Schools are particularly exposed to pests: high attendance, presence of food, often old buildings and constant passage between the outside and the inside. In Longueuil, on the South Shore, our team conducted a large-scale pest prevention program for an elementary school in the Saint-Hubert district, near the city of Boucherville. The school administration wanted to act proactively after rodent tracks were detected in the kitchen and janitorial room at the end of the school year. Our team in Longueuil took charge of the entire mandate to ensure the safety of the educational environment at the start of the next school year. This type of preventive intervention in schools is part of our pest prevention service designed for institutional institutions.
Complete inspection of the school building
The inspection took place during the summer period, taking advantage of the absence of the students to access all the premises without restriction. Our technician inspected the kitchens, classrooms, hallways, locker rooms, gymnasium, janitorial room, washrooms, mechanical rooms and service basement. The exterior envelope of the building was examined from top to bottom: foundation, soffits, roof, facades, delivery dock and schoolyard. Camera inspection was used in basement drains to verify the absence of access routes from the sewers. The diagnosis revealed openings around cable passages in several classrooms, a damaged delivery dock door bottom, deficient ventilation screens on the north façade, and cracks in the foundation plaster on the rear courtyard side. All of these deficiencies were recorded in a detailed audit report submitted to the school’s management.
Remedial work and exclusion measures
The work was orchestrated in several phases to be completed before the start of the school year. The foundation cracks were sealed with hydraulic mortar and then covered with a waterproofing plaster. Cable ducts in the classrooms were sealed with low-expansion foam and a steel rosette cover. The bottom of the door of the delivery dock has been replaced by a certified anti-rodent industrial seal. All the external ventilation grilles have been removed, cleaned and reequipped with tightly meshed stainless steel mosquito nets. In the kitchen, the spaces under the fixed equipment have been sealed and an enhanced cleaning protocol has been recommended to the staff. The caulking of the ports of entry was documented by a photographic report submitted to the management, which served as a supporting document in the event of an inspection by the authorities.
Monitoring protocol and staff training
Following the work, a network of monitoring stations was installed in the risk areas: basement, kitchen, concierge room and delivery dock. These stations, secured to avoid any accidental contact by the students, make it possible to detect parasitic activity at an early stage. Teachers and custodians have been trained on the warning signs to look out for and preventative behaviours, such as storing snacks in airtight containers, quickly disposing of waste, and reporting any abnormal observations. A biannual inspection register has been set up, allowing the administration to document visits and meet the requirements of the school authorities. Also consult this prevention project and this caulking file for other similar references made on the South Shore.
Assessment and continuity of the programme
The Longueuil elementary school started the new school year in a healthy environment, with no trace of parasitic activity. The preventive program in place guarantees continuous monitoring and rapid interventions if necessary. Investing in pest prevention in an educational environment means protecting the health of children and employees while preserving the reputation of the establishment. As a certified exterminator on the South Shore and South Shore, Nova Extermination offers prevention programs adapted to institutional establishments, with rigor, discretion and compliance with current standards.