Back to News Releases

State Scientists Create "Green" Videos to Tackle Pests in Child Care Centers

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has created a fun, useful series of seven exciting videos that show "green" ways for controlling pests. The videos, filmed in child care centers in Yolo County, can help prevent pests from entering centers and becoming hazardous to human health. (See video clip here).

The seven videos describe a pest control strategy known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM helps to prevent and treat pest problems using non-chemical control methods, monitoring, and record keeping, among other things.

In California, young children can spend as much as 10 hours per day in child care centers, and parents and kids often bring in food and candy that can attract ants, cockroaches, and rodents. Child care staff sometimes turn to unneeded pesticides to keep areas clean. But DPR believes that by focusing more on IPM, staff can help prevent the pest from becoming guests in the centers.

"As a scientist and a mom, I shudder at the thought of child care centers being infested with cockroaches, rodents, or ants. These pests can be a nuisance and even a health hazard," said Belinda Messenger, PhD, DPR Senior Environmental Scientist. "Yet staff at these centers need to reduce kids' exposure to pesticides. This video series will help protect our children while giving child care staff practical and easy-to-use advice for getting rid of pests."

The videos, part of DPR's Growing up Green Child Care Program will be a useful resource for:

• California's 10,000 licensed private child care centers.
• 670,000 kids, ranging in age from newborn to 5 years old, attend California child care centers.
• Preventing pests from entering child care centers in the first place.
• The video series also shows all California's licensed child care centers how to comply with the Healthy Schools Act of 2000.

It is available in English and Spanish at https://bit.ly/IOjXVE and https://bit.ly/1j0Qp7Y