Safer Pest Control for Childcare Facilities

Prepared by Safer Pest Control Project, a non-profit organization

Why Learn About Pest Control in Child Cares?

Pest & pesticides can endanger children’s health

Safer pest control (IPM) is required by law

IPM requires a new attitude & new skills

What is Integrated Pest Management?

1. Keep Pests Out

2. Remove Pests’ Food & Water

3. Remove Pest Harborage

4. Monitor for Pests

5. Create an IPM Plan & Keep Records

6. Treat Existing Pest Problems

Routine Monthly Spraying is NOT Part of IPM

Problems with Pests

They’re gross!Health Problems

Spread Bacterial Diseases Contaminate Food Trigger Asthma LCMV – spread by mice.

Causes meningitis and may harm pregnancies

Damage Property See chewed wiring at right

Problems with Pesticides – Children’s Health

Acute Exposure:Asthma AttacksFlu-like Symptoms

Long-Term Exposure:AsthmaCancerNeurological damageImmune System damagePermanent chemical sensitivity

IPM in Childcare Law(Effective July 1, 2004)

Licensed Childcare Centers Requirements:

STOP routine pesticide sprayingAdopt an Integrated Pest Management programNotify parents, guardians, employees between 2

and 30 days before pesticide application Never apply pesticides when children are presentRemove toys and other items handled by children

before pesticides are appliedChildren shall not return to the treated area within

2 hours of a pesticide application

#1. Keep Pests Out Doors & Windows

Deliveries

Let me know if your screens have holes.

We will fill all holes like these…

Cracks and HolesAn open door is an invitation…

to a pest problem.

#2. Remove Pests’ Food & Water

Picture: University of Florida/IFAS

Problems…Yuck!

Solutions…

#3. Remove Pest Harborage

ClutterYes, that is a

roach.

Clutter provides lots of hiding spots AND covers up evidence

of a growing problem.

Before After

#4. Monitor for PestsReport sighting in the pest sighting log

Don’t move monitor traps

Roach poop. Let us know if you see it.

#5. Create an IPM Plan & Keep Proper Records

Pest Name: COCKROACHES

Pest problem type(check one)Health (X)Nuisance ( )Safety ( )Other:

# sited/Trapped

Recommended actions to be taken to control the problem

First Actions or Inspection

Habitat and Harborage Reduction

Traps / Pesticide application* Follow-up

0 Maintain course No pesticides whatsoever Check monitor traps monthly

1-5/

month

Place more monitor traps to determine extent of problem

Caulk/ seal around areas with sightings. Vinegar wash floor/baseboards. Check food storage and cleaning.

More insect sticky traps. Check monitor stations weekly.

Determine path inside the building

6-20/

month

Blitz clean surrounding area. Locate hiding spots.

Get rid of all cardboard and do a clutter buster day. Unload boxed deliveries. Ask parents to wash coats and backpacks.

Consider use of containerized bait near areas of pest sightings.

Check monitor stations weekly.

20-100/

Month

Contact pest control professional for assistance.

Clean to the corners and reduce all clutter. Consider going to cold food until problem is controlled.

Consider using boric acid in wall voids, if roaches are living there (this requires notification).

Check monitor stations, cleaning procedures.

+100/

Month

Use a professional.

Clean, seal, reduce clutters. Stay on cold food until problem is solved.

Request a vacuum clean out from a pest management professional.

Check monitor stations daily. Replace as necessary.

Sample IPM Plan for Roaches:

Records We Will Keep: pest sighting logs; monitor traps logs; service reports; IPM Recommendations; MSDS; pesticides used w/ location and amount; copies of any notifications; IPM Policy; IPM Plans; etc.

Don’t be surprised if the pest control company stops in your classroom.

(They are doing their job by simply looking around. They should NOT be spraying.)

#6. Treat Existing Pest Problems

No one is to have pesticides in the school

We will be using traps and bait if necessary

What Will You Do Differently?

Everyone gets a chance to speak…Main office, administrative changes…Any other ideas on what we can do to

maintain a pesticide free facility?

Resources and References

Safer Pest Control Projectwww.spcpweb.org312-759-8267SPCP is a non-profit resource centeravailable to answer questions.

DCFSGonzalo Ayoroa217-557-0692

IL Department of Public HealthFred Riecks217-782-5830friecks@idph.state.il.us

Your Local R&RCall INCCRRA for details

(800) 649-1884

FOR MORE INFORMATION REFERENCES

(1) Carson, Rachel Silent Spring(2) American Association of Poison Control Centers; Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS) http://www.aapcc.org/poison1.htm(3) Salam, M. et al., “Early-Life Environmental Risk Factors for Asthma: Findings from the Children’s Health Study” Envrionmental Health Perspectives, 2004 (112): 760-765.(4) [1] Eskenazi, B.; Bardman, A.; Castorina, R. “Exposures of children to organophosphate pesticides and their potential adverse health effects”. Environmental Health Perspectives. 1999; 107(S3): 409-419. (5) CDC; ALA Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality(6) Daniels, Julie L. et al. “Pesticides and Childhood Cancers,” Environmental Health Perspectives, 1997 (105): 1071 (7) Ma, Xiaomei, et al. “Critical Windows of Exposure to Household Pesticides and Risk of Childhood Leukemia” Environmental Health Perspectives, 2002 (110): 957(8) Kato, Ikuko et al. “Pesticide Product Use and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Women” Environmental Health Perspectives, 2004(112): 1275(9) Environmental Protection Agency(10) [1]Beaumont, Peter, “Pesticide Residues Pose Different Risks to Children”, The Pesticides News, No. 21, Sept. 1993, The Pesticides Trust, London.

•Synthetic pesticides are ‘by definition’ poison; invented in the 1940s/50s for warfare–to kill people not bugs (1). •Pesticides are a common source of poisoning in children (2). •Exposure to pests in early childhood leads to double the risk of developing asthma by age 5; exposure to pesticides in early childhood can quadruple the risk of developing asthma by age 5 (3,4).•Asthma has nearly doubled since 1980 (5).•Pesticides are also linked with brain cancer, leukemia, lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma as well as some neurological problems like cognitive delays and learning disabilities (6-8). •Many pesticides registered with EPA were later pulled off the market because of safety concerns (9).•Children are especially vulnerable to exposure because their bodies are still developing and may be under protected by pesticide safety laws (10)