MISSION
The mission of the school IPM project is to assist public schools in North Carolina to adopt IPM progrqams by educating and training Pest Management Professionals contracted by schools, maintainence personnel, teachers, students, school administrators, and other interested parties.
Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
for North Carolina Schools:
Background:
The goal of the North Carolina Schools IPM project is to help schools implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs to control pests safely, effectively and reduce exposure of school children and school occupants to pesticides. An IPM advisory committee was formed in 1998 to work out the modalities for achieving this goal. This committee drew members from:
- Maintenance Departments of Public Schools,
- North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR): Division Public Health Pest Management,
- North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA & CS): Structural Pest Management Division,
- North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Entomology,
- North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service (NCSUCES),
- North Carolina Pest Control Association (NCPCA),
- Non-Governmental Organization: Agricultural Resource Center (ARC).
To obtain baseline information on the pest control practices of NC schools, we conducted a survey of School Superintendents. Data from the survey of school superintendents revealed that 75% of schools contracted Pest Control companies to control pests. This led to a second survey targeted to PMPs. Results from both surveys provided insight into the pest control practices of schools in North Carolina (Survey reports provided). Thereafter demonstration sites were set up in several schools to get a better understanding of pest control in a school environment. Information from the surveys and the experience from demonstration sites were used to develop a manual that is being used to implement IPM programs in schools.
IPM Manual:
The manual “IPM for North Carolina Schools” has information for all the players in any IPM program: School administrators, IPM contact person, PMPs, Maintenance personnel/technician, students and teachers etc. This manual has several parts:
Part I: Understanding Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Part II: Steps toward adopting IPM including a sample IPM policy, a description of the roles and responsibilities of people involved in IPM, pest management objectives and deciding when to take action
Part III: How to implement an IPM program with details on monitoring, record-keeping and Pest ID, choosing action strategies and evaluating the IPM program;
Part IV: Sample forms for record-keeping, inspection report, inspection checklists;
Part V: How to develop bids and a sample IPM contract that can be adapted by schools.
IPM implementation Approach:
We are following three avenues to promote IPM in North Carolina schools:
A. Developing partnerships with parties interested in implementing IPM in schools
B. Training PMPs and school maintenance personnel in IPM techniques
C. Providing information and recommendations on how to implement IPM to Pest Control Companies, School Administrators and other occupants etc.
If you have any information and/or feedback that can help to achieve the goals of this project please contact us at:
Godfrey Nalyanya, Ph.D.
Extension Associate, Urban IPM
Department of Crop Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh NC 27695-7620
Phone: 919-515-5650
Fax: 919-515-5315
Email: godfrey_nalyanya@ncsu.edu