The principal of an elementary school in La Prairie, on the South Shore, requested our emergency intervention at the beginning of the school year after two students were stung in the playground. The incident had caused great concern among parents, especially because of the presence in the school of at least one child with a known allergy to hymenoptera bites. La Prairie is a dynamic city on the South Shore, neighboring Candiac, where the well-maintained green spaces of the residential and school neighborhoods create a favorable environment for wasps to nesting in late summer. Our team responded to the call within hours of notification and conducted a thorough inspection of the premises prior to the next recess.
Nest location in a school environment
The inspection of the school grounds revealed the presence of three active nests. The first was buried in the ground, at the entrance to an old rodent hole under the roots of a tree on the edge of the playground: a type of nesting characteristic of the common wasp in the middle of the season. The second nest was fixed under the roof of a shed with sports equipment located at the corner of the courtyard. The third, still undeveloped, had been initiated under the metal sill of a basement window overlooking the outside. The area of greatest activity coincided with the main perimeter of the playground, which explained the bites of the students. Our exterminator in La Prairie has documented each nest with precision to establish an order of intervention based on the risk presented to the school population.
Intervention protocol adapted to the school environment
Given the particular sensitivity of the school environment, the intervention protocol was designed to minimize any risk of exposure of students and staff to the products used. All interventions were carried out outside the hours of presence of the students, either in the evening or early in the morning before the opening. The underground nest was treated by injecting insecticidal powder into the entrance tunnel, followed by plugging the duct with compacted soil and gravel. The nest under the shed was eliminated by injection of long-afterglow insecticidal gel into the structural cavities and then by surface spraying. The nascent nest under the basement window was neutralized with a liquid insecticide applied at a low flow rate, before being removed and removed manually. The entire perimeter of the courtyard was then professionally treated against wasps in the form of an insecticide barrier on the ground and at the edge of the structures.
Communication with management and preventive measures
A complete report was submitted to the school administration, including photographs of each nest, the methods used, the products used with their MSDSs, and the recommended restricted-entry intervals before the students return to the yard. Management has also been provided with a seasonal monitoring guide for staff members, with early signs of nesting to look out for, priority areas to inspect at the beginning of each August, and procedures to follow if a nest is detected prior to the dispatch of an exterminator. We recommended the implementation of an annual pest prevention plan for schools, which includes a preventive inspection at the end of June and targeted treatment if necessary. For examples of other complex interventions, see our work on a wasp nest in an institutional building and our work on a hornet treatment in an inhabited area. As certified exterminators on the South Shore and South Shore, our team knows how to adapt its protocols to the most sensitive environments, such as schools and daycares, to guarantee the safety of all those present. Thanks to our intervention, the playground was secured in less than forty-eight hours, allowing the normal resumption of outdoor activities for all students.