SIZE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT:  APPROX. 20 SCHOOLS
Length of Project:  1 yr. Beginning:  6/00
Contact:  Linda L. Jensen-Pascarella
www.safe2use.com
909-372-9850

Our goal is to show that all of the insects, e.g., ants (including fire ants), mites, lice, pantry pests, crickets, fleas, roaches, spiders, termites, wasps, insects and arachnids, etc., inside and outside schools can safely be controlled without the use of any dangerous, volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons, e.g., organophosphates, pyrethroids and/or carbamates.   This will be done through educational in-service training on simple pest control techniques, cleaning tips and materials, placement of ionized plates, installation of IPM manual “The Best Control” and follow-up.
 

1. Overall project goals

    a)     Replace all highly toxic pesticides with safe alternatives
    b)     Eliminate staff and student exposure to pesticides
    c)     Remove all head lice from the district without using poisons.
    d)     To clearly show better, safe pest control without using any volatile, synthetic pesticides poisons.

2. Project Location

ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT

1. Priority Areas
a)     Alternatives to highly toxic pesticides:
    1.     Removal of Organophosphates and carbamates for pest control practices in a school setting;
    2.     Removal of category I products used for pest control in a school setting;
    3.     Removal of restricted use materials for pest control in a school setting.

b)     Removal of all volatile, synthetic, pesticide poisons from the environment of staff and students in a school setting;

c)     Surface and ground water protection with the utilization of enzyme based cleaners, soap and water, and GRAS products and other non-toxic materials.

d)     Replacement of methyl bromide and other fumigants utilized in pest control in a schools setting;

e)     Institution of an IPM program at ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT, eliminating the utilization of all volatile, synthetic, pesticide poisons from all schools and administrative buildings.

f)     All pest control alternatives and techniques that will be utilized can be easily taken to the participants’ home and used successfully and safely;

g)     We will develop any and all necessary Alternative to new or secondary pest problems arising after implementation of reduced-risk approaches.

2. Critical Component

Control methods that might be used in our IPM program include:
 

 
Also including, but not limited to, Imagination = your brain is 200% larger than an insect’s so use it!
And, only if absolutely necessary, a spot application of the least-toxic pesticide possible.

The more commonly used equipment includes:
Vacuums
Fans
Rinse and Vacs
2 liter buckets,
pails,
garbage cans
Negative ion pages
Hand held compressed air sprayers
Dusters
Bait Stations
Traps
monitoring devices etc.
 
Caulking controls pests by removing or eliminating harborages and access.
Cleaning controls pests by removing food sources.

3. Integration into system.

This program will “revolutionize” the current IPM methodology.  There are attempts at removing pesticides from schools but nowhere is there not only a step-by-step written manual for non-toxic pest management that is easily followed nor are there any companies or individuals who can even claim to be able to address every pest control issue without resorting to volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons in “emergencies”.

4. Importance

Environmental health is a growing concern through California.  With examples of the San Francisco Unified School District and the Los Angeles Unified School district setting examples of voting to eliminate the use of pesticides in their educational environments.

Millions of dollars are being spent by citizens supporting the “research” into alternatives.  The program to be implemented at ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT has a proven track record in schools in Michigan and Ohio.

5. Project Objective

The demonstration project is specifically designed to safely control all pests (inside and outside) without using any volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons.

The consultant company, Get Set, Inc. has successfully applied this program in over 350 schools in Michigan and Ohio.

The manual to be followed is “The Best Control” a book written by Stephen Tvedten and which the schools rely on to carry out their own “in-house” pest control program without the aid of outside companies.

6. Availability of Research Data

Ask any old time farmer.  Crop rotation, dust, native species, plowing, hand removal, and exclusion and other techniques to be utilized have been used and recommended by people since we began farming and living inside.

7. Potential for Adoption

Many and/or most schools are seeking IPM programs to implement.  The entire world is searching for alternatives to pesticides.  The DPR’s granting process is an example that public demand is high.  The work and efforts of thousands of parents throughout California at reducing pesticides and chemicals in schools makes this program high adaptable for personal use in a home or farming environment.

The methods taught to the school’s employees and at educational presentations for students and/or PTA assemblies are highly adaptable to a home environment.

8. Communications/Outreach

While keeping volatile, dangerous, synthetic poisons out of schools, we will be issuing news releases to newspapers, TV stations and presenting information at conferences and conventions throughout California.  Controlling pests while keeping pesticides out of schools is completely news worthy and we plan to utilize the media at every opportunity from the initial launch of the project to the final conclusion.

1. Participants

Michael L. Pascarella, Owner of Safe 2 Use
 Installation of “Purple Plates”
 Follow-up and monitoring to ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT during the course of project.
 
Linda L. Jensen-Pascarella, Administrator of Safe 2 Use
 Bookkeeping and Accounting
 Installation of CD Roms
 Design of all outreach material
 Follow-up and monitoring of project.

Stephen Tvedten, President Get Set, Inc.
 Consulting and monthly monitoring and phone consultation.
 Initial review of all buildings in the ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT
 Present in-service program to unionized maintenance, dietary and custodial staff

Institute of Pest Management, Inc.,
 Utilization of consultative resources provided by the Institute through its Advisors
 

School District Representative (Maintenance Supervisor, Risk Manager, Principal, etc)
 Arranging for in-service training
 On-going follow-up on IPM techniques used by staff
 Weekly/monthly reporting of results and issues.

Health Services
 Disseminating information on lice and the distribution of Not Nice to Lice

2. Project Objectives

Under the auspices of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Pest Management, Inc.  and Get Set, Inc., and  Safe 2 Use will implement the Get Set, Inc. IMP program utilizing the proven non-toxic IPM methods as described in “The Best Control”.  This program is designed to make the school district self sufficient in controlling pests by using its available staff during their normal work routines.

Our goal is to provide a demonstration project that will show that all of the insects, e.g., ants, mites, lice, pantry pests, crickets, fleas, roaches, spiders, termites, wasps, etc., inside and outside your school schools can safely be controlled without the use of any dangerous, volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons, e.g., organophosphates, pyrethroids and/or carbamates.

3. Specific Tasks

Safe 2 Use and its consultants will spend 3 hours or more putting on an initial in-service program to train unionized maintenance, dietary and custodial staff on how they personally can use simple non-toxic controls (e.g., vacuums, enzymes, habitat reduction, baby powder, sanitation, caulk, etc.) to control any pest problems at school and at their homes.

After conducting an in-service program with maintenance, custodial, grounds and dietary, we properly install negative ion plates and/or install any number of various combinations of the safer, alternative IPM controls to replace the dangerous use of volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons in the schools to eliminate or significantly reduce the incidence of all insect infestations.  We will work throughout the project with custodians and staff on any remaining problem areas.

We install a master IPM planner (CD-ROM) called “The Best Control” in the principal’s office and/or head custodian's office, and school library and carefully instruct all the responsible AUSD person on its use.  In addition, we will be in constant phone contact with all of in-house people, personally directing them as they perform any non-toxic control programs, inspections, etc. via our 1-800-221-6188 Wats line.   This CD-ROM may be used by anyone in the Community to solve their own pest problems.

Third, as part of the project we also conduct in-service programs for the principals, teachers and staff explaining how and why the school and State of California wanted to be part of this grant project to protect the students and staff without using any dangerous, volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons.  If there is adequate grant money, we also have optional seminars or educational presentations for the community.

Fourth, as a last resort, the PCO and/or Safe2Use and/or Steve Tvedten will visit the site to solve any "unsolvable" insect problems that the district may have with non-toxic or least-toxic controls.

Personal Time spent at each school will include:

Description of the site
    A.     Identifying potential problem areas and recommendations to correct these areas (i.e., exclusion, cleaning, baited traps, etc.)
    B.     Identify all sensitive areas associated with site as defined in any State regulation.  (i.e., kitchen, food storage.)
Inspection of site
    A.     Number of pests found or reported.
    B.     Identification of pest.
    C.     Conditions that are conducive to pest establishment.
Monitoring of site
    A.     All problem sites are to be closely monitored on a weekly basis by the District's maintenance staff.
    B.     Any additional or routine monitoring is to be done at least on a monthly basis by the District's custodial/grounds staff.

THRESHOLD LEVEL
Threshold level is defined by the District as the level at which a least-toxic, non-volatile pesticide application by the PCO under the guidelines of the project may be necessary to manage the pest. This level cannot be reached without the District first exhausting all of the alternative solutions to the pest problem found in “The Best Control Master IPM Planning Manual.

PEST MANAGEMENT METHODS
The underlying principle of this plan is first for the District to use all non-toxic controls listed in The Best Control, then as a last resort for the PCO, under the guidelines, to use the least-toxic alternative possible. All methods are to be evaluated by the District and Get Set, Inc. for safety before they are implemented. The following considerations to pest management are to be used:

1)     if anyone has a safer method of effectively controlling pest it will be immediately adopted;
2)     we will always choose the safest method of controlling pests possible.  If we have to err, we will always err on the side of safety; rather than on the side of control.