Pest Control and Schools: An Integrated Pest Management Approach

Today’s parents are understandably concerned about the effect that pesticides may have on their children. As we have told you before, our Houston pest control company has used the same chemicals safely in homes for many years, and we have serviced countless families who experienced no adverse effects. But schools are accountable to regulations that must be adhered to, and we understand that. So, to put the minds of school administrators at ease, we want to share how we help schools control the pest population in a safe, compliant manner.

First, we embrace the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for integrated pest management (IPM). That means we take an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that uses common sense first. It includes pesticides, of course, but it also takes into account the life cycle of the pest that is being targeted, in addition to habitat factors related to that pest. When we believe it will help, we begin the pest control process by depleting the pest population of habitat necessities such as:

• Air
• Moisture
• Food
• Shelter

Then, we judiciously use our high-quality pesticides to keep the insect infestation from coming back to that part of the school. If we are using our chemicals in an environment where children are present, we advise the school to keep children away from the area for a minimum of 30 minutes after we leave.

This is a safe, sensible approach to pest control in schools that parents can feel good about. If you are a school administrator who is tasked with informing parents of your intentions to implement pest control, this may be good information to share with them. For further questions on pest control and schools, please contact the Houston pest control professionals of BUGCO® Pest Control.