Child Care Centers and Pest Management
The mission of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University is to help you prevent pest problems and reduce or eliminate pesticide use in your center. After all, pests and pesticides both pose greater risks to children, with their rapidly growing bodies, than they do to adults. But in order to meet your needs, we'd like your input. By completing this 10 minute survey, you can help us plan for new programs and materials to help you deal with the issues at the top of your must-solve list.

To show our appreciation for your help, we’ll enter your childcare center into a drawing for one of many free site assessments by a Cornell University pest-management expert.

Please answer each question as best you can. If you need to check on information, you will have the option of editing your response at a later time. Thank you for your time!
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About You and Your Center
1.  I am the (please check all that apply) *
Required
2.  Do you rent or own your child care space? *
Required
3.  How would you describe your child care space? *
Required
4.  Have you had any indoor or outdoor plant, insect, or other animal pest complaints at your center within the past three years? *
Yes
No
Unsure
Not Applicable
By you
By staff
By children
By parents
By other building occupants
5.  Have there been complaints concerning pesticide use at your center within the past three years? *
Yes
No
Unsure
Not applicable
By you
By staff
By children
By parents
By other building occupants
Common Pests
Pests are living organisms that bother or harm people. They include plants, such as poison ivy; insects, such as cockroaches; and other animals, such as mice.

If there are no "Other" pests, simply choose "Not Seen".
6.  What INDOOR pests have you seen or have been reported in and outside the child care center, and how often, in the past three years? Check all that apply. *
Not Seen
Seen Once
Seen Every Year
Seen Multiple Times a Year
We can't get rid of it!
Don't Know
Ants
Bats
Bed bugs
Cockroaches
Fleas
Flies (house flies, fruit flies, etc.)
Head lice
Rodents (mice, rats)
Spiders
Stored food pests (beetles, moths)
Termites
Other
If applicable, please list Other INDOOR pests here:
7.  What OUTDOOR pests have you seen or have been reported in and outside the child care center, and how often, in the past three years? Check all that apply. *
Not Seen
Seen Once
Seen Every Year
Seen Multiple Times a Year
We can't get rid of it!
Don't Know
Ants
Bees, hornets, wasps
Birds (house sparrows, pigeons, etc.)
Fleas
Flies (house flies, gnats, etc.)
Geese
Lawn grubs
Mosquitoes
Poison ivy
Rodents (mice, rats)
Spiders
Ticks
Weeds (clover, dandelions, plantain, etc.)
Wildlife (bats, moles, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, snakes, etc.)
Other
If applicable, please list Other OUTDOOR pests here:
Pest Management Responsibility
Pest management policies, communication, and a range of biological, organic, cultural, mechanical, and chemical options for pest problems.
8.  Who makes pest management decisions? Please check all that apply. *
Required
9.  Who performs pest management INSIDE the building? Please check all that apply. *
Required
10.  Who performs pest management OUTSIDE the building (lawn and landscape)? Please check all that apply. *
Required
11.  Are you satisfied with the level of pest management at your center? *
Required
12.  Where does the individual(s) responsible for pest managment get their information? Please check all that apply. *
Required
Pest Management Practices
For techniques and products - if there are no "Other", simply choose "Never".
13.  What pest management strategies are in place to deal with pests? Check all that apply *
Required
14.  How often are the following pest management techniques or products used for INDOOR pests? *
Routinely Scheduled
Quarterly or a Few Times a Year
Only When Needed
Never
Don't Know
Sanitation and housekeeping
Building modifications (door sweeps, sealing crevices, screens)
Mechanical rodent traps
Sticky traps
Vacuuming
Sanitation
Insecticidal dusts
Bait station for insect pests
Bait station for rodents
Steam cleaning/heat
Total release insecticidal foggers
Baseboard spraying
Crack/crevice applications
Other
If applicable, please list Other INDOOR pest management techniques or products here:
15.  How often are the following pest management techniques or products used for OUTDOOR pests? *
Routinely Scheduled
Quarterly or a Few Times a Year
Only When Needed
Never
Don't Know
Regular inspections
Raised mower height on lawn
Soil testing
Fertilization
Watering
Aeration
Seeding grassy (and bare areas that are supposed to be grass)
Mulch
Pesticide application(s) for weeds (weed and feed, Round Up, etc.)
Pesticide application(s) for insects (wasp and hornet spray, grub control, etc.)
Other
If applicable, please list Other OUTDOOR pest management techniques or products here:
Pesticide Application
Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill pests. They  include insecticides ("bug sprays", bug bombs, granular grub control, etc.), herbicides ("weed killers", weed and feed products), and rodenticides (mouse and rat poisons).

If there are no "Other", simply choose "Does Not Apply Pesticides".
16.  Who applies pesticides at the center? Check all that apply. *
Does Not Apply Pesticides
Applies Indoors
Applies Outdoors
Applies Indoors and Outdoors
Landlord or employee of landlord
Owner
Director
Child care staff
Pest control company
Nobody (no pesticides applied)
Don't know
Other
If applicable, please list Other pesticide applicators here:
17.  Have you requested an emergency exemption under the Child Safe Playing Fields Act? *
Interest in Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a proactive approach that uses a wide range of methods to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people, property, and the environment.
18.  The NYS IPM Program is interested in providing information to child care staff to promote the health and safety of children and staff, reduce liability, and provide guidance to help staff take a leadership position with regards to pests and pest management. How would you like this information? Check all that apply. *
Required
Use of Information
Information gathered in this survey will be used solely to evaluate the educational needs about pest management in the child care industry in New York. The data collected will not be shared or published with identifying information. The collective results will be published as a whole, representing trends in the industry. Your response will help improve child care industry access to Cooperative Extension experts and resources and is greatly appreciated.
Please provide your License/Registration ID # *
The NYS Office of Child and Family Services provides all regulated child care providers with a License/Registration ID number. Providing this information helps us keep the survey shorter while also enabling us to assess trends across the state.
Thank you for completing this survey. If you would like to enter the raffle for one of the five on-site assessments and recommendations from Cornell University experts, please provide your email address.
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