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Funded Project

Funding Program: Regional IPM Grants (S-RIPM)

Project Title: IPM Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Schools

Project Director (PD): Michael E. Merchant [1]

Lead State: TX Lead Organization: Texas A&M University

Extension Funding: $29,258

Start Date: Aug-01-2003 End Date: Jul-31-2004

Summary: None provided Objectives: None provided

Final Report:

Results PROGRESS: 2003/08 TO 2006/01 During 2005, we identified the cost structure of the 30 most commonly conducted pest control-related tactics performed by effective school pest management programs. The most commonly conducted activities were exclusionary functions, followed by monitoring and then effective pest control. Interviews were conducted with regulatory inspectors, personal contacts and campus visits by SWTRC staff, and by referrals from other facility managers. Similarly, skilled pest control contractors were identified from referrals from regulatory inspectors, facility managers and referrals from other pest control providers. Cost structures of these top 30 pest control activities were based on interviews with facility managers and pest control contractors as well as individual contacts with building contractors, suppliers, and equipment manufacturers. We also conducted extensive web research trying to determine price averages for many of the costs that can be encountered by a school district. An interactive budget calculator running in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was developed, based on information about cost structure associated with various IPM strategies and the information obtained from the above research. This calculator utilizes an IPM inspection format that was previously developed by Texas Cooperative Extension. Once the inspection is completed, the answers are then placed into this calculator for further evaluation. The cost-calculator takes the information given and turns out a report that measures the schools risk for pest presence/infestation and how much it will cost the school district to make the repairs associated with the inspection. This type of information will allow school maintenance directors the ability to generate a pest control budget with numbers that are more realistic. Based on information that was solicited by our research team we found that many of the school IPM Coordinators could not accurately tell us how much they spent on pest control each year. Many districts could tell how much their pest control contract was for; however, they could not tell about cost associated with exclusionary techniques. Part of our goal with developing this cost calculator was to educate school personnel about the costs and benefits associated with exclusionary controls. To foster this notion, under each topic that a question is asked, a scenario is given and why it is important to maintain or repair this area, how it relates to pest control. In some cases, images are attached to the area in question to give the user a better sense of why it is important to maintain an area. For example, door sweeps are known throughout the pest control industry as being important in keeping out crawling and vertebrate pests; however, many IPM Coordinators do not understand that doors sweeps are first line of defense. Having help boxes and images showing the difference will offer knowledge and information for the IPM Coordinator to justify a budget for fixing or replacing door sweeps. The next phase of this project will incorporate this cost calculator for web-based management. IMPACT: 2003/08 TO 2006/01 For IPM to gain broader acceptance, school administrators and decision makers need better access to information concerning the practical costs as well as the economic benefits of establishing an IPM program. Currently resources are few to assist school districts in assessing the potential costs associated with adoption of IPM programs. The development of a heuristic, spreadsheet-based, decision tool to project probable costs of IPM is essential. This tool would significantly expand the capacity to teach schools the relative benefits and costs of moving from a pesticide-oriented pest control program to IPM. The cost calculator will help reduce many schools reliance on pesticides, improve the environmental quality of school grounds, and improve the quality of school pest management programs. In addition, school IPM Coordinators will gain a better understanding of how to manage their pest control program and understand the costs and benefits associated with integrated pest management. PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2003/08 TO 2006/01 No publications reported this period

Outcomes N/A

Impacts From report submitted by the PI to USDA CRIS report system For IPM to gain broader acceptance, school administrators and decision makers need better access to information concerning the practical costs as well as the economic benefits of establishing an IPM program. Currently resources are few to assist school districts in assessing the potential costs associated with adoption of IPM programs. The development of a heuristic, spreadsheet-based, decision tool to project probable costs of IPM is essential. This tool would significantly expand the capacity to teach schools the relative benefits and costs of moving from a pesticide-oriented pest control program to IPM. The cost calculator will help reduce many schools reliance on pesticides, improve the environmental quality of school grounds, and improve the quality of school pest management programs. In addition, school IPM Coordinators will gain a better understanding of how to manage their pest control program and understand the costs and benefits associated with integrated pest management.

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