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IPM Reduces
Cockroaches and Allergens in Schools
Fewer allergen concentrations could reduce asthma incidences
Full text of the article (HTML or PDF).
Lanham, MD; May 6, 2009 – For years, scientists have associated growing asthma
rates among children with exposure to cockroach allergens, especially among
inner-city children. A
new study in the May issue of Journal of Medical Entomology entitled
“German Cockroach Allergen Levels in North Carolina Schools: Comparison of
Integrated Pest Management and Conventional Cockroach Control” shows that using
integrated pest management (IPM) to control cockroaches is more effective at
reducing cockroaches and their allergens than conventional methods which do not
use IPM.
Unlike conventional pest-control methods, which often involve periodic spraying
of insecticides on a predetermined schedule, IPM involves close monitoring for
signs of specific pests, combined with baits and traps to control them. The
authors of this study compared two school districts using the conventional
method with one school district using IPM, and found that the one using IPM had
much lower concentrations of cockroach allergens and zero cockroaches caught in
pre-set traps.
“North Carolina schools are mandated to convert to IPM by 2011, so these
findings give credibility that IPM has superior and longer-lasting results than
pesticide use alone,” said Dr. Godfrey Nalyanya, one of the authors. “In fact,
the study was so convincing that the two school districts using conventional
pest control quickly made the switch to IPM.”
The authors also state that besides being more effective and ecologically
superior to conventional pest control methods, IPM has long-term economic
benefit as well.
“The monetary costs for IPM might be higher initially, but it pays for itself
down the road and provides a healthier school environment,” Nalyanya says.
The abstract and full text of the article are available
here.
Journal of Medical Entomology
is published by the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Founded in 1889, ESA
is a non-profit organization committed to serving the scientific and
professional needs of nearly 6,000 entomologists and individuals in related
disciplines. ESA's membership includes representatives from educational
institutions, government, health agencies, and private industry. More
information on ESA is available at
http://www.entsoc.org.
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