NOTE: Use of insect repellant at school by a student requires parent/guardian permission but does not require a medication order since it is not considered a medication. For a sample, see the Sample | Forms page under Medication.  Students may apply insect repellents themselves or request assistance from a staff member. It is strongly recommended that aerosol insect repellant is not used in schools. More information on insect repellants can be found in the Sample Tick and Tickborne Disease Resource Toolkit.  

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

NYS Pesticide Prohibition on Grounds at Schools and Day Care Centers
Under amendments to the State Education Law (Section 409-k) and Social Services Law (Section 390-g), no school or daycare center can apply pesticides to any playgrounds, turf, or athletic or playing fields. The requirements are administered by the State Education Department for schools and by the Office of Children and Family Services for daycare centers. Contact those agencies for information and answers to questions on the prohibition. Contact information is provided in NYSDEC Guidance. 

Note: Individual use of insect repellents by students is permissible with parent permission and appropriate safety precautions on the method of the application.

NYS Department of Health

Tick and Insect Repellents, Deciding on their Use
Provides an overview of types of repellents and considerations for use.

CDC

Information Regarding Repellents and Sunscreen
Repellents that are applied according to label instructions may be used with sunscreen with no reduction in repellent activity; however, limited data show a one-third decrease in the sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens when DEET-containing insect repellents are used after sunscreen is applied. Products that combine sunscreen and repellent are not recommended, because sunscreen may need to be reapplied more often and in larger amounts than needed for the repellent component to provide protection from biting insects. In general, the recommendation is to use separate products, applying sunscreen first and then applying the repellent. Due to the decrease in SPF when using a DEET-containing insect repellent after applying sunscreen, you may need to reapply the sunscreen more frequently.

National Pesticide Information Center

Pesticides and Pesticide-Related Topics
NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). 

University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Resource Center

Tick Education, Prevention, and Effective Strategies
This site hosts a comprehensive site on ticks and Lyme Disease.

US Environmental Protection Agency

Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Other Arthropods
Includes information on -Types of insect repellent Ingredients in skin-applied repellents, Regulation of skin-applied repellents, Choosing and Using Repellents, Using repellents safely and effectively Repellency Awareness Graphic.

Page Updated 8/12/22