As the Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Daniel Kass is looking to increase the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) throughout New York City. To learn more about IPM, read the article below.
Q: What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
A: IPM is a way to prevent and manage cockroaches and other pests in the home. This is done by doing simple things (such as blocking pest entry, cleaning, and more) instead of using pesticides. With IPM, you look for signs of cockroaches in your living space, and you look for conditions that help them thrive, like openings, cracks, water leaks, and food sources. IPM should involve sealing and closing any openings and using baits and sticky traps to control for insects. IPM is most successful to people living in apartments when building maintenance staff are involved in helping to control pests naturally by locking out pests, keeping food and water away from insects, and limited use of the least toxic pesticides. These are also things that apartment dwellers should do.
Q: Does IPM really reduce the amount of cockroaches?
A: IPM works better than pesticides alone in controlling roaches. In our research, IPM was shown to be better than pesticide spraying in public housing developments in East Harlem and Brooklyn. Apartments and buildings that received IPM were more successful in reducing the numbers of cockroaches than those that did not get IPM at three and six months after receiving IPM. Apartments that used IPM had lower amounts of cockroach allergens in kitchens and in bedrooms after six months. People whose apartments received IPM were also less likely to use hazardous and illegal pesticides. Finally, residents living in IPM apartments rated building services more positively.