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Pesticides

Register for January 24 Webinar on Controlling Public Health Pests

For Release: January 10, 2017

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. ET, EPA’s Center of Expertise for School IPM will offer a webinar titled, “Pests of Public Health Importance and the Role of Integrated Pest Management in Schools.” Recent developments in pest-borne diseases, such as the emergence of Zika virus and spread of Lyme disease, signal the need to continually assess the threat of pests to public health. Illnesses carried by insects, rodents, and other pests affect all races, ethnicities, ages and cultures. Vector-borne illnesses are an ever-present threat and efforts to prevent them are critical to protecting public health.

We strive to keep our school playgrounds and other outdoor environments free of pests. The control of vector-borne diseases hinges on understanding the pest and how it becomes established in an ecosystem and ultimately infects a susceptible host. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an approach that uses a hierarchy of practices, including education, pest exclusion, sanitation and other biological and mechanical methods, to reduce unnecessary pesticide exposure while providing sustainable pest control.

Join us as we discuss the primary pests of public health concern, review control strategies, and describe tactics to reduce exposure in your school district.

Our presenters will be:
  • Richard Pollack, PhD, Harvard School of Public Health 
  • Pearl English, DNP, Nurse, School District of Philadelphia (PA)
  • Marcia Anderson, PhD, EPA Center of Expertise for School IPM
Upcoming webinars include:
  • More Than Just a Firm Handshake: Bid and Contract Guidance for Securing IPM-Based Services for Schools – February 21, 2017
  • Feed the Kids, Not the Pests: Effective IPM for Cafeterias and Kitchen – March 14, 2017
  • Contending with Invasive Plants on School Grounds – April 17, 2017
Actions you can take: