Common pests in schools and child care settings
UC IPM’s Pest Notes series provides accurate, peer-reviewed information on identification and management of common pests found in schools and child care settings. Below is a list of select pests. See the Pest Notes index page for all titles in this series.
- Insect pests: ants, bed bugs, bee and wasp stings, carpet beetles, cockroaches, fleas, flies, head lice, lawn insects, mosquitoes, moth or drain flies, pantry pests, snails and slugs, spiders, widow spiders and their relatives, yellowjackets.
- Weeds: annual bluegrass, bermudagrass, clovers, crabgrass, dallisgrass, dandelions, plantains, and general resources such as weed management in lawns, and weed management in landscapes.
- Vertebrate pests: cliff swallows, ground squirrel, house mouse, pocket gophers, rats, and skunks.
- Other relevant topics: hiring a pest control company, lawn diseases: prevention and management, pesticides: safe and effective use, powdery mildew in ornamentals, and wood decay in landscape trees.
Online training
Providing IPM Services in Schools and Child Care Settings (UPDATED in 2016), informs pest management professionals about the requirements of the Healthy Schools Act (HSA), IPM services for managing pests in schools and child care centers, and practical ways to use IPM in business while complying with the HSA. This course meets the training requirement of the Healthy Schools Act that went into effect July 1, 2016. (CEUs: 1.0 hr "Other" and 1.0 hr "Pesticide Laws & Regulations" from DPR; 1.0 hr "Rules and Regulations” and 1.0 hr "IPM" from SPCB)
Child care training resources and curricula
- UCSF California Childcare Health Program
- Integrated Pest Management Toolkit for Family Child Care Homes
- Integrated Pest Management Toolkit for Early Care and Education Programs
California Department of Pesticide Regulation
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) School & Child Care Integrated Pest Management program offers support for Healthy Schools Act compliance and promotes the adoption of integrated pest management in schools and child care centers.