School IPM programs help schools provide healthy learning environments by decreasing unnecessary or illegal pesticide use, decreasing asthma triggers (cockroach and rodent allergens, dust mites, and fungal spores), and decreasing pest occurrence and outbreaks. School IPM programs focus on pest identification, pest monitoring, prevention, education, and ecologically-based management techniques. Since its inception in 2000, school IPM programs have been documented as cost-effective and long-lasting, when compared to traditional pest control programs.

The Mt. Ayr athletic field was part of the turfgrass management project.

The 2004 Midwest School Integrated Pest Management Conference took place March 23-24, 2004 in Ames, Iowa. This event was hosted by Iowa State University Extension and funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

The conference dealt with developing or improving integrated pest management programs in Midwest schools. Participants were from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

The conference presentations were recorded and can be downloaded and viewed below. Presentations are in QuickTime format. To view them you will need the free QuickTime Player. There is also an image gallery of conference activities.

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3

A training was held in March of 2004. Here is the the report from that training, from the North Central IPM Center's Connection newsletter.

West Des Moines School District developed a generic contract for IPM services. This was written in conjunction with the request for proposal, which is also available on the ISU School IPM Web site.

Attachment: 

IPM Contract generic template.doc

Synopsis of the school IPM program at Iowa State University.

Attachment: 

SynopsisSchoolIPMatISU.pdf

The goal of successful pest management programs in schools is to protect students, faculty, and staff from noxious pests and toxic pesticides. We can reduce pesticide use and still manage pest populations by preventing pest infestations, using non-chemical methods to manage pests, applying least toxic pesticides only as needed, and targeting pesticides to locations where pests occur.

Attachment: 

SchoolIPMDesign.pdf

A school administrator is often forced to make critical decisions about sensitive issues. There are many variables that influence popular opinion, depending on each school's particular situation. Whether your school is large or small, in an urban or a rural setting the information below should aid in modifying your current pest control program into an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program.

Attachment: 

SchoolIPMimplement .pdf

The primary goal of IPM is finding the cause of pest problems. Understanding what pests need to survive is the key. Pests live in areas that provide basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. Pests can often be controlled by removing food and water sources or by closing off entry points into buildings. Pesticides can also be part of an IPM program if they are selected carefully and used cautiously.

Attachment: 

GettingStartedWithSchoolIPM.pdf

This article contains a list of items that were frequently noted on facility audits made for pilot school buildings.

Attachment: 

CommonIssuesFromPilotSchoolFacilityAudits.pdf