JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (JCPS) PEST CONTROL PLAN

Transcription

1 JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (JCPS) PEST CONTROL PLAN Each facility shall implement a pesticide registry program, as required by Kentucky Department of Agriculture 302 KAR Section 12, JCPS Board Policy GBE Staff Health and Safety, JCPS Board Policy EB Safety Procedures, and other applicable safety/health codes. Integrated Pest Management JCPS Safety and Environmental Services maintains a pest control service for schools and facilities. Pest Control at JCPS has been accomplished for many years by using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles. IPM is the method of controlling and managing insects, rodents and other pest concerns by trapping or by eliminating their causes and means of entry. JCPS has state certified pest control operators who have been certified in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Only licensed pest control employees are allowed to apply insecticides in school buildings. The use of pesticides, other than allowable low risk gel baits, is primarily for emergency situations. School personnel cannot apply insecticides of any kind EXCEPT for using bee/wasp knockdown sprays outside the building. IPM Pest Control Techniques The following are typical pest control techniques used at JCPS: Advance notification - Spray insecticides are rarely used in occupied areas and are subject to twenty-four (24) hour prior notification to staff, students and parents. An advanced notification form will be sent to all schools staff and parents with information regarding any upcoming pesticide treatment. Pesticide application will be scheduled and coordinated through the Pest Control Office of JCPS Safety & Environmental Services at A form is available for prior notification (SEE ATTACHED). Studying the habits and habitats of the pest is done in order to learn how to remove its food source, remove its habitat and block its entrance from the school. Sanitation and proper storage of food in closed plastic containers will prevent ants, roaches and mice. Page 1

2 Gel baits are used for roaches and ants. They are scientifically formulated as attractants and as such are of low risk to humans. This is due to their chemical makeup and placement away from students. Hanging insecticide-free Gold Sticks are placed to catch flies and gnats on the glue surface that has been treated with an attractant. Glue boards are used extensively to capture roaches, spiders and mice. Large snap traps are used to trap rats. Live traps are used to capture small nuisance animals such as opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and skunks. When captured, they are released into protected woods. No one else should approach a caged animal. Portable HEPA vacuums are used to remove troublesome spiders. Steamers are used to kill bed bugs on contact. Special nets are used to capture and release bats and birds. Special Pest Control Concerns Bats eat thousands of mosquitoes in one night. They leave their roost around sundown and return in the morning around three or four o clock. If seen during the day, they are interested in escaping a building, if at all possible. If one or more are seen in a school building, place a work order to Pest Control. Also, vampire bats do not live in the United States. Canadian Geese are protected and are becoming more and more common. They are attracted by water features such as ponds, swamps, drainage ways and fields with standing water. They will return year after year with increasing numbers of offspring unless they are discouraged from landing on the site. If individuals feed the geese at a school, they may encourage a permanent resident flock of geese. Once they make the area as their home, they are much more difficult to chase away. The situation may require the hiring of federal government wildlife personnel to catch and transport them to protected location elsewhere in the state. Lice - Human lice on students do not live for very long on their host. The room s environment such as carpet or flooring should be vacuumed, and the bag discarded. There is no need to spray floors and carpets with chemicals. Lice should be reported to a school or district nurse for instructions. Mosquitoes need water to multiply. If water stands for seven (7) days after a rain, there is enough time for eggs to hatch, mature into larvae and create a mosquito swarm. The best prevention is not to allow standing water in flower pots, tires, small pools and tubs. Ditches and ponding areas can be treated with anti-larval tablets, or the yard areas can be Page 2

3 drained. Mosquitoes can breed in roof gutters if they are not kept clean, or if the downspouts are plugged. Skunks are usually handled by a private capture company. A live trap will be set to capture the skunk. Since it may take hours before the cage with the skunk is picked up by the contractor, NO ONE ELSE SHOULD APPROACH A CAGE CONTAINING A LIVE SKUNK or offer the animal food or water. Skunks are capable of spraying anyone close by with a putrid odor in addition to the possibility of being rabid. The skunks will be released in another geographic area, so they won t return back. Termites eat wood fibers including wood in walls, paper backing on drywall, cardboard etc. Termites enter structures from the soil below. Their nests can be located under the school or off the property. In the early Spring (March and April) termites swarm for a couple of days to mate, lose their wings and return to their hole. At that time they should be vacuumed up. A work order should be placed so that a pest control operator can come out and record their location. This allows a treatment to be scheduled with a contractor when school is out for the summer. Bedbugs are small insects that feed mainly on human blood. A newly hatched bed bug (nymph) is semi-transparent, light in color, and the size of a poppy seed. Adult bed bugs are flat, have rusty-red-colored oval bodies, and are about the size of an apple seed. The bed bug life cycle has five stages. The bed bug must take a blood meal before it can grow to the next stage. Bed bugs have their skeleton on the outside of their body (exoskeleton) and must shed their exoskeleton to grow bigger. Adult bed bugs, both male and female need to have regular blood meals to reproduce. Bed bug identification must be confirmed! What are the Health Risks from Bed Bug Bites? Bed bugs are not known to spread any diseases. Bed bugs in our beds trigger panic and disgust and we just want to get rid of them as fast as possible. Currently there is no simple or inexpensive way to get rid of bed bugs. The products you buy at the store could make your problem worse if the pesticide is NOT used according to the label. You could also have a harmful reaction to the pesticide if applied improperly. Page 3

4 Bed Bug Bites Bed bug bites are most often found on the upper body: neck, arm and shoulders, but can be found on legs or ankles. Bed bugs feed on exposed skin, but can feed under loose clothing. In most situations they usually feed at night, but may feed during the day. Some people do not react to bed bug bites and others are very sensitive. Bite marks may appear within minutes or days. They can be small bumps, a rash or large, itchy welts. The bumps, rash or welts usually go away after a few days. Bed bug bites can be very itchy and irritating. Usually an anti-itching cream will help, but if bites become infected you should see a doctor. Bed bug bites may resemble mosquito and other insect bites. It is critical to confirm bed bugs in the sleeping or living area by inspecting for the signs of a bed bug infestation. Bites alone do not confirm that you have bed bugs. The most common ways bed bug infestations get started: Travelers bring bed bugs home from infested hotels or motels in their luggage. Bed bugs can be brought home with infested used furniture. Bed bugs can hitch a ride to another location by hanging on clothing. Family members not living with you may bring them to your home during visits. Page 4

5 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) NOTIFICATION FORM Dear Parent/Guardian, District Employee, or Health Professional, Date: Please be advised that: A pesticide will be applied in or around the school while school is in session under the calendar set by the Board or when students or others are to be in the building during the application or within twenty-four (24) hours after the application. Due to special circumstances, we were unable to provide the required advance notice of a pesticide application because (Why advance notice was not provided) Please note the following information: Date of pesticide application: General location of pesticide application: Pest(s) treated: Pesticide(s) applied (brand name): Active ingredients of pesticide(s) applied: Method of pesticide application: Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are on file with the Pest Control IPM Supervisor. For service or application questions, or copies of the labels or MSDS sheets, you may call the Pest Control IPM Supervisor at THIS FORM MAY BE USED TO IMPLEMENT THE DISTRICT S INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND SHALL BE SENT OR GIVEN AT LEAST TWENTY- FOUR (24) HOURS PRIOR TO A QUALIFYING PESTICIDE APPLICATION. A MASTER COPY OF EACH NOTIFICATION SHALL BE MAINTAINED BY THE SCHOOL IN A FILE MARKED IPM FOR TWENTY FOUR (24) MONTHS AFTER THE NOTICE IS ISSUED, AND SHALL BE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION UPON REQUEST BY DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PERSONNEL Page 5

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