CASE STUDIES IN SCHOOL IPM - Download all as PDF
WAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS
IPM contact person: Buddy McCarty
Number of Schools: 135 (+ added every year).
Important pests: Ants, Roaches, Mice, Spiders, Pantry pests, Mosquitoes, stinging insects, snakes, poisonous spiders.
IPM Program:
Buddy came to Wake County Schools after working with Orkin Pest Control for more than 30 years. Every school had a fogging machine. Maintenance personnel routinely fogged and used pesticides unnecessarily. Buddy got rid of all the foggers and started preventative pest control. Pest control training was instituted and the schools divided by geographical location with employees assigned to each location. This helped to focus their attention on fewer sites for longer durations, increased the amount of time and effort for conducting inspections and preventative maintenance, and decreased the amount of fogging and spraying. Pesticides when needed were applied as baits, or in cracks and crevices rather that space spraying.
In WCPSS IPM program, logbooks are placed in the main office and cafeteria of every school. Pest control requests are made through a computerized work-order system. When a work-order is received, pest control employees attend to the pest problems and report the actions taken or recommendations given to the school. If a chemical was applied, the type, amount, and location of application are recorded. This information is stored so that Buddy can inform them of any needed pest control related repairs/maintenance work in real time. Preventative maintenance is scheduled 1 visit/school/month. Emergencies are handled as they arise.
Education:
Buddy works closely with other departments to solve pest problems:
- He gives insights on building pest-proof schools to committees and discussion groups for designing new schools. He recommends the use of canopies that are bird proof; building concrete slabs for dumpsters away from the external exits of kitchens, and building ramps/lifts for easy transit of garbage to dumpsters
- He teaches landscapers to avoid growing trees and shrubs too close to the walls or trees from having limbs leaning on roofs.
- Talks to child nutrition directors about IPM and the role of kitchen staff in IPM. For example he recommends that before soft drink companies deliver drink dispensers to school, the machine should be steam cleaned to kill any cockroaches that may be hiding in them. In addition, the areas under and around vending machines and snack machines need to be cleaned of trash and debris. So he proposes the placement of vending machines on casters or rig a chain to attach to the wall so that the machines cannot be drawn away by students.
Challenges:
School employees were so accustomed to pest control by spraying a school down. When inspections increased and spraying reduced, they did not think any pest control was being done. Education helped surmount that barrier.
Cost: Not available
Comments:
To Buddy, IPM is the best idea in pest control yet. It requires simple inspections, solving
the current pest problems and continuing with preventative maintenance to avoid
recurrence of the pest problems. Chemicals may be used to knock pest populations own
but not to keep them down. Savings with IPM: IPM saves time, gas, money and headaches.
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