attractant. • Baits often contain only minute amounts of pesticide.

22. What About Baits? • Baits are ideal for many IPM programs because they can be used in tamper resistant containers and target specific pests.

23. Always Identify The Pest Species It is important to identify the species when using baits, especially with ants because different species prefer different foods.

24. Can Other Formulations Be Used? Yes --sprays and dusts can often be applied to inaccessible areas where pests hide thereby lowering the chance of human contact.

25. Aren’t Pesticides Dangerous? • All pesticides are potentially dangerous to some form of life. • You should be aware that pesticides also represent a potential risk to groundwater, the environment, wildlife and our health.

26. Aren’t Pesticides Dangerous? • How Can Risks Be Reduced? • Proper pesticide use involves a combination of knowledge, common sense and ability to follow label directions.

27. Aren’t Pesticides Dangerous? • Use only the amount of pesticide needed for the job in accordance with the label. • Transport, store, and dispose of pesticides properly.

28. Monitoring • Monitor your progress (even after you apply lethal control measures) • Monitoring tells you what works and what doesn’t work • Glue boards and traps are useful for monitoring the type and abundance of many types of pests

29. IPM IN TEXAS SCHOOLS

30. Texas Legislature Made Intelligent Choice In 1991, the Texas legislature amended the Structural Pest Control Act to require public school districts to have integrated pest management programs.

31. Public Awareness • Concerns about health and the environment associated with chemicals, especially where children are involved. • Looking for effective alternative methods to pest control.

32. Least Toxic Methods Schools are required by law to use least toxic methods to control pests including rodents, insects, and weeds.

33. Effective Date All public school districts were required to have an IPM program in place by September 1, 1995.

34. Licensed Applicators In 1991, the Texas Legislature also required structural pest control applications at schools to be performed by licensed applicators.

35. An IPM Coordinator • Assists in the coordination of pest management personnel. • Ensures that all school employees who perform pest control have the necessary training.

36. An IPM Coordinator 3. Ensures that all school employees who perform pest control have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).

37. An IPM Coordinator • Ensures all school employees who perform pest control have the necessary licenses for the pest management responsibilities. • Maintains a prioritized list of needed structural and landscape improvements.

38. An IPM Coordinator 6.Maintains pesticide application records and all pesticide labels and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) information.

39. An IPM Coordinator • Authorizes and/or reviews least hazardous, effective emergency treatments with the approval of the certified applicator.

40. An IPM Coordinator 8. Handles requests and inquiries relating to pest problems and maintains records of any pesticide related complaints.

41. An IPM Coordinator • Maintains a copy of the district’s IPM policy. • Maintains pesticide application records and incidental use reports.

42. SPCB Regulations Section 595.11 of the Structural Pest Control Board Regulations provides standards for public school district IPM programs.

43. SPCB Regulations No pesticide may be applied where students are expected to be present for organized activities within the next twelve (12) hours

44. SPCB Regulations Emergency treatments will be permitted in the localized area of infestation when there is an imminent threat to health or property or an infestation is imminent.

45. SPCB Regulations Every Public School District Must: • Develop a written pest management policy for all structural pest control activities.

46. SPCB Regulations Every Public School District Must: 2. Have a pest management policy that has been adopted by the school board and it must be kept on file by the district superintendent and the IPM coordinator.

47. SPCB Regulations Every Public School District Must: 3. Designate the IPM Coordinator 4. Employ or contract with a certified applicator

48. SPCB Regulations The Pest Management Policy must at a minimum include: • Strategies that rely on best combination of pest management tactics compatible with human health and the environment • Proper identification of pest problems

49. SPCB Regulations Pest Management Policy (cont’d): 3. Monitoring programs to determine when pests are present or when pest problems are severe enough to justify corrective action. 4. Use of non-chemical management strategies whenever practical.

50. SPCB Regulations Pest Management Policy (cont’d): 5. Preferential use of least toxic chemical controls when pesticides are needed.