Pittsburgh School District
Makes the Grade with IPM
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- With 36,000 students spread out over almost one
hundred buildings, managing pests in and around those buildings could
easily be an overwhelming challenge. The Pittsburgh School
District's pest management program has shown a great deal of success,
however, with a little help from IPM.
IPM, or integrated pest management, relies heavily on
prevention, sanitation, maintenance, and monitoring to reduce the
reliance on pesticides, says Ed Rajotte, professor of entomology at Penn
State University and Pennsylvania IPM Program Coordinator.
"Control strategies in an IPM plan include structural and
procedural modifications that reduce the food, water, harborage, and
access used by pests. Pesticides are used on an as-needed basis as
determined by monitoring. When a pesticide is needed, it is applied in
an enclosed trap or on a spot treatment basis whenever possible and
targeted to the specific pest," Rajotte explains.
Legislation passed last year requires all
Pennsylvania public schools to provide notification to parents, students
and teachers in advance of pesticide applications and requires schools
to adopt an IPM plan to manage their pest problems both in and out of
the classroom. In addition, the least toxic, shortest duration effective
material is used. Pesticides are not applied when students, teachers or
staff are present in the affected area to assure the safety of the
school-learning environment. The Pittsburgh School District has had such
a plan in place for the last five years, and can attest that it works.
Maria Moio, pest control operator and IPM coordinator
for the Pittsburgh School District, initially had reservations about
starting an IPM program in an urban setting. "I thought we would
have a lot of obstacles to overcome, and ultimately it wouldn't
work," she says. While she admits it is costly to get an IPM
program off the ground, she feels it's well worth it in the long-term.
"We've found the
savings to be tremendous, we're more than getting our initial investment
out of the program. I also like the fact that we've been able to reduce
our pesticide use, which is better for everyone involved," Moio
explains.
Moio has been a licensed pest control operator for
over ten years and was introduced to IPM through a Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture training program. She became the pest control
operator for the school district in 1989. "When I first started,
pest control operators Richard Bopp and Mike Devine removed 360 rats out
of a high school building over the course of six months," says Moio.
She spent the next two years knocking back pests and trying to gain some
control before implementing IPM tactics, which enabled her to start
using fewer pesticides.
Moio worked with the advocacy group Clean Water
Action and used information from the Pennsylvania IPM Program to develop
the school district's current IPM policy. "Once we had the policy
in place, we could begin training the staff in individual school
buildings on IPM." Custodial staff, electricians and others in the
individual buildings are trained to implement IPM tactics while doing
their jobs.
Currently, Moio only sprays pesticides on school
grounds when stinging insects are present due to health concerns.
"We emphasize using pest baits, trapping, and prevention methods
such as sanitation and cleaning," Moio explains. In the ninety-six
buildings she oversees, Moio says she rarely needs to use pesticides.
She says her ultimate goal is to be like the Maytag man, always
available but usually not needed. "I'd prefer not to spray, and
with the new legislation, we now have to give seventy-two hour
notification. I'd rather avoid all that and rely on IPM."
Moio says there are problem buildings in her
district, and those are usually the ones where faculty allow food in the
classrooms. She says that her biggest challenge is getting people to
cooperate and changing the way they think.
Things are changing, however. Now that IPM in schools
is law, administrators, faculty and staff at schools are required to
listen, and Moio has responded with education sessions for those working
and attending school in the district. "Currently, we're providing
education sessions at ten schools. We provide an overview of what IPM is
and why it's important for faculty and staff, and teach students about
good and bad insects," Moio explains.
Moio credits a lot of her success with having the
support of her supervisor Jay Boyd, director of plant operations for the
school district. Boyd supports Moio's efforts because he sees the
benefits a well-implemented IPM program. "We've had about a
ninety-nine percent decrease in pest problems due to Moio's
efforts," he says. "Education is really key, for the
administrators, teachers and students. They all must play a part of an
IPM program or it will fail," Boyd insists.
Boyd and Moio have also assisted other schools
districts with their IPM programs. School administrators and others who
have questions about the Pittsburgh School District's program can email
Moio, or
phone (412) 488-4275.
The Pennsylvania IPM (PA IPM) program is a
collaboration between Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture aimed at promoting IPM in both agricultural and
nonagricultural situations. The PA IPM program's Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu
contains a wealth of information and resources for schools adopting IPM
programs. By clicking on the "Schools" link, visitors also can
download "IPM for Pennsylvania Schools, A How-To Manual." The
link also leads to information about the school IPM effort in
Pennsylvania and to educational materials from across the country. In
addition, the site offers an interactive database to assist teachers
with IPM background information, lesson plans and support materials from
throughout the United States.
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Editors Contact:
Kristie Auman-Bauer
PA IPM Program
(814) 865-2839
Email
