How the Los Angeles IPM Works
| The Precautionary Principle: The Concept That No Chemical is Free From Harm, Unless Proven So, and Parents Right to Know
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Overview The Los Angeles Unified School District practices Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control environmental hazards without dangerous pesticides or chemicals. The policy was the first in the United States to embrace the Precautionary Principle, the concept that no chemical is free from harm, unless proven so, and Parents Right to Know. Managing Pests While Protecting Human Health and the Environment Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the coordinated use of pest and environmental information with available pest management methods to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people and the environment. The goal of the IPM approach is to manage pests and the environment so as to balance costs, benefits, human health and environmental quality. IPM systems utilize a high quantity and quality of technical information on the pest and its interaction with the environment (site). Using Low Risk and Natural Biological Methods for Pest Management Because IPM programs apply a holistic approach to pest management decision-making, they take advantage of all low-risk pest management options, emphasizing natural biological methods and the appropriate use of selective pesticides. IPM strategies incorporate environmental considerations by emphasizing pest management measures that minimize intrusion on natural bio-diversity ecosystems. Thus, IPM is: * A system utilizing multiple methods * A decision-making process * A risk reduction system * Information intensive * Biologically based * Cost effective, and * Site specific Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals Alternatives to toxic chemicals, such as scrupulous cleaning of food scraps (to eliminate attractions to insects and rodents) are part of IPM. The education and involvement of students, teacher, administrators, custodians, cafeteria staff, and craftpersons is also part of this practice. Another element of IPM involves using beneficial plants and insects as an alternative form of control against undesirable insects. The Safety and Health of Students, Staff and the Environment Will Be Paramount Pesticides pose risks to human health and the environment, with special risks to children. It is recognized that pesticides cause adverse health effects in humans such as cancer, neurological disruption, birth defects, genetic alteration, reproductive harm, immune system dysfunction, endocrine disruption, and acute poisoning. Pests will be controlled to protect the health and safety of students and staff, maintain a productive learning environment, and maintain the integrity of school buildings and grounds. Pesticides will not be used to control pests for aesthetic reasons alone. The safety and health of students, staff, and the environment will be paramount. Non-Chemical Methods Given First Consideration Further, it is the goal of the District to provide for the safest and lowest risk approach to control pest problems while protecting people, the environment, and property. The District’s IPM Policy incorporates focusing on long-term prevention and will give non-chemical methods first consideration when selecting appropriate pest control techniques. The District will strive to ultimately eliminate the use of all chemical controls. The Precautionary Principle The principle recognizes that: a) no pesticide product is free from risk or threat to human health and b) industrial producers should be required to prove that their pesticide products demonstrate an absence of the risks rather than requiring that the government or the public prove that human health is being harmed. This policy realizes that full implementation of the Precautionary Principle is not possible at this time and may not be for decades. However, the District commits itself to full implementation as soon as verifiable scientific data enabling this becomes available. IPM Addresses Pest Issues in a Wide Variety of Habitats In a Large Complex School System Los Angeles School District Statistics: a. Enrollment: 877,010 (second largest in the nation) b. 1,131 schools, centers, offices, etc. spread over 710 square miles c. 12,000 buildings with 68-million square feet d. Serves over 500,000 student meals daily e. Over 77,000 employees Rodents, Roaches, Ants, Bees, Skunks, and Snakes, Oh My! With a geographical area extending from the ocean to the desert, mountains, and everything in between, LAUSD’s territory includes diversified plant and animal communities and habitats ranging from dense urban to ravine, foothill, canyon, and mountainous areas. The pests addressed under the IPM program include, but are not limited to, rodents, cockroaches, ants, pigeons, sparrows, starlings, sea gulls, crows, mosquitoes, feral cats and dogs, fleas, spiders, honey bees (including Africanized), wasps, ground squirrels, gophers, skunks, coyotes, raccoons, opossum, venomous snakes, weeds, pests of trees and shrubs, turf-grass pests, drywood and subterranean termites, other wood destroying organisms, flies, bats, and dead animals of various species. Educating Staff Members on Pest Control Innovative posters created by California Safe Schools and “Pest of the Month” publications have been developed and issued as resources to schools in preventing and eliminating pest problems through IPM methodologies. Public service announcements and other IPM-related programming have been developed and broadcast on the District’s public access television channel. Special IPM-related events and workshops conducted at schools, including the IPM Team presentations and distribution of information for the past several years to thousands of parents at the District’s annual Parent Summit regarding the benefits of IPM in the schools, their workplaces. In addition to in-house training, California Safe Schools and LAUSD staff have conducted training for other school districts, public agencies, and pest control applicators throughout California and respond to inquire from school districts nationwide. The success of LAUSD’s IPM program was the impetus for the State of California’s Healthy Schools Act of 2000. In recognition of its pioneering IPM program, California Safe Schools and Los Angeles Unified have received national and international recognition for their leadership and creativity in advancing risk-reduction techniques for pest management in schools. Case Studies – Mosquito Control As the West Nile Virus progressed westward from the East Coast, LAUSD staff developed plans for avoiding conditions conducive to mosquito breeding. In accordance with the District’s IPM policy, mosquito concerns were addressed from the perspective of source reduction. Simply put, if you can eliminate standing water, you will eliminate mosquito-breeding sites. Training, as well as periodic written communications and posters created by California Safe Schools, was provided to school staff. Where mosquito-breeding sources, such as permanent ponds, etc., could not be eliminated, the District used mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis, to deal with the problem. LAUSD also developed and broadcast public service announcements on its pubic access television station regarding West Nile Virus and IPM methodologies to avoid and control mosquito breeding at school, work, or home. LAUSD staff worked very closely with the local vector control agencies to ensure that conditions conducive to mosquito breeding on properties adjacent to schools were addressed. As a result, the District has not experienced any cases of West Nile Virus, nor has it had to use any pesticides for mosquito control on its properties. This has benefited not only the students and staff at LAUSD schools, but the neighboring communities as well. Africanized Honey Bees Again, LAUSD staff has monitored the progression of Africanized honeybees into Southern California. These bees have integrated with regular honeybees and, as a result, the latter have become more aggressive. During 2004 and 2005, LAUSD schools submitted over 1,100 service requests each year pertaining to honey bees. In response to this problem, LAUSD staff devised a honeybee swarm trap using a cellulose nursery plant pot and a plywood cover cut to specifications by the District’s Wood Shop. Swarms and absconding Africanized honey bees are drawn to these traps which have packets of queen pheromones in them and are placed in strategic locations away from student learning and play areas. Heavy-duty trash bags are slipped over these swarm traps when the bees are not active and the top of the bags are tied off. These bags are left out in direct sunlight, which kills the bees inside by solarization. No pesticide is used to dispose of the bees in the traps. By utilizing this technique, the swarm traps can be cleaned and reused. This technique for dealing with Africanized honeybees has been disseminated to the pest management community and other school districts by LAUSD staff at various workshops throughout southern California. Despite the large number of calls received regarding Africanized honey bees, there has not been a mass stinging incident of District site employees, students, pest management technicians, or any other persons (such as contractors) on District property. Again, this has benefited the users of our campuses, as well as the surrounding communities. Red Imported Fire Ants Red imported fire ants have been found on various District properties and athletic fields. Although local regulatory agencies wanted to use high-risk pesticides to control the fire ants, LAUSD staff was able to convince them to let them successfully handle the fire ant management through the use of reduced-risk granular ant baits. Again, the users of LAUSD facilities and the surrounding communities benefit from this proactive IPM strategy. Best Practices to Minimize Pests All members of the school community, including principals, students, teachers, parents, custodians, cafeteria staff, and craftspersons have an important role in the success of the IPM program. One or more of the IPM methodologies below can be employed by each of these groups of individuals in an effort to manage pests. a. Monitoring (tracking paths of movement and shelter, trapping) b. Exclusion (i.e., installation of door sweeps, caulking cracks and crevices, repairing holes, installation of 45-degree angles on ledges or netting to deter birds) c. Sanitation (eliminate availability of food and water to pests) d. Habitat modification (i.e., storage of food in classrooms in metal containers, disposal of food and trash in closed trash receptacles, removal of paper and other clutter) LESSONS LEARNED No food, no water, no shelter, no pests! For further information: Robina Suwol
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