DON'T MISS THE BUS

Consider for a moment the following hypothetical account: You’re called to a large facility in need of serious help. The customer contacts don’t know that much about pests and their control, and they’re on a tight budget. The facility hasn’t been maintained as it should and it has sanitation issues: gaps under doors, leaky pipes, food remnants and soda cans left lying about, and garbage cans going unemptied for days.

Not surprisingly, pests tend to run rampant here: ants, cockroaches, termites, stinging pests, rodents, molds and even head lice are a few of the regular suspects. But pesticidal solutions will have to be your last resort, after exhausting all other options. You’ll have to start at ground zero, using everything you’ve ever learned about pests to resolve these issues first. You’ll be expected to document everything you do, in the order you do it. And if you decide to apply pesticides, you’ll have to alert the customer well in advance, schedule the treatment after normal work hours and post warning signs. Considering these factors, will you be able to solve the pest problems quickly, affordably and with the lowest possible risk?

If you say "no," you just may end up missing the bus to one of the industry’s biggest growth opportunities. It’s called School IPM and it’s here to stay. The fact is, pesticides are no longer the first line of defense against pests in many schools. These institutions are flocking to good old-fashioned Integrated Pest Management, which starts by examining the causes of problems and then addresses them with mechanical controls such as exclusion, sanitation and monitoring. Baits and targeted products are important tools, but monthly spraying, as it were, is not part of the picture.

Although more schools are asking for IPM, not all PCOs have jumped on the IPM band-wagon. Many believe it represents burdensome regulations, unnecessary protocols and increased liability. However, those PCOs offering IPM paint a different picture. They say that despite their flaws, IPM programs work, they’re profitable and opportunities abound.

THE RIGHT THING TO DO. No one would argue that IPM in schools is a bad idea. Some studies have shown that children are especially sensitive to the effects of pesticides, resulting in increased public and regulatory pressure to limit such exposure. "It’s hard to argue against children’s health or the health of the environment," said Dave Shangle, director of technical services, Anderson Pest Control, Elm-hurst, Ill. "If someone wants to regulate pesticide practices in schools, you can either fight against it and lose or make yourself part of the process and help develop something that could work." Shangle serves about 150 schools in the Chicago and Northern Illinois area.

Even so, most schools across the county aren’t yet aware that IPM exists. For one thing, most states still don’t require IPM in schools and as of yet there aren’t any federal laws dealing with how pests are controlled in schools. As of press time, only about a dozen states had school IPM laws or regulations on the books, according to the National Pest Management Association. However, interest in school IPM is steadily rising: about 30 states have considered school pesticide-use legislation in recent years and a number of states have IPM programs in place or in development to help educate school districts. In addition, U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli just last month introduced a national school pesticide bill (see related story, www.pctonline.com/articles/article.aspMagID=1&ID=1468&IssueID=143). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also behind the school IPM effort by providing considerable grant money and funding for two new regional resource centers to help states implement IPM.

So, what is IPM in schools? The answer varies depending on whom you ask, but some of the strictest definitions can be found in states that require it. Massachusetts, for example, has some of the toughest IPM laws on the books. Schools are supposed to focus on the causes of pest problems and use non-chemical control measures, such as exclusion and sanitation, first. Even relatively innocuous materials, such as baits or boric acid dusts, are to be used only as a last resort. Besides requiring schools to develop and implement IPM plans, the law also limits the products that can be used in and around schools, requires that parents be notified in advance of treatments and mandates that warning signs be posted.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Not all school IPM programs are as strict as Massachusetts’, but PCOs are finding that they do work. Jeff Ledford, service consultant at Schendel Pest Control, Wichita, Kan., says IPM programs can be very effective. "We’re seeing that we can maintain a good level of control, but we’re not putting anyone at risk and we’re not compromising the indoor air quality with constant pesticide applications," he said.

There are some requirements, however, for IPM to be successful. Bill Schroeder, president of Corpest Service Co., Corpus Christi, Texas, points out that PCOs need to do their homework first. After IPM was required in Texas in 1995, Schroeder wanted to win the Corpus Christi School District’s business, but he found they had no idea what to ask for regarding IPM. "I went back and said, ‘Let me put together some guidelines that every one of the pest control operators can bid on,’" he said. Schroeder spent some time drawing up three different IPM approaches that schools could use when securing bids. His work paid off, although not immediately. He was awarded the contract for Corpus Christi schools in the second year of the program and still serves the district today.

Schroeder says ongoing success in school IPM also means a long-term commitment to customer education. "You have to educate your school system," he says. "You’ve got to be on the same page." This means informing schools what their obligations are in terms of sanitation and maintenance and using logbooks to record pest sightings.

IPM programs also need time to work. Joe Stuart, commercial division manager with Home Paramount Pest Control, Forestville, Md., recalls his earliest effort at school IPM. "It was shaky at first," he said, citing the many obstacles and frustrations on the part of parents, staff and technicians. "But now that we have gotten it down, I’d say it’s the safest program you could possibly have and it’s a great management program."

POP QUIZ. School IPM isn’t without its problems. The biggest concern cited among PCOs appears to be a lack of cooperation by schools. Nick Fowler, vice president of Applied Pest Management, San Francisco, says getting the students and staff involved enough to do what is necessary to reduce pest population levels can be a challenge. "Teachers understand [IPM] but don’t always accept it," he said. "Your hands are kind of tied if teachers and students don’t do something about the sanitation levels in the classrooms."

Ledford agrees. "The biggest [problem] we find is if we make recommendations on sanitation or structural repairs, sometimes they won’t be followed up," he said. Using a logbook to record such recommendations helps ensure that these issues are eventually handled, Ledford added.

Another problem with IPM in a few states has been the legal rigmarole that either doesn’t allow for emergency treatments or slows down needed treatments because of the necessary protocols. One such stumbling block in a few states has been notification requirements, which typically call for schools to notify all parents or guardians in advance of treatments. Stuart notes that notification can lead to a lag time between reporting a problem and conducting the initial treatment. "It doesn’t take long for an infestation to increase," he said.

A related issue is whether states requiring IPM have plans in place for emergency situations. Stuart recalls one incident involving a hornet’s nest near a school window in an area that wasn’t visible from the ground. School staffers opened the window, tearing the nest open and angry hornets invaded the kitchen. "We were virtually helpless," Stuart said, explaining they didn’t have the flexibility to promptly solve the problem on their own, but had to wait for instructions from the state Department of Agriculture. Stuart says, however, that Maryland’s program is still evolving and ongoing discussions with the Department of Agriculture should help to resolve some of these glitches.

LUNCH MONEY. Because school IPM still isn’t the norm for school pest control, many PCOs are charging much higher for the service. Stuart points out that offering IPM has literally "quadrupled" the price for service, but he justifies the added cost based on all the extra manpower, equipment, time at the account and number of trips made to the account. "We’re talking a great deal of service here," he said. The added cost of the service may also have something to do with the fact that Maryland’s IPM law is among the most stringent in the country.

PCOs in other states point out that ultimately IPM can save schools money. Ledford says initially, prices are going to be higher than programs in which companies simply provide monthly applications. "We’re going in and proposing a completely different service," he said.

In his state (Kansas), IPM isn’t required by law, so Ledford often has to explain to schools why and how his service differs. "It’s a matter of re-educating them on what type of service they want to have, to make sure they have a better environment in those facilities." However, the cost is only higher in the early stages of adopting IPM, Ledford adds. "Over the long term, they’re really looking at a cost savings," he said. "They’re actually improving their structures by addressing sanitation and having structural modifications done."

Anderson’s Shangle points out that IPM doesn’t cost more, it just costs differently. "There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be affordable," Shangle said. "First off, it’s good, sound building maintenance practices," he said. "Instead of paying us to apply pesticide just because we’ve always done it that way, the school is paying us for the knowledge we have."

GOLD STARS. Those offering IPM in schools say it is profitable work. Bob Stoddard, president of EnviroSafe, Grand Rapids, Mich., notes that while some buildings are more profitable and others are less so, it all works out in the end. "In any given district, there’s going to be a percentage of the buildings that are a problem," Stoddard said. "My philosophy is, at the end of the day, when all of the dust settles, if EnviroSafe has made a modest profit...that’s a good thing."

PCOs also say that competition is strangely scarce, at least for the time being. "A lot of the PCOs are just walking away from these schools," said Jack Drummey, president of Hudson Pest Control, Hudson, Mass.

Drummey explained that some PCOs may be put off by the increased paperwork, regulations and perceived headaches. "I actually looked at it in a different light and made a marketing effort in this area," he said. Doing the upfront work paid off for Drummey, who says he is turning a profit. But he’s not getting too comfortable in his enviable position. "I think it may get competitive down the road," he adds.

Stuart Aust, president of Bug Doctor Termite and Pest Control, Paramus, N.J., says he’s one of a limited number of PCOs doing school IPM work in his area. "I don’t see it as competitive at this point," he says. He recalled two recent bidding situations in which his company was one of only a few companies to submit proposals. However, says Aust, many schools aren’t even aware that IPM exists. "Seven out of ten don’t know what you’re talking about," he said.

Besides being profitable, school IPM also leads to business growth. Just about all PCOs doing school IPM say they are reaping a virtual landslide of referral business. Fowler notes that because Applied services the San Francisco school district, one of the largest school districts in the state, they have secured many other districts as well. "Administrators do talk to each other," he said. "You get recommended for work in other places, so it goes around and around."

And Shangle says the referrals aren’t only coming from other school districts. "Spouses of employees and parents work in all kinds of locations, so we pick up new commercial work in other areas," he said.

JUMP ON THE BUS. Although it appears that the majority of schools still aren’t calling for IPM, it likely won’t be long before they do. The long-term benefit of cleaner, safer, better-maintained schools with fewer pests, is a powerful argument.

For PCOs, IPM may be a whole different assignment than they’re used to, but those trendsetters who’ve adopted this program have positioned themselves well to gain more business in the years ahead. Fortunately, those who haven’t still have time to learn. Most say IPM isn’t rocket science, it just takes time. Stuart points out that developing a school IPM program might be difficult for some companies at first, but once they make the switch, they’ll never look back. "Once you’ve got it built, it becomes part of the job," he says.