Integrated Pest Management in Multifamily Housing 1 Beware

Integrated Pest Management in Multifamily Housing 1

Beware of this Bug!!!

Background • • • 1980’s bug crew 1990’s contractors and gels 2000 Listening Tour 2001 – 2005 Healthy PH initiative 2006 - 2009 Healthy Pest-Free Hsg 2010 – Environmental Exposure and IPM Intensity

Developed and sponsored by 4

Resources • Networked resources are available at: – www. Stop. Pests. org – www. healthyhomestraining. org/ipm/training. htm • The binder is yours to keep – Copies of presentation slides – HUD’s Voluntary Guidance on IPM – Pest fact sheets 6

By the end of today, you will know • Why pests are health threats. • How to control cockroaches, rodents, and bed bugs. • Why Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the most effective way to control pests. • Your role in the IPM team. 7

How have you fought pests? 8

Pests cause problems • • Trigger/cause asthma and allergies Bite Contaminate food Lead people to overreact and ignore pesticide labels Transmit disease Hitchhike in belongings Violate housing codes IPM makes homes healthier! 9

Priority pests • • • Cockroaches cause asthma in infants, trigger asthma attacks, and contaminate food. Rodents such as mice and rats carry diseases, bite, destroy property, may cause fires, and may trigger asthma attacks. Bed Bugs and their bites are a nuisance and are expensive to eliminate. 10

What all pests need • Food • Water Shelter Food Water • Shelter 11

What is IPM? • Integrated: Uses multiple approaches that work together. • Pest: What the multiple approaches work to fight. • Management: Use of the most economical means with the least possible risk to people, property, and the environment. 12

What you will gain IPM will give you… • A healthier building: Fewer asthma attacks, less exposure to pesticides, and less of a chance you will take pests home. • Fewer complaints: A Boston Housing Authority development reduced cockroach work orders by 68% after one year of IPM. • Fewer pests: You can stop infestations from growing and spreading disease. 13

Bed Bugs 14

Outline • • Also known as… What they are chintzes or chinches What they eat mahogany flats Where they live red coats crimson ramblers How to think like wall lice bed bug the bug that nobody knows • Prevention and control 15

What is a bed bug? • A blood-sucking insect • Most active at night • Usually feeds at night Adult bed bug feeding on a 16 human

Bed bugs are health hazards Bed bugs do not transmit disease, but they • cause secondary infections after people scratch their bed bug bites; • result in stress, loss of work, loss of sleep, and financial burden; • are unwelcome in our homes and workplaces. 17

Bed bug life cycle Unfed Fed Bed bugs at various stages of growth. 18

Bed bug behavior • Hide in cracks and crevices, often in groups. • Cannot fly, jump, or burrow into skin…they crawl. • Hitchhike on bags, furniture, wires, or pipes. Bed bug crawling into a screw hole to hide. 19

Can be confused with… • Ticks • Cockroach nymphs • Other kinds of bug bites Tick Mosquito Bites Cockroach Nymph Bat Bug 20

One bed bug, HALF a year… 21

Signs of bed bugs • • • Bites Blood spots Shed skins Dead bed bugs Live bed bugs 22

Bites • Bed bugs cannot be confirmed by bites alone. • Live bed bugs must be found. 23

Blood spots • Blood spots are bed bug droppings. • Bed bugs cannot be confirmed by blood spots alone. • Live bed bugs must be found. A bad infestation The start of an infestation 24

Shed skins Bed bug signs on a mattress seam 25

Dead bed bugs Bottom Top 26

What bed bugs eat and drink Blood 27

Where bed bugs live • In the building • In any crack or crevice where a credit card edge could fit • In anything near where people rest 28

Where bed bugs live Beds, sofas, bedside tables, recliners, picture frames… = Hot Spot 29

How do bed bugs spread? • Through walls along wires and pipes • On anything coming from an infested unit (furniture, backpacks, laundry…) What’s on the other side of the wall? 30

Think like a bed bug • After mating once and feeding, a female is ready to lay eggs. • To avoid dying, a female may go off and find a hiding spot away from other bed bugs. Traumatic insemination 31 (bed bugs breeding)

Got bed bugs? Now what? If found and controlled early in the infestation, the spread of bed bugs can be stopped. The first responses should be to: Report the problem Not throw the mattress out—cover it Not spray—leave this to the PMP Prevent carrying the bed bugs to other places Prepare the unit for the PMP 32

Document all observations Take action promptly. Report: • Date • What you saw • What you did (don’t spray) 33

Use a mattress encasement • Trap live bed bugs inside. • Zip, seal, and check for rips. • Leave it on for 1 -1/2 years (don’t let it rip). Mattresses and furniture don’t have to be thrown out! 34

Place monitors • Trap and kill bed bugs • Determine how bad the infestation is • Two types – Interceptors – Portable Interceptor 35

Teach people how to control without pesticides • Follow site-specific instructions from the PMP • If there is an infested item, the PMP may have the resident: – Encase – Destroy, dispose, and replace with metal or plastic – Heat treat in a dryer – Heat treat then isolate in bags or containers 36

Teach people how to prevent • Keep coats, backpacks, purses, and bags off beds, recliners, and sofas. • Don’t bring home used furniture. • Look for signs before sleeping. 37

The PMP might • Inspect • Take apart furniture • Put infested items in sealed plastic bags or discard heavily infested items • Use – A vacuum – Heat or steam – Pesticides 38

Only PMPs use sprays • Sprays are not effective when used by homeowners for bed bug control • Sprays cause the bugs to scatter – Problem becomes harder to deal with 39

A review of what you should do • Report the problem • Encase the mattress and box spring • Prevent spreading the bed bugs to other places • Follow the PMP's instructions 40

Management's role • Find out the PMP’s requirements for unit prep and plan ahead! Example: Who takes apart and reassembles furniture? • Have the professional inspect and treat units adjacent to the infested one. • Communicate the situations/populations in units to the professional (respiratory problems, chemical sensitivities, pregnant women, the elderly, or children present). 41

The PMP's role • ALWAYS thoroughly inspects the unit and the adjacent walls. • Provides preparation and follow-up instructions in multiple languages. • Follows the label—especially when treating mattresses! • Returns in three weeks to look for and treat hatched nymphs. 42

The resident's role • Inspect regularly • Launder bedding regularly • Report bed bug sightings immediately and seek help from staff • Use plastic bags when transporting infested items • Don’t bring home furniture found on the street • Follow preparation instructions from the PMP 43

Questions? 44

Cockroaches 45

Outline • • • What they are What they eat Where they live How to think like a cockroach Prevention and control Also known as… roaches cucarachas 46

Cockroaches are health hazards Cockroaches and their frass • Make asthma worse in sensitive people • Cause asthma in preschool-aged children • Cause or aggravate allergies • Contaminate food, dishes, and counters • Are unwelcome in places where we work and play 47

What is a cockroach? • An insect • Lives in areas where humans provide food and water • Active at night If you see cockroaches during the day, the infestation is serious 48

What is a cockroach? • Multiple eggs in each egg case • Many eggs means many nymphs (babies) • Nymphs look like small versions of the adults 49

Common cockroaches hot cool high & dry most common sewers & basements 50

German cockroach • Medium size (3/4''), bronze, with “racing stripes” behind the head • Found everywhere, but likes warmth, moisture, and darkness Reproduces quickly Mother carries eggs to term even if she is dead Eats almost anything 51

Brown banded cockroach • Small size (1/2'') with side-to-side stripes • Found in warm and dry spots, often up high Lives in scattered locations, often behind pictures and appliances 52

American cockroach Oriental cockroach a. k. a. “palmetto bugs” or “water bugs” a. k. a “water bugs” Large (1 -1/2''); brown color Glides in the air Lives in sewers and basements Large (1''); black color Lives in sewers, basements, and mulch Likes it cool Likes it hot 53

One German cockroach, 1/2 a year… 54

Signs of cockroaches Live cockroaches Dead cockroaches and their parts Frass Egg cases 55 11

Dead cockroaches Dead German cockroaches on a sticky trap Brown banded cockroaches by a door hinge 56

Frass r o o D Wall clock Under a cabinet shelf Behind the wall clock 57

Where cockroaches live • Anywhere in a building • Prefer spots near water but also need food and warmth • In cracks and crevices where their bodies touch surfaces above and below 58

What cockroaches eat • • • Crumbs Grease Trash Cardboard glue Just about anything Under the bag in a trash can 59

Where cockroaches drink Sinks Counters Floors Pet bowls Shower stalls Sweaty pipes Refrigerator drip pans and gaskets AC units 60

IPM practice Cockroaches Need food and water. Are most active at night. • What’s the problem here? • How would you fix it? 61

Got cockroaches? Now what? There is not just one answer. • First find out: – What kind? – How many? – Where? • Then use solutions that provide: – Most effective prevention and control – Least risk to residents and staff 62

Inspect Using a flashlight, look for evidence where cockroaches would find food, water, or a hiding spot: up, down, behind, and under. Think like a cockroach – look in hidden areas. Tra sh c h ute Boiler room 63

Inspect Monitor by placing sticky traps near areas where cockroaches might travel—at corners and near warmth, food, and water. 64

Prevention and control: Sanitation • Good sanitation makes pest control work. • Eliminate hiding spots, food, and water available at night by - cleaning the kitchen; - reducing clutter; - throwing away dead cockroaches; - cleaning frass and areas where there were cockroaches with simple soap and water. 65

Prevention and control: Exclusion Seal or fix cracks, peeled wallpaper and shelf liners, or holes that cockroaches could get through. Use silicone caulk; copper mesh; screens; or door sweeps on boiler rooms and exterior doors. 66

Prevention and control: Baits • The most effective pesticide option. • Won’t work if contaminated by strongsmelling cleaners or other chemicals, pesticide sprays or foggers, or nicotine from cigarette smoke. • Use in every room. Gel Bait Station 67

Prevention and control: Baits • The bait needs to be the only food in the area—sanitation first! • Slow to kill: Cockroaches feed on the bait and take it back to their hiding spots where other cockroaches live. PMP’s gel bait applied under a drawer 68

Prevention and control: Insecticidal dusts • Active ingredients may be boric acid or diatomaceous earth • How they kill cockroaches: – Scratch their outer layers – Dry them out • Long-lasting if dry 69

Prevention and control: Insecticidal dusts • • Effective if used correctly. Light dusting instead of piles. Use in walls before fixing them. Under and behind cabinets at turnover or when making large repairs…but clean first! Incorrect use of insecticidal dust 70

Prevention and control: Insect growth regulators (IGRs) • Interfere with cockroach growth and egg hatching • In baits, sprays, aerosols, and powders • Take a month to work • Stay effective for a long time • Compatible with other IPM methods; may enhance baits 71

A review of IPM tools Sanitation Exclusion Pesticides: Bait Insecticidal dusts IGRs 72

Don’t use over-the-counter sprays and foggers Over-the-counter sprays and foggers are not part of IPM in multifamily housing They are not compatible with baits 73

Questions? 74

Cockroaches 75

Outline • • • What they are What they eat Where they live How to think like a cockroach Prevention and control Also known as… roaches cucarachas 76

What is a cockroach? • An insect • Lives in areas where humans provide food and water • Active at night If you see cockroaches during the day, the infestation is serious 78

What is a cockroach? • Multiple eggs in each egg case • Many eggs means many nymphs (babies) • Nymphs look like small versions of the adults 79

Common cockroaches hot cool high & dry most common sewers & basements 80

Brown banded cockroach • Small size (1/2'') with side-to-side stripes • Found in warm and dry spots, often up high Lives in scattered locations, often behind pictures and appliances 82

One German cockroach, 1/2 a year… 84

Signs of cockroaches Live cockroaches Dead cockroaches and their parts Frass Egg cases 85 11

Dead cockroaches Dead German cockroaches on a sticky trap Brown banded cockroaches by a door hinge 86

Frass r o o D Wall clock Under a cabinet shelf Behind the wall clock 87

Where cockroaches live • Anywhere in a building • Prefer spots near water but also need food and warmth • In cracks and crevices where their bodies touch surfaces above and below 88

What cockroaches eat • • • Crumbs Grease Trash Cardboard glue Just about anything Under the bag in a trash can 89

Where cockroaches drink Sinks Counters Floors Pet bowls Shower stalls Sweaty pipes Refrigerator drip pans and gaskets AC units 90

IPM practice Cockroaches Need food and water. Are most active at night. • What’s the problem here? • How would you fix it? 91

Inspect Monitor by placing sticky traps near areas where cockroaches might travel—at corners and near warmth, food, and water. 94

A review of IPM tools Sanitation Exclusion Pesticides: Bait Insecticidal dusts IGRs 102

Don’t use over-the-counter sprays and foggers Over-the-counter sprays and foggers are not part of IPM in multifamily housing They are not compatible with baits 103

Questions? 104

IPM and Pesticide Use 105

Outline • HUD’s guidance on IPM • IPM in practice • Pesticides 106

Making homes healthy • IPM is part of a nationwide Healthy Homes movement to reduce housing-based health hazards. • A healthy home is: – Dry – Clean – Ventilated – Safe – Contaminant-free – Maintained – Pest-free 107

HUD’s voluntary guidance on integrated pest management • PIH guidance since 2006 (PIH 2009 -15 (HA)) • “Offers the potential efficacy of pest elimination while protecting the health of residents and staff. ” • “Will extend the useful life of property and, thereby, generate significant savings that offset costs of the pest control operations. ” • “Effective in preventing moisture intrusion and accumulation. ” • In the reference section of your manual. 108

Federal housing must comply with local housing codes Typical local housing code • All structures shall be kept free from insect and rodent infestation. • All structures in which insects or rodents are found shall be promptly managed by approved processes that will not be injurious to human health. • Proper precautions shall be taken to prevent reinfestation. 109

IPM in practice: Documentation is key One IPM log in each building. Record: • date • detailed observations • action taken Make sure action is taken promptly. 110

IPM in practice: An IPM log Problem Solution Date What’s Initials seen? done? 4/4/08 Door AAT 4/7/08 New CAP sweep door broken sweep installed 111

At first more work, but then less • Starting an IPM program may mean more work because of education, repairs, and monitoring. • Expect to see increased work orders as pests and pest-friendly conditions that were previously overlooked are reported. • THEN…you will get fewer complaints, have fewer pests, and be providing a better place to live. 112

Another view • Invest time and materials for repair and education. • Protect through exclusion, sanitation, and careful product choice based on least risk to human health and the environment and compatibility with other management practices. • Maintain with monitoring, communication, and documentation so that infestations do not grow. 113

Pesticides Why do people tolerate exposure to pests and pesticides? • They are used to living with problems • Low standards for pest control and maintenance • Other priorities • Not aware of the problems • Cannot envision a better way 114

Routine spraying of pesticides is not the only option We’ve learned a better way. Routine baseboard spraying 115 is not part of IPM.

Concerns with pesticides • Pests can become tolerant of or avoid pesticides. • Risk from exposure may outweigh the benefit of killing pests. • Possible harm to pets and wildlife. • Certain populations may be especially vulnerable or sensitive to some pesticides: – Elderly; children; pregnant women – People with breathing or lung disorders such as asthma – People with multiple chemical sensitivities 116

How to handle illegal and risky pesticides Unlabeled Mothballs Chinese Chalk Tres Pasitos Products without a pesticide label are illegal. • Educate residents on the dangers of using illegal pesticides. For example, pesticides that look like candy are risky. • Report illegal sales to the EPA or to the state pesticide licensing agency. 117

Total release foggers (there’s a reason they’re called bombs!) San Diego, CA, July 1992 Augusta, GA, March 2008 Washington, DC, August 2008 118

Pesticide risk by application method Less risk of exposure Tamperresistant station Gel bait in a crevice More risk of exposure Total release fogger 119

How to read a label • Product name • Active Ingredients • Signal words: CAUTION = slightly toxic WARNING = moderately toxic DANGER = severe skin or eye irritation DANGER-POISON = highly toxic 120

How to read a label • • • Registration number: “EPA Reg. No. ” Precautionary Statements Directions for: – Use – Storage – Disposal 121

Product use and emergencies National Pesticide Information Center 800 -858 -7378 www. npic. orst. edu Poison Control Center National Hotline 800222 -1222 www. aapcc. org 122

Questions? 123

Roles and Responsibilities 124

The Property Manager is responsible for IPM • Hires a qualified pest management professional (PMP) who uses IPM and a contract that rewards success • Follows HUD’s IPM Guidance (PIH 2009 -15 (HA)) • Develops and enforces policies and procedures based on PIH 2009 -15 (HA) • Manages the PMP • Identifies problems, especially with housekeeping and sanitation • Monitors and maintain facilities and grounds 125

The Property Manager is responsible for IPM • Protects and assists vulnerable and sensitive populations • Tracks complaints and program performance • Delegates the solutions – If unable to assist directly, contacts family member, resident support services, or social services agency • Encourages a reporting system – Notify staff and residents of upcoming PMP visits – Facilitate the IPM log – Provide pesticide use notification 126

Pest Management Professional • Qualifications to consider – Green Shield, Green. Pro, or Ecowise (in CA) – Association membership: National Pest Management Association – PMP certification: Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) or Board Certified Entomologist (BCE) • Follows contract to get paid – – – – Notifies PHA of upcoming visits Communicates with staff and residents Inspects and monitors for pests Identifies pests Recommends pest-proofing strategies Applies effective and compatible pesticides Documents everything: observations, pesticide usage, suggestions 127 Follows-up quickly when needed

Maintenance Staff • • Seal cracks Fix leaks Eliminate moisture problems Install barriers to pest entry and movement Monitor common areas for pests Report observations, problems, and actions Possibly assist with unit preparation 128

Janitorial / Custodial Staff • Keep common areas clean and sanitary (especially trash chutes and dumpsters) • Monitor for pests • Report problems in units and common areas 129

Landscaping and Grounds Crews • Monitor for pests (especially rats) • Report problems • Minimize use of pesticides on grounds –Plant choice Shapes rats avoid • Doesn’t offer coverage for rat travel and burrowing • Resists pests naturally (few pesticides or nutrients required) –Plant placement Shapes rats seek • Never touching the building • Appropriate sunlight, shade, and moisture for the plant –Plant maintenance • Mow grass high: 3 -4" • Mulch grass clippings 130

Resident Support Service Staff • Get assistance for residents who are unable to prepare their unit for the PMP due to financial or physical limitations • Educate residents about: – Pests – Proper housekeeping – Reporting presence of pests, leaks, and mold • Enforce lease provisions regarding: – Housekeeping – Sanitation – Trash removal and storage • Encourage residents to allow PMP into unit 131

Resident • Notifies management of disabilities or when assistance is needed to participate in an IPM program • Gives PMP access to unit – Works with staff to find reasonable accommodations if sensitivities exist • Prepares unit for PMP visit according to instructions • Follows lease regarding – Housekeeping – Sanitation – Trash removal and storage • Reports presence of pests, leaks, and mold • Monitors unit for problems 132

The results of the team approach • An inspection and monitoring system that finds pests • A reporting system that identifies areas of improvement • Units are prepared to receive effective treatment • Communication that empowers all • Fewer pests and a healthier environment 133