A Strategic Plan for Integrated Pest Management in Schools in the United States
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SCHOOL IPM 2020: A Strategic Plan for Integrated Pest Management in Schools in the United States Version 3.0 September 14, 2015 Edited by Thomas A. Green, Ph.D., IPM Institute of North America, Inc., Dawn H. Gouge, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, University of Arizona TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword 4 Acknowledgments 5 1. Executive Summary 6 2. Introduction 8 3. Stakeholder Priorities 20 Management Education Regulatory Research 4. Strategic Plan 36 Lessons Learned 5. IPM Adoption Process 54 6. Overview of Pest Management in US Schools 61 7. Management Zones: Preventing and Avoiding Pest-Conducive Conditions, Pests and Pesticide Hazards 64 8. Pest-specific Information, Tactics, Emerging Issues and Priorities 82 Structural Ants – Nuisance Species 83 Bats 89 Bed Bugs 94 Birds 99 Carpenter Ants 103 Cockroaches 106 Flies – House Flies, Filth Flies 113 Flies – Drain Flies, Fruit Flies and Fungus Gnats 118 Head Lice 124 Mosquitoes 129 Occasional Invaders and other Infrequent Pests 136 Rodents 141 Spiders 149 Stinging Insects 156 Stinging Ants 161 Termites 164 Ticks 172 Turf and Landscape Turfgrass Management 179 Landscape Plant Management 186 Appendix A. Pest Management Options Used in and Around Schools 196 Appendix B. School Pest Management-related Legislation by State 213 Appendix C. School IPM Report Card 214 Appendix D. Glossary 221 Appendix E. References 235 Appendix F. Bibliography of Reports and Surveys on Pest Management and Pesticide Use in Schools 249 Appendix G. School IPM Planning and Evaluation Tool 256 Appendix H. Directory of Organizations with Roles in School IPM 259 Appendix I. IPM Curriculum Support Tools 269 Appendix J. State and Regional IPM Contacts 280 Appendix K. Directory of School IPM Expertise 294 Appendix L. School IPM Tool Box 304 3 Foreword Pest Management Strategic Plans (PMSPs) are living stakeholder-owned documents, facilitated and funded by the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy and designed to be updated periodically, typically by the original grantees. Along with guidance on developing and updating PMSPs, completed plans are posted online by the IPM Centers at http://www.ipmcenters.org/pmsp/index.cfm PMSPs are typically developed for specific crops and regions by groups of stakeholders including commodity groups, land-grant university specialists, expert consultants, industry product and service providers and federal and state agencies. PMSPs typically take a pest-by-pest approach and identify current management practices, both chemical and non-chemical, as well as those under development. Plans also identify priorities for research, regulation and education to improve pest management practices and outcomes. PMSPs are used by researchers, educators, regulators and others to assess the current state of pest management, identify needs, support requests for funding and other purposes. Components of a PMSP may be incorporated in funding proposals, or further developed into outreach materials. This document is one of the few PMSPs addressing a non-crop environment and with a national scope. It is also unusual in that it sets a goal of implementing high-level IPM in all US public schools by 2020. For an update on the national effort, including the national steering committee and regional working groups, see: Northeastern Region School IPM Working Group http://northeastipm.org/work_school.cfm Southern Region School IPM Working Group http://www.sripmc.org/schoolIPM/ North Central Region School IPM Working Group http://www.ipminstitute.org/NC_IPMIS_Working_Group/main.htm Western Region School IPM Working Group http://cals.arizona.edu/apmc/westernschoolIPM.html National Steering Committee http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2020/steering_committee.htm 4 Acknowledgements The first version of this document, released in 2008, was the result of a large collaborative effort involving the IPM Institute of North America, the USDA NIFA IPM Program and USDA Regional IPM Centers, US EPA, Land-Grant universities, school district personnel, and representatives from private industry, non-governmental organizations and consultants. The second version, released in 2009, included minor technical updates. Additional updates to the second version were released in 2012, including updated priorities. Version 3.0 includes updated national and working group priorities, The editors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals to version 3.0: Lynn Braband Pat Copps Carrie Foss Fudd Graham Janet Hurley, MPA, Extension Program Specialist II - School IPM, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Kathy Murray Claudia R Mark Shour The following IPM Institute staff provided support for this revision: Mariel Snyder and Matt Neff. The editors are responsible for all content, which does not necessarily represent the opinions of all contributors or all of those who provided comments. This document will be reviewed and revised periodically. Corrections of factual errors and other comments are welcome and may be emailed to [email protected]. All hyperlinks were verified in July 2015. Citation. Green, T.A., and D.H. Gouge, eds. 2015. School IPM 2020: A Strategic Plan for Integrated Pest Management in Schools in the United States. Version 3.0. 316 pp. http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2020/SCHOOL_IPM_2020_V3_070615.pdf Rather than post this document, the project team asks that users link to the hyperlink in the citation above to ensure readers are directed to the current version. For a log of changes made to prior editions, visit http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015/school_ipm_2015_Updates.htm 5 1. Executive Summary Pest management practices in our nation’s schools are in need of improvement. More than 63 published surveys and reports from public agencies, advocacy groups and others since 1994 (Appendix G) have documented deficiencies including unmanaged pest infestations and inappropriate and off label use of pesticides in and around schools. The American Academy of Pedatrics (2012) warns that, “High-dose pesticide exposure may result in immediate, devastating, even lethal consequences,”. Improvement is feasible and affordable. Pest complaints and pesticide use in schools and other public buildings have been reduced by up to to 93% through Integrated Pest Management (IPM), with no long-term increase in costs in multiple well-documented studies (Gouge et al. 2006; Greene and Breisch 2002, Williams et al. 2005). IPM includes a continuum of practices progressing from basic monitoring and inspection, and higher risk, reactive strategies, to lower-risk, long-term prevention and avoidance of pest problems and pest-conducive conditions (Balling 1994, Jacobsen 1997, eXtension 2010). The ultimate goal is a balanced system where pests remain at tolerable levels with minimal cultural and biological interventions. Full implementation of IPM in schools at the advanced end of the continuum includes a thorough understanding of pests and pest biology by pest managers, careful inspection and monitoring for pest presence and pest-conducive conditions, and pest prevention through effective education, sanitation and facility maintenance (Chapter 2, Table 1). Pesticides are used only when reasonable non-chemical measures are inadequate. When needed, pesticide products are selected that minimize toxicity and/or potential for exposure. Our challenge is to replicate our well-documented IPM successes in all of our schools. The goal of this Pest Management Strategic Plan is to assess the current status of pest management in our school systems, identify priorities for management, education, research and regulation, and compile our current understanding of best practices and set out a plan of action to achieve full implementation of IPM in all of our schools by 2020. Specifically, prompt and coordinated action is required to: Increase awareness among key influencers and the school community of the problems and availability of ready solutions to reduce pest problems and pest-conducive conditions, reduce the need for pesticide applications and reduce toxicity and potential for exposure when a pesticide application is called for; Generate a commitment from agencies, organizations and individuals including product and service providers already working in and influencing schools to actively participate; 6 Provide financial, material and human resources to implement proven approaches including education, regulation and specific management tactics that prevent and avoid pest problems and pest-conducive conditions; Improve regulations and compliance with existing laws; Improve knowledge and understanding of the proper role and use of pesticides in pest management; Address research questions that may lead to reduced-risk approaches to managing common and occasional pests in schools; Educate staff and students about the benefits of IPM and how they can apply this approach to their homes and workplaces; and Increase financial resources available to meet these objectives. In preparing and implementing this plan, we have enlisted participation by a broad stakeholder group including leaders representing key influencer and practitioner groups, who are now actively working to implement IPM in all schools nationwide and recruiting others from their professions to achieve our goal. We are eight years into the effort of full implementation of IPM in our schools. The strategic plan proposal was developed in 2009 and in 2012 we evaluated our progress. Many positive changes have been made but there are still many challenges to overcome.