Iowa School Pesticide Use Survey Fill-In Answers

For more information about the survey, see this page.

1. There are many safety concerns associated with K-12 students in Iowa today. What are the 3 issues that you consider most important?

Safe school environment ? 63
Chemical safety ? 56
Student violence ? 51
Security of buildings and grounds ? 39
Playground structures (safety) ? 35
Health ? 34
Drug and alcohol abuse ? 28
Air control while spraying ? 24
Transportation/ bus safety ? 22
Air quality ? 20
Be sure to use in the right way ? 19
Fires ? 17
Storage of supplies ? 16
Make sure they are used in the right places ? 15
Cleanliness ? 15
Internal building environment ? 12
Clean water ? 10
Weapon/ gun control ? 9
Allergic reactions ? 8
Free of bugs and rodents ? 7
Storms ? 7
Germ control ? 7
Asbestos ? 6
Environmental degradation ? 6
Aids in school ? 5
Pest control ? 3
Understanding people ? 3
Harassment ? 3
Food quality/ safety ? 3
Icy/ wet hallways and sidewalks ?2
Electrical power ? 2
ADA ? 2
Sex education ? 2
Falls ? 2
Fertilizer on grounds ? 2
Cost ? 2
Quality product ? 1
Easy to use ?1 Farm safety ? 1
Running off kids ? 1 Appearance ? 1
Child molesting ? 1 Enough sleep ? 1
Gangs ? 1 Liability ? 1
Terrorism ? 1 Racism - 1


11. Where are pesticides stored in you district?

Contractor/ pest control company/ not on school site? 73
Chemicals that apply there ? 2
Not in the building we don?t use ? 5
Grounds department/ custodial storage ? 9
Bus garage ? 2
Elevator ? 1


12a. Who makes the decision involved with INDOOR pesticide application (when, where, which product) in your district?

Building principal - 1
Cooks ? 2
Pest control company ? 10
Don?t use pesticides inside ? 1
Director of buildings and grounds ? 2
Board of education ? 2


12b. Who makes the decision involved with OUTDOOR pesticide application (when, where, which product) in your district?

Athletic director/ principal ? 3
Bus mechanic ? 1
Grounds keeper/ maintenance supervisor ? 15
Turf specialist/ certified applicator ? 9
Don?t use pesticides outdoors ? 3
Ag. Department ? 1
Rolling Hills F.S. ? 1
Volunteers for ball fields ?1


13a. Who applies pesticides INDOORS in your school district on a REGULAR, SCHEDULED BASIS?

Don?t use pesticides indoors ? 2
Baseball/ softball fields ? 1
Where/ when needed ?3

13b. Who applies pesticides OUTDOORS in your school district on a REGULAR, SCHEDULED BASIS?

Grounds supervisor ? 10
No regular schedule ? 5
Don?t use pesticides outdoors ?1
Certified applicator ? 6


14a. Who applies pesticides INDOORS in your school district for EMERGENCIES or COMPLAINTS?

Pest control company ? 1


14b. Who applies pesticides OUTDOORS in your school district for EMERGENCIES or COMPLAINTS?

Grounds supervisor ? 10
Bus mechanic ? 1
Coach ? 1
Don?t use pesticides outdoors ? 2
Pest control company ? 4


15. For which of the following OUTDOOR areas of your school district were RODENTICIDE baits used during the past year?

Storage facility ? 14
Athletic area ? 10
Ag. Building / shop ? 1
Tunnels, outdoor storage sheds ? 8
Under portable buildings ? 2
Outside concession stand ? 4
Not used outside last year- 3
Pest control co. ?1
Gopher holes - 5
Part of lawn ? 2
Bus barn ? 2
Kitchen storage ? 5
Sheep barn ? 1
Agricultural farms ? 1
Lockers ? 1
Boiler rooms ? 1


16. Which of the following OUTDOOR areas of your school district received HERBICIDE application(s) during the past year?

Sidewalks ? 8
Fence lines -13
Tennis court ? 2
Lagoon area ? 1
Unknown areas ? 1
Underneath bleachers ? 1
Track ? 4


17. Which of the following OUTDOOR areas of your school district received INSECTICIDE applications(s) during the past year?

Football field ? 1
Caves for wasps- 1
Around base on building ? 1
Trashcans ?1
Greenhouse ?1


18. Which of the following INDOOR areas of your school district received INSECTICIDE application(s) during the past year?

Entire school ?2
Storage area ? 3
Gym ?3
Home Ec. Room ? 6
Halls ?10
Tunnels ? 4
Crawlways ? 1
Where there is water ? 2
Pest control co. - 2
Concession stands ? 2
Shop/ art room ? 3
Doorways ? 3
Areas containing food ? 1
Greenhouse ? 1
Classrooms ? 2
Target trouble areas ? 1
Custodial closets ? 3
Weight room ? 2


19. For which of the following INDOOR areas were RODENTICIDE baits used during the past year?

Ag. Building/ shop ?5
Home Ec. Room ? 3
Mousetraps- 5
Storage closet ? 6
Transportation storage building ? 4
Gym/ gym offices ? 3
Pest control co. ?1
Portable ?1
Tunnels ? 8
Concession stand ? 3
Furnace rooms ?1
Above drop ceiling ? 1
Auditorium ? 2
Modular classrooms ?3
Seed building ?2


20. Does your school district regularly use DISINFECTANT products in the following school areas?

Where/ when needed ? 5
Use Vevasept plus ? 1
Weight room ?1
Wrestling mat ?2
All faculty ? 1
Football seating ? 1


21. On the average, how long do you keep children and adults out of treated areas after an insecticide application INSIDE your schools?

Don?t spray inside our school ? 2
48 hrs ? 4
Depends on what it is for- 1
Done during breaks ? 5
Product?s requirements ? 8
Weekends ? 4
Spray in building after kids leave ?2
Varies with applicator availability ? 1

22. On the average, how long do you keep children and adults out of treated areas after an insecticide or herbicide application OUTSIDE on your school district?s grounds?

48 hrs ? 11
Done most during summer break ? 8
Post signs in the areas ? 2
Non- school days ? 3
Product?s requirements- 7
Don?t use outside insecticides ?3
Depends on product ? 3
24 hrs- 1
1 week or more ? 2

23. What type of "notification of pesticide use" is provided by the school district for INDOOR insecticide or rodenticide applications?

Knowledge that we treat once a month ?4
Announcements ? 7
Post treatment signs ? 3
Weekends ? 4
Done on breaks ? 8
Told individually ? 5
Do at night ? 2
MSDS sheets ?1
Do not spray - 2

24. What type of "notification of pesticide use" is provided by the school district for OUTDOOR insecticide or rodenticide applications?

Do it at night ? 2
Signs are posted around area ? 5
Don?t use it outdoors ?4
Tell the teacher ? 2
Staff is told ? 2
Done in the summer/ weekends/ when no one is around ? 8
Done on weekends ? 1
Tell those in effect ? 5
Announcements ? 8
Published in local newspaper ? 1
Put on local cable ? 1


25. If YES, how did you learn of IPM?

Used to work for a farm & fertilizer company & grain elevator ? 1
Classes ? 3
Workshops ? 1
Internet website ? 1

28. What is your position in the school district?

Director of food service & operations ? 5
Building maintenance- 22
Bus manager ?3
Summer services supervisor ? 1
Professional staff/ secretary ? 4
Teacher ? 3
Superintendent/ principal ? 1


31. What land uses are adjacent to your district?s property?

Sewage lagoon for the city ?1
Residential area ? 1
Agriculture ? 1
Orchard ? 1
Lock and dam ? 1
River barges ?1
Warehouse supervisor ?1
Wetlands- 1
Stream- 1