Birds spark a deep wonder and endless fascination. They help us understand the living world and our connections to it. – Ian Owens, Executive Director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology February in New York can be a dull prospect. Sure, a fresh blanket of snow can transform the landscape, but shades of brown take over again…Continue Reading What’s Bugging You? – Birdseed Pests
Back to School – Keeping the Rodents Outside
“We should have little trouble with vermin if builders would hear and understand the ‘language’ of vermin and do a better job in eliminating their entrances and hiding place.” – Hugo Hartnak, 1939 Pests enter school buildings in one of two ways: they are transported in by students, staff, or delivery truck or they make…Continue Reading Back to School – Keeping the Rodents Outside
Rats in the time of Coronavirus Isolation
As an entomologist that specializes in pest management, the Coronavirus outbreak has resulted in some unique concerns. Recent attention has focused on how human isolation affects rodent populations, but other challenges await. Fear of food shortages led residents to stock up on items like flour, rice and pasta. With grocery store shelves restocked and a…Continue Reading Rats in the time of Coronavirus Isolation
Pests Take Advantage of Quiet School Buildings
THIS IS A REPOST OF a JUNE 2015 SCHOOL IPM Blog post by Joellen Lampman. The timing is significant. Closed school buildings are the perfect time to tackled sanitation and exclusion efforts that are hard to manage with students in the building. If your school cafeteria is providing meals (thank you!), we’ll also be posting…Continue Reading Pests Take Advantage of Quiet School Buildings
2018’s Best of NYS IPM
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” –Ken Blanchard 2018 has been quite the year and we have been busy blogging, tweeting, videoing, and Facebooking about it. Here’s a recap of some of our more popular 2018 offerings: ThinkIPM – our catchall blog and a great way to keep a pulse on…Continue Reading 2018’s Best of NYS IPM
Update on IPM in NY Schools
Recently members of the NYS IPM Program met in Albany as part of a joint meeting of the Clean, Green, and Healthy Schools Steering Committee and the Statewide School IPM Committee. Clean, Green, and Health Schools is coordinated by the NYS Department of Health and helmed by Dr. Michele Herdt. Their purpose is to promote…Continue Reading Update on IPM in NY Schools
Fighting Waterbugs — with Water
Plumbing issues lead to pest problems — there’s little doubt about that. Leaks offer standing water to rodents, and clogged, scummy drains are breeding sites for flies. How curious that one of the most common plumbing-related pest problems I see is drains and pipes without water. Case Study At a multi-story office building, workers reported…Continue Reading Fighting Waterbugs — with Water
If you’re not monitoring, you’re not performing IPM.
Why? To start, let’s consider the distinction between an inspection and monitoring. An inspection is a view of pest activity at that moment in time. But what if pests are only active at night? Or on weekends when the building is quiet? Thus, monitoring is a record of pest activity in the times that you…Continue Reading If you’re not monitoring, you’re not performing IPM.
Trap Failure or Human Failure?
When preparing for any job, my dad will remind me to choose the right tool for the task. In a way, this is an extension of another one of his gems: work smarter, not harder. Selecting the right tool can increase your efficiency and help you to get the job done correctly. Time and again…Continue Reading Trap Failure or Human Failure?
Baiting for Mice, Rats? Try String!
Peanut butter is a staple in managing mice and rats, especially in residential settings. It’s easy to apply to traps, it stays fresh for several days — and a jar of peanut butter has a long shelf life. But peanut butter isn’t always your best bet. Because sometimes that peanut butter is a magnet for…Continue Reading Baiting for Mice, Rats? Try String!