Pest Prevention by Design?

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Another great EPA webinar is coming up next week. Pest Prevention by Design helps school administrators, engineers, and ‘green’ builders understand how to design pests out of buildings rather than be in a battle to control them after they’ve entered. 2000px-Environmental_Protection_Agency_logo.svg

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 2:00pm, you can be part of a live webinar (online workshop) simply by registering. From your desk, laptop or tablet, you can watch, listen and interact as desired while two pest exclusion experts share their knowledge. If you’ve never used Adobe Connect, get a quick overview at: http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.htm

For example, where a school may traditionally address a rat infestation with rat poison, the guidelines would recommend sealing the gap in the door frame that let the animals enter in the first place, putting a better lid on the dumpster out back, or removing the English ivy from the landscaping (a preferred rodent habitat). By following these recommendations, we can keep pests out, thereby improving indoor air quality and saving money over the life of the building.DSC01130-B

Join us to learn how you can better incorporate pest prevention in your school district’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program.

Featured presenters will be:

Chris Geiger, Ph.D., IPM Program Manager, City of San Francisco

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Robert Corrigan, Ph.D., Rodent IPM Specialist, RMC Pest Management Consulting

Robert M. Corrigan in downtown Manhattan. (Photo: Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times)

Robert M. Corrigan in downtown Manhattan. (Photo: Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times)

Space is limited to the first 1,000 to attend, and that number is not unexpected. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar.

REGISTER NOW!

Join the EPA’s School IPM Listserv

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Stay informed of the EPA’s latest news and be part of our nationwide community.

2000px-Environmental_Protection_Agency_logo.svgIPM is smart, sensible, sustainable approach to managing pests that emphasizes pest prevention and the appropriate use of pesticides.

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Stay in touch–at your convenience

The Purpose of EPA’s School IPM Listserv?

To share information on school IPM with a broad cross-section of school administrators, business officials, facility managers, nurses, students, parents, university extension, and others with interest in pest management and healthy school environments. We will highlight common sense strategies to reduce pests and unnecessary exposure to pesticides in schools. Subscribers will learn about the work of EPA’s Center of Expertise for School IPM and the resources it makes available as well as significant EPA Regional activities.

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The latest on pest management for buildings and grounds

You’ll be aware of upcoming webinars, news from EPA, the Center of Expertise for School IPM, and The IPM Institute. Join the conversation or quietly stay on top of new research, new concerns and upcoming conferences and workshops.

 

 

 

Leaders in the field of School IPM put their collective heads together on the EPA’s School IPM Listserv . Join us!

Take Advantage of Training Webinars

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WEBINARS have become a new, and favored, way of attending workshops and seminars–from your desk chair. For those of us who (unfortunately) spend a good part of our work day at a desk, it has been an easy transition.

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The EPA, many universities, and large funded research groups like the Northeast IPM Center offer excellent online free webinars ( workshops, presentations, seminars–call them what you’d like).  We watched an excellent presentation on bedbugs last fall that was ‘attended’ online by hundreds of people around the country.  Often, these presentations are archived as a research for new viewers.

While some employees in a school district or BOCES have the option to watch online, others do not. We’d like to see this valuable resource become a normal part of training for custodians and groundskeepers; many other presentations are suitable for all staff.  The investment of a half hour online training is invaluable. Imagine if that same employee had to take the day away to drive to a seminar and sit to learn the same information. Okay- so you’d all miss the coffee and donuts, but not the early morning drive. Especially at this time of year!

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They may never replace the experience of direct interaction, but they can’t be beat for convenience.

We, at the NYSIPM program and especially those of us working on school and childcare seek to make you aware of online, free workshops. Follow us at https://twitter.com/NY_School_IPM @NY_School_IPM    IPM for Schools and Childcare, or subscribe to emailed notices. (look up in the top right corner. Yes. Right there.)

Webinars Coming up from the EPA:

  • Feb 23, 2016 — Pest Prevention by Design in Schools
  • March 15, 2016 — IPM for Turf on School Grounds
  • April 19, 2016 — Vertebrate Turf Pests
  • May 17, 2016 — Ants – The #1 Pest in Schools
  • June 7, 2016 — Termite Mitigation in Schools – A Holistic Approach

Also available: Pesticide Recertification credits (prices for credit hour set by DEC)  online at The Distance Learning Center, Cornell’s Pesticide Management Education Program  http://coursem.cce.cornell.edu/

This site is the home to on-line pesticide applicator courses produced by Cornell Cooperative Extension. These are accepted in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, West Virginia and most of New England. A partnership between PMEP and the NYS IPM program is an essential element in creating the courses. The creation of this site was made possible through grants from the US-EPA Pesticide Stewardship program and the USDA Smith Lever funds.

School IPM – Webinars and Trainings

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Learning never exhausts the mind. -Leonardo da Vinci

One of the key tenants of IPM is knowing your pests, or potential pests, and risks. Learning opportunities become a valuable tool in helping to prepare for and prevent pest issues from arising. Happily, we live in a time when School IPM training events are easily accessible.

Dealing with Nuisance Birds Around Schools is one of many webinars offered by the EPA Center of Expertise for School IPM.

Dealing with Nuisance Birds Around Schools is one of many webinars offered by the EPA Center of Expertise for School IPM.

The EPA Center of Expertise for School IPM hosts a webinar series featuring national experts from across the country.

Upcoming webinars include:

  • Nov 10, 2015 — Writing an IPM Policy for Your School District
  • Dec. 15, 2015 — Bed Bugs in Schools
  • Jan. 26, 2016 — Stop School Pests and iPestManager – School IPM Educational Programs
  • Feb 23, 2016 — Procuring IPM-Based Pest Management Services
  • Mar. 15, 2016 — IPM for Turf on School Grounds
  • Apr. 19, 2016 — Vertebrate Turf Pests
  • May 17, 2016 — Ants – The #1 Pest in Schools
  • Jun. 7, 2016 — Termite Mitigation in Schools – A Holistic Approach

Previous events cover a variety of topics including head lice, stinging insects, rodents, conducting a school assessment, and school IPM basics. Webinar PDFs are available for all presentations and the recorded webinar is available for many.

The NYS IPM Program partners with local organizations such as BOCES and Cornell Cooperative Extension to provide staff training. Friday, October 30th, Orange-Ulster BOCES is hosting Pest Management for Today’s Schools Workshop. This and other events are listed on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NYSIPM/events.

 

Pest Management for Today’s Schools Workshop – October 30, 2015

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Do you work for a school district served by Orange-Ulster BOCES? Join the NYS IPM Program of Cornell University and Orange-Ulster BOCES for a seminar on implementing integrated pest management within schools and on the grounds.

Lynn Braband discussing landscaping and how it affects school pest management.

Lynn Braband discussing landscaping and how it affects school pest management.

There is no fee for the workshop, but pre-registration is requested. Contact Jack DeGraw, Health and Safety Coordinator, Orange – Ulster BOCES at  john.degraw@ouboces.org or 845-781-4887.

WHERE

Orange-Ulster BOCES, Carl Onken Conference Center at the Amy Bull Crist Campus, 53 Gibson Rd., Goshen, NY 10924

AGENDA

8:00 – 8:30           Registration

8:30 – 9:00           Tenets of School IPM – Lynn Braband, NYS IPM Program

Introduction to the concepts and tools for successful integrated pest management programs on school properties. Learn how to make your pest management program more efficient and effective, and how to comply with school-related laws and policies.

9:00 – 9:45           Regulatory Update – Catherine Ahlers, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Presentation of state regulations impacting pest management on school properties.

9:45 – 10:00           Break

10:00 -11:00          Turf and Grounds IPM – Joellen Lampman, NYS IPM Program

A discussion of IPM approaches for athletic fields, lawns, and non-turf areas such as fencelines, sidewalks, and curbs. Cultural techniques for minimizing weed populations, such as heavy overseeding, will be featured along with methods for assessing insect populations. Techniques for preventing insect and weed infestations as well as pest management products allowable for use on school grounds will be reviewed.

11:00 – 12:00         Structural Pest Management – Lynn Braband, NYS IPM Program

A description of implementing IPM for management of rodents, ants, cockroaches, and other pests in school buildings. This session will include discussions of inspections, sanitation, prevention, control options for common structural pests, and record keeping.

12:00 – 12:30         Walk-Through Exercise – Lynn Braband and Joellen Lampman, NYS IPM Program

Interactive session where we will conduct a casual on-site inspection, discussing pest management aspects of situations encountered.