From staff reports
Barbara Doyle and Melissa Dolecki, who are Venango County Master Gardeners with the Penn State Extension program, visited 50 first-grade students at Sandycreek Elementary School last week.
The women talked about the dangers of poisons in homes and management of pests.
Examples of pests at home were discussed so the students could become familiar with safely dealing with pest management.
Children used their thinking skills to decipher what they should do to keep themselves safe from pests.
Many examples were shown of products that look like something to eat or drink but are actually poison tablets or solutions to rid pests from the interior or exterior of homes.
Doyle and Dolecki showed the children ways to check product boxes or containers for symbols that indicate danger before they touch the boxes.
Mechanical things to help get rid of pests include flyswatters, vacuum cleaners or mouse traps. Students were given Mr. Yuk stickers and a take home packet to discuss with their parents the importance of ridding pests in the home in a safer manner other than poisons and toxic sprays or traps.
