How to Keep Pests Off Your School Campus

Schools provide ideal conditions for pests, with plentiful food, water, and shelter in cafeterias, dorms, and classrooms. Pests such as rodents, cockroaches, and bed bugs can thrive in these environments, posing health risks to students and staff. To maintain a healthy environment, educational institutions must implement year-round pest control measures.

Proactive pest prevention helps create a healthy environment for students, staff, and faculty throughout the school year. Learn which areas are most vulnerable and the pests you’re likely to encounter.

Educational Facilities Risk Map

Discover areas where pests pose the biggest risks using our Risk Map – a valuable resource to explore and share with personnel overseeing your facility’s pest prevention efforts.

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Dormitories, Housing, and Popular Hangout Spots

Dorm rooms, faculty housing, common areas, and student hangouts are frequent targets for pests like mice, rats, cockroaches, and bed bugs. Regular inspections and proactive measures by students and staff are essential to keeping these spaces pest-free.

Keeping living spaces clean and disposing of trash regularly can make these areas less attractive to pests. Staff should also seal entry points like cracks and damaged screens to prevent infestations. Resident Assistants play a key role in educating students on hygiene and inspecting for risks such as food left out or overflowing garbage. Together, these efforts create a healthier, pest-free environment.

Bed Bug Policies and Prevention Practices

While dormitories are the most common hotspots for bed bug activity on campus, any area where people sit or rest, such as libraries, classrooms, lounges, and other shared spaces, can also be at risk.

To minimize the risk of bed bugs, students should avoid keeping personal belongings too close together, reduce clutter, and limit the number of items they bring between home and school. Staff or a pest control professional should carefully inspect mattresses and box springs for any signs of infestation. If bed bug activity is suspected, immediate treatment is necessary. Adding mattress and box spring encasements to school-provided beds can offer additional protection.

Cafeterias, dining halls, and food service areas

Prioritize proactive maintenance and inspections in campus cafeterias, dining halls, kitchens, and food service areas. These spaces are highly attractive to rodents and other pests. Maintaining cleanliness is crucial, with daily tasks such as wiping surfaces, sweeping, mopping, and promptly cleaning up spills.

The summer, when schools are not in use, offers a great chance for deep cleaning. This should include cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces, draining floor systems, sealing gaps around pipes, and getting rid of any trash or food debris. It’s also a good time to remove any dried goods from food prep areas and to have your pest control team assess the sanitation before the school year begins.

Classrooms

Rodents, flies, cockroaches, and ants can easily invade classrooms if not properly managed. Keep snacks and supplies in airtight containers to prevent pest access, and clean storage areas like desks and cubbies regularly to remove potential hiding places. Sealing gaps around windows and doors, ensuring screens are intact, and not storing items directly on the floor are all effective ways to block pests from entering.

Arenas and Gymnasiums

Gymnasiums are often quieter in the summer, creating an opportunity for rodents to invade in search of food and shelter. To prevent pests, cleaning crews should focus on cleaning food stations and concession areas and clearing food debris and trash regularly. Also, storing food in tightly sealed containers can minimize the risk of attracting rodents and other pests.

Before the summer break begins, staff should remove all belongings from lockers, clean under the bleachers and inside the lockers, and leave them unlocked for maintenance or janitorial access. This ensures that pest management teams can conduct inspections and treatments. By taking these steps, you can reduce pest problems in the gym over the summer.

Stadiums and Outdoor Recreational Areas

Depending on where you’re located, stinging pests may become an issue in early spring. It’s important to address potential problems before they escalate, so have your pest management provider inspect areas prone to activity. They should check the eaves, overhangs, dorm rooms, and recreation areas for new nests. The cleaning crew should also clear debris and waste from food and concession areas to help prevent attracting pests.

Construction Areas

During construction on your campus, construction zones and connecting areas could draw in pests. Rodents can slip through tiny openings, causing structural damage, creating electrical hazards, and spreading diseases through their gnawing, nesting, and waste. To prevent this, set up rodent detection and capture devices wherever doors or entry points are left open as materials and equipment move in and out. Furthermore, any areas with structural gaps should be monitored with extra rodent control efforts.

Pest Prevention Tips for Schools

Ensuring your school remains free of pests is vital for the well-being of everyone on campus and for maintaining a conducive learning environment. From the academic year to summer break, there are proactive steps you can take. Below, we’ve provided some lists of actions you can take to safeguard your school throughout the year:

During the School Year

• Store Food: Ensure food areas are kept clean and store food in sealed, airtight containers to prevent attracting pests.
• Inspect Common Areas: Regularly check and maintain cleanliness in classrooms and common spaces to ensure proper sanitation.
• Seal Gaps: Close any cracks or gaps in walls, floors, and doors to block potential entry points for pests.
• Report Pest Sightings: Encourage students and staff to promptly report any pest sightings to maintain a pest-free environment.
• Work with Schendel Pest Services: Establish a routine pest management plan with the help of a professional pest control service.

During Summer Break

• Clean: Perform a deep cleaning of the entire school building before summer break to maintain a hygienic environment.
• Eliminate Standing Water: Remove sources of standing water to prevent creating breeding grounds for pests.
• Seal Entry Points: Close all potential entry points, such as windows, doors, and vents, to keep pests from entering.
• Trim Vegetation: Trim plants and shrubs around the school to minimize hiding spots for pests.
• Schedule Pest Inspections: Arrange for regular pest inspections to identify and resolve issues before they escalate.

For customized pest prevention and control services that suit your school’s specific needs, reach out to us today. We offer comprehensive pest control solutions for educational facilities, with your school’s health and safety as our top priority.

Reach out to Schendel Pest Services now to find out how we can help protect your facility.