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Integrated Pest Management in Schools and Day Cares
Integrated pest management (IPM) aims to protect the health and safety of students and children by minimizing the potential for their exposure to pesticides. In Michigan, schools and day cares need to follow legal requirements related to IPM and ensure pesticides are used safely and in accordance with the label. These requirements include:
- Annually providing parents and guardians written information about how they will receive notice of pesticide applications if pesticides are applied at the school or day care. Learn more below in “Annual Notification”.
- Providing parents and guardians with information about pesticide applications before they occur. Learn more below in “Advance Notice”.
- Establishing an IPM Program for each school or day care building before an application is made. Learn more below in “IPM Policy and Program”.
- Ensuring that staff responsible for pesticide applications have received IPM training before they apply a pesticide in a school or day care building. Learn more below in “IPM Training”.
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Advance Notice
- Advance notice must be provided at least 48 hours prior to the application using the methods indicated in the annual notification. If any parents or guardians requested notice by mail, the notice must be sent via first class US mail and postmarked 3 days before the application.
- The notice must contain the following information:
- A statement that a pesticide is expected to be applied.
- The target pest(s).
- The approximate location of the application.
- The date of the application.
- The name, phone number, and email address (if available) of a person at the school or day care responsible for maintaining application and pest infestation records.
- The toll-free phone number for a national pesticide information center and MDARD’s phone number, 1-800-292-3939.
Schools and day cares may use MDARD's advance notice template. The advance notice template is also available in Spanish and as a Spanish-English hybrid version.
- Advance notice must be provided at least 48 hours prior to the application using the methods indicated in the annual notification. If any parents or guardians requested notice by mail, the notice must be sent via first class US mail and postmarked 3 days before the application.
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Annual Notification
- Schools must provide parents and guardians with written annual notification within 30 days after the start of the school year.
- Day cares must provide and guardians with written annual notification in September.
- The notification needs to include:
- The two methods of advance notice. The first method is posting at the primary entrance(s) of the building(s). The second method can be one of the following of the school’s or day care’s choice:
- Posting in a public, common area of the school or day care
- Direct contact via phone with a parent or guardian
- Posting on the school’s or day care’s website
- A statement that parents or guardians are entitled to receive the notice by first-class US mail postmarked at least 3 days before the application, if they request, and how they can request notice by mail.
- For schools, inform parents and guardians that they can review the IPM program and application records.
- Contact information (i.e., name, phone number, and email address if available) for the person at a school building responsible for pesticide application procedures.
Schools and day cares may use MDARD's annual notification template. A Spanish version of the annual notification template is also available.
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IPM Program and Policy
Each building at a school or day care needs to have an IPM Program in place prior to the application of a pesticide in the building. A summary of IPM Program requirements include:
- IPM practices and principles and an assessment of how human health and the environment can be impacted.
- Detailed recordkeeping maintained by the pesticide applicator.
- Provision of IPM program and records to the building manager.
- Acceptance of responsibility by the building manager to post signage provided by the pesticide applicator.
Schools and day cares may use MDARD's IPM program template which includes an IPM policy.
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IPM Training
- Integrated Pest Management training materials must be approved by MDARD and completion of training needs to be verified.
- Applicators and staff interested in completing training may review the IPM Training Manual developed by MDARD. Review questions at the end of the manual should be completed with the individual’s immediate supervisor. Don’t forget to complete and send the verification form to MDARD.
- If you prefer to develop your own IPM training, visit the IPM training website or contact MDARD at MDARD-pesticide@Michigan.gov to learn more about what is required and how to get it approved.
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Information for Parents and GuardiansParents and guardians are entitled to information related to pesticide use at schools and day cares. For example, schools and day cares are obligated to provide parents and guardians with annual notification and advance notice of pesticide applications, other than a bait or gel formulation. Additionally, parents and guardians may request to review a school’s IPM Program and application records. Review the sections above to learn more about the information parents and guardians should receive from their child’s school or day care.