BMBL Appendix G

Biosafety Documents

BMBL Table of Contents

Pest management is an important part of managing a research facility. Many pests, such as flies and cockroaches, can mechanically vector disease pathogens and compromise the research environment. Even the presence of innocuous insects can contribute to the perception of unsanitary conditions.

The most common approach to pest control has been the application of pesticides, either as a preventive or remedial measure. Pesticidal treatments can be effective and may be necessary as a corrective measure, but they have limited long-term effect when used alone. Pesticidal applications also present the potential to contaminate the research environment through pesticide drift and volatilization.

To control pests and minimize the use of pesticides, it is necessary to employ a comprehensive program approach to pest management that integrates housekeeping, maintenance, and pest control services. This method of pest control is often referred to as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The primary goal of an IPM program is to prevent pest problems by managing the facility environment in such a way as to make it less conducive to pest infestation. Along with limited applications of pesticides to control pests, pest control is achieved through proactive operational and administrative intervention strategies to correct conditions that foster pest problems.

IPM is a strategy-based service. The decision to implement an IPM program should be based not only on the cost of the services, but on the effectiveness of the program's components. IPM is site-specific, and each program should be tailored to the environment where it is applied. IPM services in a laboratory will be different from those in an office building or an animal care facility.

Integrated pest management programs can be delineated into various interrelated components which contribute to the "environmental management" approach to controlling pests. These are:

• Facility Design: The inclusion of pest management issues and requirements in a facility's planning, design, and construction provides an opportunity to incorporate features that help to exclude pests, minimize pest habitat, and promote proper sanitation. This can help to reduce the need for future corrective pest management services that can be disruptive to research operations.

• Monitoring: Traps, visual inspections, and staff interviews are used to identify areas and conditions that may foster pest activity. Monitoring is the central activity of an IPM program and is used in place of preventive pesticidal treatments.

• Sanitation and Facility Maintenance: Many pest problems can be prevented or corrected by using proper sanitation, reducing clutter and pest habitat, and by performing repairs that exclude pests and reduce pest habitat. Maintaining records of structural deficiencies and housekeeping conditions can help to track problems and determine if corrective actions are completed in a timely manner.

• Communication: A staff member can be designated to meet with pest management personnel to assist in resolving facility issues that impact on pest management. Information on pest activity, and recommendations on personnel practices and facility conditions that impact pest management, can be relayed verbally and in writing to that person. Training on subjects such as pest identification, biology, and sanitation can also promote understanding and cooperation with the goals of the IPM program.

• Record Keeping: A logbook can be used to record pest activity and conditions pertinent to the IPM program. It may contain protocols and procedures for IPM services in that facility; Material Safety Data Sheets on pesticides; pesticide labels; treatment records; floor plans; survey reports; etc.

• Nonpesticidal Pest Control: Pest control methods such as trapping, exclusion, caulking, washing, and freezing can be applied safely and effectively when used in conjunction with proper sanitation and structural repair.

• Pest Control With Pesticides: Preventive applications of pesticides should be discouraged, and treatments should be restricted to areas of known pest activity. When pesticides are applied, the least toxic product(s) available should be used and applied in the most effective and safe manner.

• Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance: Quality assurance and program review should be performed to provide an objective, ongoing evaluation of IPM activities and effectiveness. This is to ensure that the program is controlling pests and meeting the specific needs of the facility program(s) and its occupants. Based upon this review, current pest management protocols can be modified and new procedures implemented.

• Technical Expertise: A qualified entomologist can provide helpful technical guidance in developing and implementing an IPM program. Pest management personnel should be licensed and certified through examination by the appropriate regulatory agency.

• Safety: By limiting the scope of pesticidal treatments and using nonpesticidal control practices, IPM can minimize the potential of pesticide exposure to the research environment and the staff.

Prior to initiating any type of pest management program, development of an operational framework for IPM services can help to promote collaboration between pest management specialists and facility personnel. This framework can also be used to incorporate facility restrictions and operational and procedural issues into the IPM program. An effective pest management program is an integral part of the facility's management. Including an IPM policy statement in the facility's standard operating procedures can increase awareness of the program.

Training on the principles and practices of structural (indoor) integrated pest management and information on IPM programs is available from many sources. Some of these are university entomology departments, county extension offices, the Entomological Society of America, state departments of agriculture, state pest control associations, the National Pest Control Association, suppliers of pest control equipment, and pest management consultants or pest management firms. There are also correspondence courses available from several universities as well as short courses and training conferences on structural pest management.

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