Pest management programs in schools, child cares and other child-serving facilities need to balance and reduce risk associated with pests and pesticides. Much effort has been expended to promote voluntary adoption of IPM in Tennessee’s schools. Surveys have been conducted in 1997 and 2002 to determine the pest management practices used in schools. IPM adoption has increased, but at a slower rate than expected. According to 2002 respondents, 58.5% indicated they were using IPM; however, after adjustments for applying pesticides on a predetermined schedule or spraying surfaces/baseboard most or all of the time were taken into account, we estimated only 24.5% of the school districts responding to the survey were using IPM. However, children attending urban schools were more likely to be in an IPM school. Much progress is needed to reduce the risk of unnecessary pesticide exposure to school occupants. For example, surface sprays, which increase the risk of exposure compared to crack and crevice treatments, were used all or most of the time by 68.9% of respondents and pesticide applications were often made regardless of pest presence or abundance. Improvements need to be made in pesticide record keeping, notification and availability of records to concerned citizens. Future training efforts to promote IPM in schools will target the purchasing officers. In the summer of 2003, a child care center survey, the first of its kind in Tennessee, will be distributed to obtain baseline pest management data.
Keywords: school, child care
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