Ms. Ging’s class began to care for some praying mantis cocoons and some ladybugs. Mrs. Miller’s elementary class also raised some butterflies as well. Ging is planning to release the insects into the school courtyard.

Last year the school got a chicken coop for the courtyard, they grew a garden, and some pumpkins. Now, she is releasing bugs and insects as natural pest killers. Ging is also hoping that she can get some interest out of the students as well.

“There is something called integrative pest management with schools. Which says that schools cannot use chemicals to control the pests, so I am trying to find as many natural pest controllers there are,” Ging said.

Integrative Pest Management is a broad-based approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests. IPM aims to suppress pest populations below the economic injury level. IPM aims to use fewer chemicals than needed. The school also doesn’t use dangerous chemicals around the school, for safety reasons. Therefore, Ging is using insects and bugs to kill pests in the courtyard rather than possibly dangerous chemicals. It is safe for the school, and fun for the students.

“It is really fun to see bugs and insects be released into nature, and be free,” Riley Henley, sixth-grader said.

This activity is both safe for the students of the school, and students think it is fun to release the insects and bugs out into nature.