School’s Guide to Managing Pest Infestations: Tips for a Clean and Healthy Learning Environment

Pests are unwelcome visitors in any environment, and schools are no exception. Managing pest infestations in schools is essential for maintaining a clean and healthy learning environment. Pests can carry diseases, cause allergies, and damage school property, making it necessary to take preventive measures against them.

Rodent infestations can be a significant problem in schools, posing health risks to students and staff and causing damage to school facilities. Schools provide an ideal environment for rodents, with plenty of food sources, shelter, and hiding places. Similarly, insects like cockroaches, flies, and ants can be found on school premises. In this blog, we will discuss some strategies for managing these pest infestations in schools.

Conduct regular inspections:

Regular inspections should be conducted to identify pest problems early. This includes checking for signs of pests such as droppings, gnaw marks, and holes in walls and floors.

Identify the Source of Infestation:

The first step in managing a rodent infestation is to identify the source. Inspect the school premises, paying particular attention to areas where food is stored or prepared, such as kitchens and cafeterias. Look for signs of rodent activity, such as droppings, gnaw marks, and nests. Once you have identified the source of the infestation, take steps to eliminate it. Using screens on windows and doors can help prevent insects from entering the building.

Prevent Entry:

Prevention is key to managing rodent infestations. Seal any holes or cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings to prevent rodents from entering the building. Ensure that all doors and windows are properly fitted and that screens are in good repair. Remove any clutter, debris, and vegetation from the exterior of the building, which can provide hiding places for rodents and other pests.

Implement Sanitation Measures:

Rodents thrive in unsanitary conditions. Implement sanitation measures, such as cleaning up spills immediately, removing garbage regularly, and storing food in rodent-proof containers. Ensure that all food preparation areas are thoroughly cleaned after use. Establish a regular cleaning schedule and assign responsibilities to staff and students.

Seek Professional Help:

If the infestation is severe, it may be necessary to seek professional help. Pest control professionals have the expertise and tools to manage rodent infestations safely and effectively. Ensure that the pest control company you choose is licensed and uses environmentally friendly and safe methods of pest control.

Rats, roaches, mice, flies found in hundreds of NYC school cafeterias

By Jacob Geanous and Georgia Worrell

April 1, 2023

One out of every five New York City public school cafeterias are crawling with bugs, rodents — or both — repulsive new stats reviewed by The Post reveal.

Health inspectors discovered roaches, mice, rats, and flies in nearly 400 public school cafeterias over the last three years, recently released city Health Department data shows. 

The figures also reveal that 1,380 of the city’s 1,859 public schools — about 75% — have been cited by the agency since 2020.

The violations include 1,072 deemed critical —  conditions most likely to cause foodborne illnesses — in at least 620 different public schools.

The revolting violations include:

  • Filth flies — several fly species which breed in garbage or feces — or evidence of them in more than 100 schools
  • Mice, or evidence of mice, found in more than 300 school cafeterias.
  • At least 46 times in which cold food, including meat and dairy, was not kept below 41 degrees. Anything above 40 degrees for cold food is considered the “danger zone” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is when bacteria including salmonella or e coli begins to grow. 
  • Live cockroaches were also found in 80 school cafeterias. 

The cafeteria in PS/IS 208 in Glen Oaks, Queens, racked up the most violations since 2020, with 16 citations for issues including mice, flies, and not having a hand washing station, according to DOH. 

“Sometimes it smells bad…sometimes there’s flies,” one seventh grader said alongside her mother. “It’s definitely gross.”

“I saw a mouse last week near the back right corner [of the cafeteria.] It was kind of crazy,” said another seventh grader.

Big pest problem: St Andrew’s Anglican School closed 2 more weeks

KINNESHA GEORGE

28 February 2023

The doors of the St Andrew’s Anglican Primary School, Calder Hall,  will remain closed for another two weeks.

A press release on Sunday evening from the THA Division of Education, Research and Technology gave stakeholders an update on the school, which was scheduled to reopen on Monday after being closed on February 17.

The release said health and safety concerns at the school are still being addressed by the division.

Speaking with Newsday, TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Tobago officer Bradon Roberts supported the continued closure. In a previous interview, Roberts said the disruption was necessary as a rat infestation was detected “a couple of weeks ago by the staff.”

The usage of rodenticides, insecticides, and pesticides is dangerous for students. The use of pesticides has hampered the neurological development of children. There is evidence for children and others who have been poisoned accidentally consuming pesticides.

We at C Tech Corporation are in a unique position to provide solutions to the problems caused by these creatures.

At C Tech Corporation we make use of Mother Nature’s gift of senses given to these rodents in developing extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard formulation products!

We have Rodrepel™, our rodent aversive; Termirepel™, our termite and insect aversive; and Combirepel™, which is a combination of both.

Our products are a perfect blend of smart technology and green chemistry. The products act through a series of highly developed intricate mechanisms ensuring that the rodents and insects are kept away from the application.

Rodrepel™ triggers a fear response in rodents thus protecting the application. It causes severe temporary distress to the mucous membrane of the rodents due to which the pest stays away from the application. The product triggers an unpleasant reaction in case if the pest tries to gnaw away the application. After encountering the above-mentioned emotions, the animal instinctively perceives it as something it should stay away from and stores this information for future reference. The fact that certain rodents are repelled is mimicked by other rodents as well. Thus, the other rodents too stay away from the applications. The unpleasant experience is imprinted within the animal’s memory and passed on to its progeny.

TermirepelTM is made with a mechanism such that, the product temporarily blocks the mating cycle of these insects and causes feeding disruption by creating discomfort within the insects. The product weakens the ability of insects to reproduce which means, female insects will not lay eggs and laid eggs will be infertile. The product disturbs the release of vital hormones which are essential for insects to grow. 

The product is compliant with RoHS, RoHS2, RoHS3, and REACH, APVM, NEA, EU BPR and is FIFRA exempted. Our eco-friendly products do not kill the target species but only repel them.

The liquid concentrate, when diluted in paints, can be used to paint the interior and exterior of the walls of the schools. It can be applied in the canteen and food storage areas in schools.

The direct application lacquer can be coated topically over the applications which need protection. It can be applied to a variety of surfaces like wood, furniture, concrete, metal, polymer, and ceramic. The desks, benches, and furniture from the schools can be applied with our lacquer to protect these applications from pest attacks.

Our product available in the form of wood polish additive can be applied as a topical application by mixing it with wood polish. It can also be applied to racks, pallets, furniture, etc.

The product available in the form of a masterbatch can be incorporated into pipes, wires, cables, polymeric material, instruments, etc.

Our easy-to-use spray products are RodrepelTM rodent repellent spray TermirepelTM insect repellent sprayCombirepelTM pest repellent spray that can be sprayed on the bench, chairs, racks, wooden furniture, etc.

Another issue that can be addressed is the bird menace on school premises. We have Bye-Bye Birdy bird repellent spray that is very user-friendly and convenient for application. You just have to spray it on bird perching and roosting areas like the beams, trusses, structures, AC outdoor units, etc. to keep the birds away.

Our products provide a safe and environmentally friendly solution to avoid rodent infestation.

In conclusion, managing a rodent infestation in a school requires a proactive approach that involves identifying the source of the infestation, preventing entry, implementing sanitation measures, using traps and baits, and seeking professional help if necessary. By using our products, schools can ensure the safety and well-being of their students and staff and protect their facilities from damage caused by rodents.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com to get solutions to your pest problems.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/