CASE STUDIES IN SCHOOL IPM - Download all as PDF
WINSTON SALEM-FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS
IPM Contact Person: Mr. Steve Cutright
Number of schools: 74
Important Pests: Roaches, bees, cicadas, carpenter bees, termites, bats.
IPM program:
WSFCS operates an In-house pest control program for both indoor and outdoor pests. The indoor pest management program has a staff of 2 certified pest control technicians. A contractor is retained for termite and vertebrate pest control, although the in- house staff occasionally does spot treatments for termites.
They started IPM when a new technician was hired. This technician had worked for a pest control company that used IPM. When he got to WSFCS he enquired if they used IPM. When he found out that they were still applying pesticides on a schedule, he introduced Steve to IPM and they have converted to IPM ever since.
Technicians schedule school site visits 1/school/month and respond to pest control emergencies as needed. Work orders come into the maintenance department electronically. The administrative assistant then prints them out and delivers them to Steve who then assigns them to the technicians. His crew goes to schools from 1:30-4:00 pm every day. After responding to a pest problem they document what action has been taken and return the work order to Steve. The pair pest control technicians travel together so that if there is any heavy lifting, they complement each other.
They use baits for 80% of the pest problems; they rarely need to spray, but when they do, the conduct targeted applications. Each year, they conduct a school district wide facilities audit to guide their preventative maintenance efforts.
Education:
Steve is a great PR person. He works across departments with principals, child nutrition staff to promote IPM. They obtain information on the latest pest control techniques from attending the Annual Conference of the North Carolina Pest Control Association (NCPCA), from the Cooperative extension office down the road, from the county health department and trade journals.
Challenges:
Every 3 years, the school board tries to out-source the pest control and grounds operations that Steve runs. When he compiles the cost, they realize that he does so much at half or a third the cost of contractors. They are surprised at how he manages to do so much with so little resource.
Floor drains present the worst pest problems. In classrooms, areas with carpet are usually problematic. They are selling the idea of getting rid of carpet in most areas, replacing them with easy to clean vinyl or wood. Some educators resist the idea. Classrooms with stuffed animals are also a common pest problems area. They are also moving away from sand to wood mulch.
Comments:
The principals and school community are very satisfied with the results of the IPM program. There is more communication between maintenance personnel and schools which they like. They see the technicians solving their pest problems and they like that too. Besides, it is safe for the kids.