This project addresses the needs for IPM programming to serve the Massachusetts urban population. Through partnerships and collaborations, educational and service programs will be provided that encompass the structural pest control industry, bed bugs, Lyme disease, and IPM in K-12 schools, institutions of higher learning and the health care industry.
The primary focus is education in inner cities for bed bug education. Working with collaborators (initially housing authorities) we will identify groups in need of training and what the specific training needs are. Examples include service providers who visit potentially infested homes and workers of facilities that accept donations of clothing and furniture. Training programs will be provided for these groups. This project will also provide partial support for a clinic to identify and test ticks for the presence of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, babesiosis and erlichiosis.
