Pest control in schools and child care centers

Why schools and child care centers have their own rules

NPIC says infants and children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of pesticides than adults. An infant's brain, nervous system and organs are still developing, infants take more breaths per minute and have more skin surface for their weight, and young children are more likely to put fingers, toys and other objects in their mouths.^[8]

Pests matter too. Texas A&M AgriLife's school IPM program notes that pests can sting, bite and trigger allergies, some spread germs and filth, and unmanaged pest problems can damage school property.^[12]

Illnesses from pesticide exposure at schools do happen, though most are mild. A CDC NIOSH-led study of national surveillance data from 1998 to 2002 found 2593 people with acute pesticide-related illnesses tied to exposure at schools, a rate of 7.4 cases per million children and 27.3 cases per million school employee full-time equivalents. Of those illnesses, 89% were low severity, 11% moderate and 0.1% high. Insecticides accounted for 35%, disinfectants 32%, repellents 13% and herbicides 11%. Where the source was known, 69% came from pesticides used at the school and 31% from drift from nearby farmland. The authors recommended school IPM programs, practices to reduce drift, and spray buffer zones around schools.^[17]

California's Healthy Schools Act, first passed in 2000, sets pesticide use and reporting requirements for staff and pest management professionals at public K-12 schools and licensed child care centers, and encourages those sites to adopt effective, low-risk pest management, also known as IPM.^[1][2]

Texas requires each school district to establish, carry out and maintain an IPM program, with a school-board-approved IPM policy, pest monitoring, preferential use of lower-risk pesticides and non-chemical methods, record keeping, staff education and written thresholds for when pest control is justified. Texas A&M AgriLife, part of school IPM coordinator training since the law was first adopted in May 1991, says independent school districts have been doing this for the past 30 years.^[5][14]

What IPM looks like at a school

EPA describes IPM as a series of evaluations, decisions and controls rather than a single method. A program sets action thresholds, because seeing a single pest doesn't always mean control is needed; monitors and identifies pests accurately, so pesticides aren't used when they aren't really needed and the wrong kind isn't used; works to prevent pests; and then chooses effective, less risky controls first.^[7]

California's school guidance lists the techniques: monitoring for pests, making habitat less conducive to them, improving sanitation, physically removing pests, and using least-toxic pesticides when necessary as a last resort. Everyday examples include cleaning regularly, closing gaps into buildings, fixing leaky pipes and setting traps.^[2][1]

Texas A&M AgriLife describes the same idea: a good school IPM program makes buildings less hospitable to pests by improving sanitation and getting rid of hiding places, and uses the lowest-impact pesticides when they're needed. It stresses that IPM is an approach, not a particular pest control company, and anyone with proper training can practice it.^[12][13]

Texas districts must keep records of facility inspection reports, pest-related work orders, pest control service reports, pesticide applications and pesticide complaints. The IPM coordinator must keep those records for two years, and a licensed applicator must send pesticide use records to the coordinator within two business days unless they agree on another time frame.^{[5][9][10][14]}

Mechanical and monitoring tools such as glue boards and traps are exempt from Texas posting requirements, and unlicensed district staff may use non-pesticide tools for monitoring.^[6]

Does school and child care IPM work?

In nine North Carolina elementary schools, an IPM program built on monitoring and baiting for German cockroaches was compared with conventional calendar sprays along baseboards and into cracks. IPM visits took longer, but total costs and cockroach control were similar. Monitoring found few cockroaches, which showed most of the conventional treatments weren't needed, and residues of organophosphate insecticides were significantly higher in swab samples from the conventionally treated schools.^[18]

In California child care, nurse-led IPM education and consultation in 44 child care centers raised IPM knowledge among staff who attended workshops, increased IPM practices and reduced the prevalence of pests. A smaller pilot in 20 family child care homes reported more IPM practices and a 90% reduction in the prevalence of pests.^[19][20]

IPM practices also showed up in what children are exposed to. In carpet dust from 51 licensed child care centers in Northern California, permethrin, bifenthrin, fipronil and chlorpyrifos were found in most samples, and centers with higher IPM checklist scores had lower loading of chlorpyrifos and permethrin. The strongest predictor of higher loading for the most frequently found pesticides was being in California's San Joaquin Valley.^[21]

IPM isn't a cure for asthma on its own. In a randomized trial in 41 urban elementary schools in the Northeast, a school-wide IPM program (rodenticide, sealing entry points, traps, targeted cleaning and staff handouts) didn't significantly reduce asthma symptom-days in 236 students with active asthma, compared with schools that got no IPM. At the start, 98% of classrooms had detectable mouse allergen, and the authors say baseline allergen levels and symptoms may need to be considered in reading the results.^[22]

Who's in charge: the IPM coordinator and plan

In California, each school or child care center chooses a staff member as IPM coordinator, such as a maintenance and operations director or a child care director, to make sure the Healthy Schools Act requirements are met. The coordinator is the main contact for questions, and their contact information is on the IPM plan.^[2]

California's IPM plan has to name the IPM coordinator, list all non-exempt pesticides expected to be applied, and give a date for reviewing it. It must be posted on the school or center website, or given to all parents, guardians and staff if there's no website.^[2]

When a California school or center hires a licensed pest control business, CDPR says the IPM coordinator should give the company information about the Healthy Schools Act, and can specify in the contract which IPM practices will be used and how pesticide use information will be provided.^[1]

A Texas superintendent must appoint an IPM coordinator for the district and report the coordinator's name and contact information to the state within 90 days of the appointment. A district that does pest control must employ or contract with a licensed applicator. A district can't go more than 30 days without an IPM coordinator, and a new coordinator must complete approved IPM coordinator training within six months of appointment.^[5][9][14]

In California, the IPM coordinator and anyone expected to use a pesticide at a school or center, including teachers and volunteers who use disinfectants, sanitizers, insecticides or weed killers, must take Healthy Schools Act training. Staff take it every year; licensed pest management professionals take it once in each license renewal period.^[2][1]

Warning signs and advance notice

California warning signs go up 24 hours before an application and stay until 72 hours after, even when students aren't there and during school breaks. A sign must say 'Warning/Pesticide Treated Area', give the product and manufacturer's name, the EPA registration number, the scheduled date and areas, and the target pest, and be visible to anyone entering the treated area.^[2]

At the start of each school year, a California site sends parents, guardians and staff a written notice listing the pesticides and active ingredients it expects to apply, with a link to CDPR's website and a chance to join a registry for advance notice. People on the registry must be told the product name, active ingredients and intended date at least 72 hours before each application, for example by phone call, email or paper.^[2]

If a California site wants to use a pesticide that wasn't on the annual notice, the IPM coordinator must notify all parents, guardians and staff in writing at least 72 hours beforehand.^[2]

In a pest management emergency, when the IPM coordinator decides a pesticide is needed right away to protect the health and safety of students, staff or others, or the site, California signs go up as soon as possible and stay until 72 hours after the application, and parents and staff are told as soon as possible instead of in advance.^[2]

Texas requires pest control signs at least 48 hours before a pesticide application inside school district buildings. Outdoors, the treated area must be marked with a sign at every entry point, or locked, fenced, taped off or watched to keep students out until the reentry time is up.^[6][14]

Texas districts must have a procedure in place by the first week of school to give prior notice of pesticide applications. People who ask in writing may be notified by phone, in writing or electronically.^[5]

How Texas ranks products for school use

Texas sorts pesticides for school use into three categories. Green Category products carry a CAUTION signal word, or none, and include boric acid and other borates, silica gel, diatomaceous earth, insect growth regulators, microbial insecticides, botanical insecticides with no more than 5% synergist (not synthetic pyrethroids), living biological control agents, pesticidal soaps, horticultural oils, and insect and rodent baits in tamper-resistant containers or for crack-and-crevice use only.^[6]

Green Category products need no prior written approval. They may be applied indoors when students aren't in the room and outdoors when no students are within 10 feet, and students can return once the application is done, the spray has dried or the label's reentry interval has passed, whichever takes longest.^[6]

Yellow Category products carry a CAUTION signal word but don't qualify as Green, and they need written approval from the certified applicator. Students must stay out for at least 4 hours, or until the label's reentry interval has passed if that's longer, and outdoor sites must be secured with no students within 10 feet. Each written approval lasts no longer than six months or six applications per site, whichever comes first.^[6]

Red Category products carry a WARNING or DANGER signal word and contain an active ingredient designated as a restricted use pesticide, a state-limited-use pesticide or a regulated herbicide. The applicator must give the IPM coordinator a written justification and get signed approval first; students stay out for at least 8 hours or the label's reentry interval, whichever is longer, and no students may be within 25 feet of an outdoor application. Red Category approvals last no longer than three months or three applications per site, whichever comes first.^[6]

Texas also bars outdoor applications that would expose students to spray drift, and requires pesticides to be mixed outside areas students occupy.^[6]

Texas A&M AgriLife notes that pesticides used to sanitize, such as bleach, and products used on people, such as hand sanitizer and lice treatments, aren't included in the Texas licensing requirements, and the rule itself exempts pesticides labeled for use on humans.^[14][6]

Exempt and prohibited products in California

Four kinds of products are exempt from most Healthy Schools Act requirements: pesticides in self-contained bait stations, gel and paste crack-and-crevice treatments, antimicrobial pesticides such as disinfectants and sanitizers, and FIFRA 25(b) minimum-risk pesticides. When school staff use them, no warning signs, notices, records or use reports are needed, though anyone using them must still take Healthy Schools Act training.^[2][3]

Licensed pest control businesses still report all the registered pesticides they apply at schools and child care centers, and they, like child care center property owners, must tell a child care center about exempt applications at least 5 days in advance. CDPR's summary chart puts that applicator notice at 120 hours before the application.^[3][2]

Pesticides include more than bug sprays. CDPR counts insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides and antimicrobials such as disinfectants and sanitizers as pesticides, along with fertilizers that contain weed-control chemicals; hand sanitizers aren't covered because the FDA regulates them. EPA likewise says bleach products that claim to sanitize or disinfect are pesticides and must be registered with EPA, while bleach sold only as a laundry additive or cleaner is not.^[2][15][16]

Organic doesn't mean exempt. If an organic product's label carries an EPA registration number and it isn't one of the exempt types, all the Healthy Schools Act requirements apply.^[2]

Some products are prohibited at California schools and child care centers, including any canceled, suspended or being phased out in the state and any product whose label says it's not for use at schools. CDPR updates the prohibited list quarterly.^[4][2]

State law is a floor. CDPR says a pesticide can be legal at a school under California law and its label, and a local jurisdiction or school district can still choose to restrict it.^[2]

Which sites California's rules cover

The Healthy Schools Act covers public K-12 schools and licensed child care centers, public or private, including their buildings, playgrounds, athletic fields, vehicles and any other area students use. Adjoining city or county parks that schools and centers use regularly count too.^[2]

Private schools, family day care homes, colleges and off-campus district offices aren't covered. The rules do apply when a pesticide is applied within 10 feet of the perimeter of a child care center.^[2]

What parents and staff can do

• Ask who the IPM coordinator is and where to find the IPM plan; in California the plan must be on the school or center website or sent to families.^[2]
• Sign up for advance notice. California sites must offer a registry with notice at least 72 hours before each application, and Texas districts notify people who ask in writing.^[2][5]
• Ask to see pesticide use records. California sites keep records of every non-exempt application, with the product and manufacturer, EPA registration number, dates and areas, and the undiluted amount used, for four years, and must make them available to the public on request. In Texas, the IPM coordinator keeps pesticide application records and complaints for two years and must make current pesticide labels and safety data sheets available to interested people on request.^[2][9]
• Tell the IPM coordinator about pest problems you see; CDPR notes that successful school IPM needs active cooperation from staff, students and visitors.^[2]
• Teachers can ask for help directly: Texas A&M AgriLife's school IPM program offers a request form teachers can use with the IPM coordinator to ask for help with pest problems.^[11]
• If your child has asthma, don't count on school pest control alone to ease symptoms: in a randomized trial, school-wide IPM didn't significantly reduce asthma symptom-days.^[22]
• For questions about pesticides and children, the National Pesticide Information Center takes calls at 1-800-858-7378, email and chat. EPA also lists the Poison Control Centers national hotline, 1(800)222-1222.^[8][16]

Common questions

Do schools have to tell parents before they use pesticides?

In California and Texas, parents who sign up get advance notice. California sites also send every family an annual list and must notify people on their registry at least 72 hours before each non-exempt application; Texas districts must notify people who ask in writing and post signs 48 hours before indoor applications.^[2][5][6]

Why wasn't I told about cockroach bait at my child's school?

In California, pesticides in self-contained bait stations and gel or paste crack-and-crevice treatments are exempt from the warning sign and notification rules.^[2]

Do California's school pesticide rules apply to a home day care?

No. Family day care homes aren't covered by the Healthy Schools Act; licensed child care centers are, whether public or private.^[2]

Can a school use a pesticide that isn't on its annual list?

In California, yes, but the IPM coordinator must notify all parents, guardians and staff in writing at least 72 hours before the application, except in a pest management emergency.^[2]

Do Texas charter schools have to follow the school IPM rules?

Yes, open-enrollment charter schools must follow Texas school IPM rules beginning September 1, 2026, including an IPM policy, an IPM coordinator reported within 90 days, licensed applicators and posting, and the Texas Department of Agriculture said an inspector would contact each charter district between September 2026 and August 2027 to schedule an inspection.^[14]

Does IPM at school actually lower pesticide exposure?

Studies point that way. North Carolina schools using IPM had significantly lower organophosphate residues than schools with conventional sprays at similar cost, and California child care centers with higher IPM scores had lower chlorpyrifos and permethrin in carpet dust.^[18][21]

Sources

1. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “The Healthy Schools Act: Every Child Deserves a Healthy Schoolsite (fact sheet).” www.cdpr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hsa_factsheet.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
2. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Healthy Schools Act (HSA) Frequently Asked Questions.” www.cdpr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hsa_faq.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
3. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Healthy Schools Act Exempt Pesticide Applications.” www.cdpr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hsa_exempt_pesticide_applications.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
4. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Pesticide Products Prohibited From Use in California Schools and Child Care Facilities (updated October 1, 2026).” www.cdpr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/prohibited_prods.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
5. Texas Department of Agriculture (via Cornell LII), “4 Tex. Admin. Code s. 7.201: Responsibility of School Districts.” www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/4-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-7-201 (accessed 2026-11-11)
6. Texas Department of Agriculture (via Cornell LII), “4 Tex. Admin. Code s. 7.204: Pesticide Use in School Districts.” www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/4-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-7-204 (accessed 2026-11-11)
7. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles.” www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/integrated-pest-management-ipm-principles (accessed 2026-11-11)
8. National Pesticide Information Center, “Pesticides and Children.” npic.orst.edu/health/child.html (accessed 2026-11-11)
9. Texas Department of Agriculture (via Cornell LII), “4 Tex. Admin. Code s. 7.202: Education Requirements and Responsibilities of IPM Coordinators.” www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/4-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-7-202 (accessed 2026-11-11)
10. Texas Department of Agriculture (via Cornell LII), “4 Tex. Admin. Code s. 7.203: Responsibilities of Certified Applicators and Licensed Technicians.” www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/4-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-7-203 (accessed 2026-11-11)
11. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, “Information for Teachers & Volunteers.” schoolipm.tamu.edu/forms/information-for-teachers-volunteers/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
12. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, “School Integrated Pest Management (program home).” schoolipm.tamu.edu/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
13. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, “Program Description: School IPM.” schoolipm.tamu.edu/more-information/program-description/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
14. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, “Texas Charter Schools fall under TX School IPM regulations (September 2025).” schoolipm.tamu.edu/2025/09/16/texas-charter-schools-fall-under-tx-school-ipm-regulations/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
15. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Resources on Pesticide Issues for School and Childcare.” www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/resources-pesticide-issues-school-and-childcare (accessed 2026-11-11)
16. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Reduce Your Child's Chances of Pesticide Poisoning.” www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/reduce-your-childs-chances-pesticide-poisoning (accessed 2026-11-11)
17. JAMA (CDC NIOSH authors), via PubMed, “Alarcon et al. (2005), Acute illnesses associated with pesticide exposure at schools, JAMA 294(4):455-465.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16046652/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
18. Journal of Economic Entomology (NC State authors), via PubMed, “Williams et al. (2005), Comparison of conventional and integrated pest management programs in public schools, J. Econ. Entomol. 98(4):1275-1283.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16156581/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
19. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, via PubMed, “Alkon et al. (2016), Integrated pest management intervention in child care centers improves knowledge, pest control, and practices, J. Pediatr. Health Care 30(6):e27-e41.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27553118/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
20. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, via PubMed, “Stephens et al. (2017), An integrated pest management intervention improves knowledge, pest control, and practices in family child care homes, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 14(11):1299.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29072618/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
21. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, via PubMed, “Hazard et al. (2024), Predictors of pesticide levels in carpet dust collected from child care centers in Northern California, USA, J. Expo. Sci. Environ. Epidemiol. 34(2):229-240.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36599924/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
22. JAMA, via PubMed, “Phipatanakul et al. (2021), Effect of school integrated pest management or classroom air filter purifiers on asthma symptoms in students with active asthma: a randomized clinical trial, JAMA 326(9):839-850.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34547084/ (accessed 2026-11-11)