Fort Belvoir Child Development and Youth Services Centers, Fairfax County, VA

Fort Belvoir Child Development and Youth Services Centers

Fairfax County, VA

Fort Belvoir, located in Fairfax County, Virginia, has earned the nation’s most exclusive honor for excellence in managing pests in its Child Development Centers (CDCs) and Youth Services Center. The IPM STAR award is only presented after a facility passes a rigorous, on-site evaluation by an independent pest management professional.

The Fort Belvoir CDC program is the fifth preschool program in the US to earn the IPM STAR. The Youth Services Center joins the Fort Campbell school system in Kentucky as the second school-age program on a US Army installation to be so honored.

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a common sense approach to solving pest problems. Typical pests in schools and childcare facilities and play yards include ants, mice, cockroaches and stinging insects. By avoiding “pest-conducive conditions” that make pests feel at home, many problems can be completely eliminated, permanently, without resorting to potentially hazardous pesticides.

The three CDCs serve 700 pre-school age children. Older children enjoy the Youth Services Center, a drop-in location for after school and weekends. Plans for expansion are in the works – the latest Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) calls for a 20,000 increase in the number of personnel at Fort Belvoir, who will bring enough children along for two new CDCs.

The IPM program at Fort Belvoir dates back to 1992, when new Army directives required this new, more effective approach to pest problems. Directives to reduce pesticide use followed. This makes sense, especially where children are concerned. According to US EPA, children are more vulnerable to both pests and pesticides. Their bodies are growing rapidly, their immune and other systems are not as fully developed as adults, and they’re in frequent contact with the ground, floors and walls where pesticide residues are more likely to be encountered. They’re also much more likely to put their hands in their mouths – without washing first.

The IPM program at Fort Belvoir is in the capable hands of Steve Watters, installation pest management coordinator, and Pete Waas, pest management/land management program manager. Steve has been in this role for six years, and previously managed pests for the Air Force for 23 years. Pete has been with the Department of the Army for 30 years. Rounding out the management crew is Robin Myers with 20 years experience, who makes sure that pest management contractor on the installation is meeting the high standards set out in the contract statement of work.

How does IPM work in practice? “During the evaluation,” according to Dr. Thomas Green, IPM Institute president, “we found a misaligned gutter. Either it was not installed properly, or the building had settled around it, resulting in standing water collecting in the wrong end of the gutter. Ants were streaming up and down the building to get to the water. Bugs need to drink just like humans and other animals. Some of these ants went on to find their way inside the roof and ceiling of the building and were ‘dropping in’ uninvited. Simply by fixing the gutter and repairing some moisture-damaged wood, the problem was solved for good.”

There was a time when pest control technicians simply made the rounds with sprayer in hand – but not any more at Fort Belvoir. “We’re always looking for conditions conducive to pests – not just pests themselves,” reports Lynn Varney, one of the Pestmasters technicians who works full-time at the base, along with two other technicians. Another example of IPM at work is a switch to Bermuda grass on the golf course – eliminating disease-prone ryegrass and greatly reducing the need for pesticide applications.

Everyone has a role to play in keeping the CDC and Youth Services facilities free of pests. To reduce reliance on pesticides, food service staff need to carefully inspect incoming shipments for evidence of infestation and reject any products that might bring pests in. Cleaning crews must work hard not to leave anything behind that pests might feed on. Maintenance staff can eliminate water sources and entryways into buildings - by fixing dripping faucets and keeping door seals and sweeps in good repair.

IPM STAR Certification is presented by the IPM Institute of North America in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program.

The IPM STAR initiative is being implemented throughout the Army with the support of the US Army Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management and the US Army Environmental Center.

SCHOOLS
schools, childcare centers
school-age child programs

PROFESSIONALS
educators
administrators

SERVICES & FACILITIES
GREEN SHIELD CERTIFIED structural pest management service and facilities