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PA IPM and PEPP at Overbrook Elementary School - February 2007
Februarys 8, 2007
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Students at an elementary school in Philadelphia recently got to handle live insects and learn the difference between good bugs and bad ones through a Penn State program.
The Philadelphia School and Community Integrated Pest Management Partnership (PSCIP), part of the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program (PA IPM), and the Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) held two fun, hands-on after school science programs about IPM for 4th grade students at Overbrook Elementary School.
IPM, or integrated pest management, is common sense pest control that encourages the use of least toxic methods to control and prevent pest infestations. According to Michelle Niedermeier, PSCIP Coordinator, IPM is part of the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology for K-12 students in all public schools throughout the Commonwealth. “Since it is a subject that most teachers are unfamiliar with, its often overlooked in the curriculum,” she explains. “We work with schools to educate them and provide resources to help students and teachers meet the requirements of the standards.”
Coordinating with Alan Brown of PEPP, Niedermeier spent two sessions working with the students. During the first session the group discussed the idea of a “pest” through various activities. “Many students were eager to share their thoughts on types of pests, when the critter is a pest and when it is not a pest,” Niedermeier said. “The students made lists of animals and plants that they thought were pests and then argued their reasons for it being on the list. We also discussed their experiences with insects and rodents and what to do to get rid of them.”
According to Niedermeier, this discussion lead to the introduction of safer methods of pest control and the prevention of pests before it becomes an infestation. Students made lists of safer pest control practices such as plugging up holes and using baits and traps instead of sprays. The students were also provided with publications to take home on IPM, roaches, rodents, pesticide safety, and how pests and pesticides can affect the health of children, especially those with asthma.
The second session focused on “good bugs” and “bad bugs”, and understanding the biology and habits of potential pests. “I brought in live insects to help dispel fears and illustrate that not all insects are the same,” she says. The students were encouraged to touch and hold the insects such as Madagascar hissing cockroaches and mealworms. “Initially, most of the students were hesitant to come near the insects, but by the end of the session, they didn’t want me to put the insects away.”
“These types of interactions are always fun. It gives us a chance to work with youth and allow them to take the information home to their parents, who can hopefully make better informed decisions about pest issues for the health and safety of their families.”
For more information on PSCIP and school and community IPM, visit Web site http://www.pscip.org/. You may also contact Niedermeier at the Philadelphia Cooperative Extension IPM and PSCIP office, phone (215) 471-2200, ext. 109, or e-mail mxn14@psu.edu.
The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://www.paipm.org/. To view our archived news releases, see Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/10.htm.