Prevent Pests when Serving
Breakfast on the Bus
Breakfast offers many benefits for students including improved health, learning, and attendance. Schools
are increasingly looking at alternatives to traditional breakfast service to meet the nutritional needs of
their students. Each alternative presents unique pest control challenges. Breakfast on the bus is one such
service option that can lead to pest issues in an unexpected location - the school bus.
Why Serve Breakfast on the Bus?
According to USDA's Food and Nutrition Service:
" Busy home schedules and bus arrival schedules mean
many students lack the time for breakfast.
~ Serving breakfast on the bus takes advantage of the
commuting time and helps students arrive at school
well-nourished and ready to learn.
How Breakfast on the Bus Works
Students are served packaged or bagged breakfasts as
they board their bus.
They eat at a leisurely pace and in a social atmosphere
while riding to school.
Students dispose of their own trash either on the bus,
upon exiting the bus, or inside the school.
Keeping Pests off the Bus
Pests like flies, cockroaches, and mice are attracted to
places that offer food, water, and shelter. On buses,
they are drawn to food on the floor, crumbs in the seat
cushions, or juice-laden fingerprints on the walls. Here
are some tips to keep pests from invading your buses or
surviving if they find their way onboard.
Establish waste management and cleaning procedures
with the transportation and custodial staff.
Provide trash bags, paper towels, and cleaning
supplies on each bus.
Remove trash from buses immediately upon arrival at
school or the transportation center.
Have drivers or transportation staff look for food
debris during post-trip inspections.
Clean buses daily to remove the food, water, and
shelter that pests need to survive.
Focus cleaning on seats (frames, backs and bottoms),
grab rails and stanchions, and floors (vacuum, sweep
or mop) to eliminate food debris, gum, and grease
that can feed pests.
Alter trash and recycling programs to accommodate
the disposal of food waste and packaging.
A Holistic Approach to Pests
Managing pests on buses should be part of your
district's Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
program.
IPM is a smart, sensible and sustainable approach to
managing pests in and around schools, including on
the buses.
IPM reduces unnecessary exposure of students and
staff to pests and pesticides.
IPM includes inspection to identify sources of food,
water, and shelter for pests, tactics to eliminate
pest-conducive conditions, and the judicious use of
pesticides.
SCHOOL
For More Information
Contact EPA's Center for School IPM
school.ipm@epa.gov | 844-EPA-SIPM

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