School IPM Manual Receives
Award
Integrated Pest Management for
Northeast Schools, NRAES publication 512, edited by C.
Hollingsworth, W. Coli, and D. Ferro of the University of
Massachusetts and K Murray of the Maine Department of
Agriculture, won a blue ribbon in the American Society of Agricultural
Engineering educational aides competition.
The American Society of Agricultural
Engineers (ASAE) presents the Educational Aids Blue Ribbon Awards each
year in recognition of "outstanding effort and achievement in the
development of noteworthy educational aids." The ASAE Extension
Committee manages the exhibits and judges the entries.
Integrated Pest Management for
Northeast Schools provides schools with the background to develop
their own integrated pest management (IPM) program. (IPM is an
ecology-based approach to solving pest problems.) The 60-page book
begins with an in-depth discussion about IPM -- what it is, what the
benefits are, and why schools should consider it. Key components
of an IPM program are described, including inspection and monitoring,
action thresholds, treatment options,
education, and record keeping. Another section defines the IPM policy
statement, discusses the roles of the school community in an IPM
program, explains how to develop a school pest management plan, and
offers guidance about developing bid specifications and contracts. The
second half of the book provides specific information to help in
managing specific pests commonly found in Northeast schools, including
bees, wasps, ants, cockroaches, flies, head lice, and rats. Five
appendixes include a school IPM checklist, example action thresholds
for specific pests, Northeast IPM contacts, and IPM record
forms. Also included are a glossary, bibliography, and extensive
reference section.
