PA IPM Brochures
Bed bugs are making a comeback in apartment buildings, dorm rooms, hotels, hospitals and homes. Why now? Both people, and the things they buy, are traveling greater distances and more frequently, causing hitchhiking bed bugs to spread more rapidly.
Mouse Traps: The safest traps for catching mice in the home are snap traps that are set by squeezing the back. This avoids snapping fingers while setting and releasing. Snap traps kill the mouse humanely and prevent you from having to touch the mouse.
The first step in preventing problems with roaches is eliminating what they need to survive: food, water and shelter. By eliminating these necessities you can get long-term control and avoid the need to repeatedly apply pesticides, which generally provide only short-term results. Here are some suggestions:
The Philadelphia School & Community IPM Partnership (PSCIP) seeks to empower individuals and communities to safely manage pests through education and training. Partners include state agencies, environmental groups, health practitioners, community groups, universities, schools and child care facilities. The partnership is administered by the PA IPM Program at Penn State. For more information on PSCIP’s programs and partners,
This publication will help you detect and positively identify ants and will help you decide on a plan of action for ant problems both in and outside of the home.
Pests such as weeds, cockroaches and rodents, as well as the chemicals we use to control them, can trigger allergies and asthma by contaminating our air indoors and out.
WHAT IS IPM? IPM manages pests by combining tactics that are most likely to be safe and effective, including prevention and alternatives to pesticides. Pesticides, if used, should be the least toxic to humans and target only the pest you have.
Pest identification is the first step in following an Integrated Pest Management, or IPM program. The pictures and descriptions in this publication should help the homeowner or apartment dweller identify common insects found in the home. For more complete information about the insects, their potential as pests, and how to prevent or control them, contact your county Extension office. The phone number may be found in the Blue Pages of the phone book. In addition, you may call the Penn State Department of Entomology at (814) 865-1895 or visit the department's web site at http://www.ento.psu.edu/.
Every day decisions impact our health and the environment. Making cleaners at home can be safer, more economical, and just as effective as store bought brands.
When choosing a pest control company, make sure the company meets all the legal requirements that qualifies them to service your home, including a Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator Certification or Registered Technician card, a business license and general liability insurance coverage. Also ask for a list of local references so you can learn about their past performance in treating bed bugs.
Pests are unwanted creatures that invade our homes. Once they have gotten inside, some of these pests, notably, mice, rats and cockroaches, can contribute to an asthma attack. In fact, research is going on to determine whether or not these pests can actually cause asthma to develop.
What do you do if your child is sent home from school with head lice? It can happen to anyone and often does. According the Bio-Integral Resource Center, head lice affect over six million children (more than 10 percent of the elementary school population) every year.
Homeowners dealing with pests such as beg bugs, cockroaches and mice can now find helpful information in a new publication developed by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Science.
A Guide for Property Owners, Managers and Tenants, A Healthy Homes Guide: Bed bugs are making a comeback in apartment buildings, dorm rooms, hotels, hospitals and homes. Why now? Both people, and the things they buy, are traveling greater distances and more frequently, causing hitchhiking bed bugs to spread more rapidly.
