Two Webinars Focus on Pests in Schools and Childcare Facilities

Online, April 20, 2010 (Newswire.com) - In celebration of National Healthy Schools Day on April 26, two webinars will be held that focus on the most effective and safest control of pests in schools and childcare facilities.
The first, "Don't let the Bugs Bite - Bed Bugs and Lice Go to School", is being sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association for School Business Officials (PASBO) in cooperation with the Pennsylvania IPM Program and will held April 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m. The webinar will focus on bed bugs and head lice in schools and how facilities managers, nurses and principals can effectively deal with them. Dr. Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, Cornell University, will explain the basics about these annoying creatures and their control; Jeff Bryan, director of buildings and grounds, Red Lion Area School District, will give the school practitioner's viewpoint; and Sarah Pickel, PA IPM Program, will explain the current legal status of pest management in Pennsylvania schools and the resources available to assist schools with compliance.
For more information on the webinar, including the cost and how to register, visit http://www.pasbo.org/workshopresults.asp?WkshpID=142. Pesticide education credits in multiple categories are available.
The second webinar, "Greening Your Childcare Facility", is being held April 29 from 6 to 7 p.m. It is being sponsored by EPA Region 3 in cooperation with the Philadelphia School and Community Integrated Pest Management Partnership (PSCIP), the Southeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, the Women's Health and Environmental Network, and the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment.
The webinar is part of the EPA's 2010 campaign focusing on promoting the use of certified green cleaning products that help to reduce pollutant exposures indoors, integrated pest management (IPM) and an introduction of the Region 3 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. "Young children spend the majority of their time indoors, primarily in homes, childcare centers and schools," says Michelle Niedermeier PSCIP Coordinator. "Indoor pests, and the pesticides used to control these pests, can create various health and safety risks. To keep children safe, it is important to learn about these hazards and teach others in order to reduce negative health impacts on children."
For more information on the webinar or to register, e-mail the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health at MACCHE@cnmc.org or call 866-622-2431.
For more information on PSCIP, including meeting minutes, partners in the initiative, and current and future activities, visit Web site http://www.pscip.org/. You may also contact Michelle Niedermeier, PSCIP coordinator, at the Philadelphia IPM office, 215-471-2200, ext. 109, or e-mail pscip@psu.edu.