Asthma, Pests, Pesticides and Children’s Health Childcare & IPM Philadelphia School & Community IPM Partnership Pennsylvania IPM Program Ext Website: 1 1/2014PA IPM Program

Why Learn about Pest Control in Child Care Centers? 1/2014PA IPM Program 2 Pests can harm children’s health Pesticides can harm children’s health New Eco-Healthy Child Care program State law requires IPM!

Eco-Healthy Child Care: Environmental Health in Early Learning Plastics Pest Control Household Chemicals Air Quality Lead Mercury 1/2014PA IPM Program 3 © Children's Environmental Health Network 2012 Radon Garbage & Recycling Playground Equipment Furniture & Carpets Art Supplies PQAS Approved Certification & Training Topics Covered:

State IPM Laws Act 35 (2002) – Adopt an IPM Plan – Maintain a Hypersensetivity Registry – Have IPM structural pest control agreement – Regulations developed & enforced by the Department of Agriculture, Health & Safety Act 36 – Requires notification of the use of pesticides in schools – Notification of parents of policy 2012: Department of Agriculture, Health & Safety determines that these regs apply to childcare centers as well as K-12 schools Only a licensed pest control operator can apply a pesticide in a facility or a home-based childcare center o PA Pesticide Control Act Of /2014PA IPM Program 4

What is a Pest? Ants Fleas Bats Birds Raccoons Cats Weeds 1/2014PA IPM Program 5 A pest is a living thing in a place where we don’t want it! Pests may include: mammals, insects, rodents, bacteria, and plants. Pests spread diseases to people, animals and plants, destroy property, and are a nuisance. Cockroaches Mice Head Lice Bed bugs Spiders Wasps Deer

Problems Caused by Pests 1/2014PA IPM Program 6 People don’t like them in their spaces Damage Property Health Problems Rodent-gnawed wire – a cause of fires Damage by clothes moth Mouse crushed in printer

Health Problems Caused by Pests Bites Spread Bacterial & Viral Diseases Contaminate Food Trigger Asthma 1/2014PA IPM Program 7 Lyme Disease “Bullseye” “Waterbug,” American Cockroach Bed Bug German Cockroaches

Pests have been shown to cause and trigger asthma Philadelphia ranks in the top 5 worst cities for childhood asthma African American children are diagnosed, hospitalized, and die from asthma 2 x more often white children Latino children are diagnosed, hospitalized, and die from asthma 3 x more often white children 1/2014PA IPM Program 8 Problems Caused by Pests

What is a Pesticide? A chemical that is designed to kill a pest Insecticide – kills insects Rodenticide – kills rodents Fungicide – kills fungi Herbicide – kills plants 1/2014PA IPM Program 9 Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) German Cockroaches

Problems with Pesticides Pesticides are made to harm living things People often do not understand how to use them safely or appropriately Exposures to pesticides can have short- and/or long-term negative health effects Routine use indoors leads to residues on surfaces and in the air 1/2014PA IPM Program 10 Home destroyed by Fogger explosion: “Live cockroaches were observed crawling through the debris…” San Diego, 1992

PA IPM Program 11 Children are not little adults Eat/drink/breathe more, pound per pound than adults “Live Low” and put everything in their mouths! Have a lifetime of exposures to chemicals (starting from before birth) Pesticides are More Risky for Children 1/2014

How are Children Exposed? 1/2014PA IPM Program 12 By what goes into their mouths (oral) By what they touch (dermal) By what they breathe (respiratory) Even before they are born (pre-natal)

Windows of Susceptibility YELLOW RED/dark is highly sensitive period, YELLOW/light for less sensitive period. From: Selevan,et al, Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 108, Supplement 3, June

Children’s risk Up to 90% of time indoors – Indoor air 5x more polluted than outside Systems still developing & growing – Brain (e.g., lead) – Immune system – Kidney & liver – Endocrine/hormones Up to 16x more sensitive to toxicity of pyrethroids (Shafer 2005) 14

Proper Storage? 1/2014PA IPM Program 15 OR At child’s level, under the sink, or in an unlocked cabinet?

What is IPM? 1/2014PA IPM Program 16 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an approach to controlling pests in safer, more effective, and longer-lasting ways. When you use IPM, you 1.Understand a pest's identity and habits 2.Use non-toxic, preventative measures first 3.Use several different tactics for better results 4.If needed, choose least-risky chemicals

How do we do Integrated Pest Management? Prevent! Keep Pests Out Remove Pests Food & Water Remove Pests Shelter Keep Watch! Monitor for Pests Eliminate! Treat Existing Pest Problems 1/2014PA IPM Program 17 Routine Monthly Spraying is NOT Part of IPM WaterFood Conducive Conditions for Pests Nest

Choose Safe Pest Control Red: Sprays, Foggers & Aerosols that kill insects on contact; Rodent sprays Yellow: Natural predators, tamper- proof baits, gels, boric acid Green: Cleaning/sanitizing, vacuuming, sweeping, reducing clutter, building maintenance, barriers, traps

Enclosed baits Gels Pellets & granules for insects  Hazardous to children – may mistake for food item YELLOW formulations: 19

Aerosols Foggers Liquid concentrates Ready to use liquids & sprays Poisons for rodents RED formulations: 20

1. Keep Pests Out 1/2014PA IPM Program 21 Doors & Windows Deliveries Check screens for holes and repair. Fill all holes, cracks and crevices. Cracks and Holes An open door is an invitation…to a pest problem. Check for gaps at the bottom of doors and install door sweeps. Many pests are hitchhikers.

2. Remove Pests’ Food & Water 1/2014PA IPM Program 22 Picture: University of Florida/IFAS Problems… Yuck! Solutions…

3. Remove Pest Harborage Clutter 1/2014PA IPM Program 23 Clutter provides lots of hiding spots AND covers up evidence of a growing problem. BeforeAfter

4. Monitor for Pests 1/2014PA IPM Program 24 Report sighting in the pest sighting log Don’t move monitor traps Roaches and poop. Sticky-trap Monitor

5. Eliminate Existing Pests Take appropriate action for pest problems For each pest there are a number of actions that can be taken. Action should be the most effective and the least-risky to children. The next slide shows how to combine these actions using the “IPM Pyramid of Tactics” 1/2014PA IPM Program 25

IPM Pyramid of Tactics for Roaches 1/2014PA IPM Program 26

1/2014PA IPM Program 27 Pesticide Risk: The Chemicals USENOT Traps and Baits Sprays and Foggers Less Risky More Risky For mice: Snap traps and Multiple-catch traps For roaches: Bait stations and Gels; Boric acid

Aviso Veneno del Peligro Highly hazardous DANGER POISON DANGER Peligro WARNING CAUTION Precaución Severe Eye or Skin Damage Slightly hazardous Moderately hazardous Understanding ‘Signal Words ’ 28 Source: PSU Pesticide Education Program

Illegal and Unmarked Pesticides 1/2014PA IPM Program 29 o Pesticides that look like candy o Chinese Insecticide chalk o “Tres Pasitos” o Tempo Mothballs Chinese chalk Tres Pasitos

Dangers with Pesticides – Children’s Health Acute Exposure - Poisoning: Asthma Attacks Flu-like Symptoms Vomiting Dizziness Unconsciousness 1/2014PA IPM Program 30

Long-Term Exposure to Pesticides Chronic Exposure: Asthma Cancer Neurological damage Immune system damage Permanent chemical sensitivity Endocrine disruption 1/2014PA IPM Program 31 Cancer Develop- mental Others? Behavioral Allergies Brain Damage Infertility Asthma Birth Defects

IPM for Key Pests Let’s try to use an IPM approach on 3 common pests: Ants Cockroaches Mice 32 1/2014PA IPM Program

#1 = Know your Pest! What do they want? Where do they live? What is their life cycle? How did they get in? How can I prevent them? What if I need to use a chemical: – Most effective? – Most safe? – Label directions? Photo; EA Kasameyer 1/2014PA IPM Program 33

Ants! What do they want? Where do they live? What is their life cycle? How did they get in? How can I prevent them? -Food usually (or water) -Nest in the ground outside -Queen makes “workers” who look for food for the colony and make trails! -Come in through holes in wall, cracks under windows Clean up, seal food Seal holes with caulk Wipe up their trails with soap and water 1/2014PA IPM Program 34

Ants! What if I need to use a chemical – – most effective? – most safe? – label directions? BEST Enclosed baits Ants will carry back to nest and kill colony Follow all label directions MORE RISKY/Less effective x Sprays - Does not solve problem - Risk of exposure by touching, breathing, drinking BEST!! 1/2014PA IPM Program 35

Cockroaches! What do they want? Where do they live? What is their life cycle? How did they get in? How can I prevent them? - Food and warmth - Like to live with you! - Egg cases, nymphs and adults - Move in through cracks and crevices, then stay Proper food and trash storage Seal cracks and crevices 1/2014PA IPM Program 36

Cockroaches! What if I need to use a chemical – – most effective? – most safe? – label directions? BEST Enclosed baits, Gels, Boric acid Sticky traps to monitor Follow all label directions MORE RISKY/Less effective x Sprays, foggers and “bombs” - Does not solve problem - Risk of exposure by touching, breathing, drinking 1/2014PA IPM Program 37

Mice! What do they want? Where do they live? What is their life cycle? How did they get in? How can I prevent them? - Food, nesting material - In your house, if possible! - Live 1-2 yr and can have 5-8 young every 3 wks! - Come in through openings into building Store food & trash properly Seal outside routes of entry, install door sweeps 1/2014PA IPM Program 38

Mice! What if I need to use a chemical – – most effective? – most safe? – label directions? BEST = Non-chemical Snap traps - Kill instantly - Set snap side against walls, away from children X Not recommended indoors x Rodent poisons – Mice die behind walls, stink and attract flies – Dangerous to children, dogs 1/2014PA IPM Program 39

Points to Remember Prevention and monitoring are essential steps to eliminating pest problems! If you do use a pesticide: – READ THE LABEL FIRST – The label is the LAW – Only a licensed pest control operator can apply a pesticide in a facility or a home-based childcare center 40 1/2014PA IPM Program

1/2014 PA IPM Program 41 Additional Trainings From the PA IPM 1.Asthma, Pest, Pesticides and Children’s Health: Why IPM? 2.Green Cleaning & Personal Care 3.Head Lice, Scabies & Bed Bugs 4.Eco-Health Childcare Checklist 5.Other?

Resources Poison Control Center: Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites: City of Philadelphia, Streets Department: m/hazardous-waste.aspx m/hazardous-waste.aspx 1/2014PA IPM Program 42

Resources IPM: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education Programs, UCSF School of Nursing Toolkit: /ipm/Curriculum_FINAL% pdf /ipm/Curriculum_FINAL% pdf Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education sanitizing-and-disinfecting-toolkit-early-care-and- education 1/2014PA IPM Program 43

Resources 1/2014PA IPM Program 44

1/2014 PA IPM Program 45 The development of this training module was funded by a grant from: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Many of of these resources are adapted, with permission, from: Safer Pest Control Project

46 Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management (PA IPM) Program x109 Penn State Center 675 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA /2014PA IPM Program