Making Pests a Thing
of the Past
Integrated Pest Management for Healthier
Schools and Students
IPM101
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a science-
based strategy that addresses pest issues before they
arise, reducing pest presence through preventive
measures.1-2 IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest
management strategies and controls pest populations
by removing their basic survival elements—such as food,
water and shelter—and by blocking access to facilities
where these items might be readily available.3
IPM strategies are comprehensive and
accessible and include—
• Regular inspection and monitoring for pests
• Accurate pest identification
• Maintaining pest records on each building
• Repairs to facilities to exclude pests
• Weatherizing buildings and sealing pest entryways
• Traps and baits
• Targeted application of pesticides
• Decreasing the presence of pests and eliminating
the unnecessary use of pesticides
• Education of school staff, teachers and students on
steps to prevent pests
All students deserve a
safe and healthy learning
environment.
Integrated pest management
(IPM) is a smart, sensible and
sustainable way to reduce pests,
improve health and address
health disparities in schools.
"Children are the most vulnerable mem-
bers of society when it comes to the
effects of poor pest management. Our
future is in their hands. We should invest
in creating the healthiest, most effective
learning environment for our students."
—Dawn Gouge, Ph.D.,The University of Arizona
IPM: A Proven Solution
IPM isn't just a good idea: It's a science-based approach
to controlling pests that works. In a study of three school
districts in North Carolina, researchers found—
• Schools implementing IPM practices reported
decreased pest presence compared to those
implementing conventional calendar-based pest
management practices.
• In schools with IPM programs, 14 percent of dust
samples had detectable pest allergens compared
to 44 percent of dust samples from schools with
conventional pest management programs.
• Schools implementing IPM methods used
99.9 percent less active pesticide ingredient than
schools using conventional pest management
methods.4
www.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools
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• A study conducted by Boston Children's Hospital
found that mouse allergens were detectable on
desktop surfaces in 100 percent of sampled urban
preschools and 95 percent of sampled urban
elementary schools.9
Health problems can lead to academic problems.
More than 10 percent of children with asthma miss more
than 10 days of school each year, which can cost schools
as much as $100 million annually in attendance-based
funding.10-11 These issues are exacerbated in low-income
and minority communities, where children experience
higher rates of asthma and asthma morbidity.
Taking Action to Implement
IPM in Your School
By implementing IPM practices, schools can reduce pest
presence and related allergens and asthma triggers,
thereby improving student and staff health, increasing
student attendance, and potentially boosting school
funding while addressing health disparities. Focusing
on the health case can encourage schools and school
districts to commit to an IPM program. Student, teacher
and staff health is a unifying issue that everyone can
agree on, and making this the paramount message is
critical when communicating the benefits of using IPM
in schools.
The Health Case for IPM
IPM creates healthier environments for students, teach-
ers and staff.Through use of this approach, food prepa-
ration areas are cleaner, bacteria are reduced, the
spread of viral pathogens is limited, and the unneces-
sary exposure to pests and pesticides is reduced. IPM
also reduces allergens, which can trigger asthma symp-
toms or contribute to the onset of asthma.
• Nearly 10 percent of children in the United States
have asthma, and 80 percent of their asthma is
caused by allergens.5-6
• Thirty-seven percent of children with asthma in the
United States are allergic to cockroach allergens.7
Children who are allergic to these cockroach
allergens also are more likely to require medical
attention for asthma-related issues.8
Suggested Resources
"Preventing Pests for Healthier Schools:The Health Case for Integrated Pest Management." U.S. EPA, 2016.
This brochure includes additional information and research on the health benefits of using IPM in schools.
"The Basics of School Integrated Pest Management" webinar. U.S. EPA, 2014.
www.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools/basics-school-ipm.
IPM Checklist in the EPAs School IAQ Assessment Mobile App. U.S. EPA, 2015.
www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/school-iaq-assessment-mobile-app.
Endnotes
1 Gouge, D. H., M. L. Lame, and J. L. Snyder. 2006."Use of an
Implementation Model and Diffusion Process for Establishing
Integrated Pest Management in Arizona Schools." American
Entomologist 2006:190-96.
2 Chambers, K.T., et al. 2011. The Business Case for Integrated Pest
Management in Schools: Cutting Costs and Increasing Benefits.
The IPM Institute of North America, Inc. 8 pp.
3 Brenner, B. L.etal. 2003. "Integrated Pest Management in an
Urban Community: A Successful Partnership for Prevention."
Environmental Health Perspectives 111 (13): 1649-53.
4 Williams, G. M.,et al."Comparison of Conventional and
Integrated Pest Management Programs in Public Schools."
Journal of Economic Entomology 98(4): 1275-83.
5 Bloom, B., L. I. Jones, and G. Freeman. 2013."Summary Health
Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey,
2012." National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Statistics
10(258): 1-81 .www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/srlO_258.
pdf.
Breysse, R N.,etal. 2005. "Indoor Exposures to Air Pollutants and
Allergens in the Homes of Asthmatic Children in Inner-City
Baltimore." Environmental Research 98(2): 167-76.
&ER&
UnilnJ
Gore,J.C.,and C.Schal.2007."CockroachAllergen Biology
and Mitigation in the Indoor Environment." Annual Review of
Entomology 52: 439-63.
Rabito, F.A., J. Carlson, E.W. Holt,S. Iqbal, and M.A. James. 2011.
"Cockroach Exposure Independent of Sensitization Status and
Association with Hospitalizations for Asthma in Inner-City Children."
Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 106(20): 103-9.
Kanchongkittiphon,W.,et al. 2014."Allergens on Desktop
Surfaces in Preschools and Elementary Schools of Urban
Children with Asthma. Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology 69(7): 960-3.
J CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), NCEH
(National Center for Environmental Health), EHHE (Division of
Environmental Hazards and Health Effects). 2015."Asthma-
Related Missed School Days Among Children Aged 5-1 7 Years."
Last modified October 5. www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthma_stats/
default.htm.
FaryoaJ.2011 ."Empty Seats Costs San Diego School District
Millions." /new/source, inewsource.org/2011 /06/27/empty-seats-
costs-san-diego-school-district-millions/.
March 2016
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