SAN MARCOS – Students aren’t the only ones in class this fall; unwanted insect and animal pests of all shapes and sizes also “attend school” at times, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.
Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension school integrated pest management specialist in Dallas, said school districts across the state face a constant invasion of pests to the degree that since 1995 every independent school district in the state is required to have an integrated pest management coordinator.
Hurley said three school districts in the Houston area, Katy, Klein and Spring independent school districts, all recently earned the IPM Star certification after passing a rigorous 37-point inspection.
“The IPM Star evaluates school systems and childcare centers for integrated pest management or IPM, which is a common-sense approach to solving pest problems with a minimum amount of pesticide use,” Hurley said.
“All three school districts will be receiving national recognition for their work during the 2011 Statewide School IPM Coordinators Conference set for Nov. 16-17 in San Marcos,” she said. “Dr. Tom Green, the conference keynote speaker and president of the IPM Institute of North America, will present the awards.
“Winning this honor is no easy feat, because it really takes commitment on the part of the whole school district to make this achievement happen. It’s quite an honor.”
Hurley said Spring ISD started their integrated pest management program in 1995. Prior to that, they were essentially in a reactive mode when it came to dealing with unwanted critters. Since then they have all but eliminated the use of harsh pesticides in favor of only the safest products which, when applied correctly and only as needed, have provided effective and longer-lasting control than the methods used previously.
Klein ISD has a similar story, she said. Their school district looks at ways to solve pest problems without chemicals whenever possible. This includes sealing insect entry ways and using individual control methods which allows them to seldom resort to broad spectrum approaches.
Katy ISD is one of the fastest growing school districts in Texas and the nation and since it is located in a relatively rural setting, pests of many types are a constant concern, Hurley said.
“Katy ISD uses tactics similar to the other two winning school districts by employing a proactive approach to IPM that relies on proper sanitation, pest exclusion and monitoring as their first line of defense before resorting to any chemical use. They also have an active mentoring and educational program that provides opportunities for teaching other school districts similar successful tactics.”
To learn more about the three winning school districts’ programs or about integrated pest management in schools see, http://schoolipm.tamu.edu .
To find out more on the 2011 Statewide School IPM Coordinators Conference contact Hurley at 877-747-6872 or 972-952-9213, ja-hurley@tamu.edu .
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