For anyone involved in structural entomology, the hands on information available through the IPM Experience House at the Dallas Texas A&M AgriLife Center is bar none. The following is from Janet Hurley, Extension Program Specialist III - School IPM about upcoming events at the IPM House.
First up
is the Associate Certified Entomologist
(ACE) Certification program which is part of the Entomological
Society of America (ESA). It is the fastest growing certification program for
pest management professionals nationwide, founded by Dr. Mike Merchant
(retired) and Dr. Bob Davis to promote professionalism. This 3 ½ week course will provide a
comprehensive review of fundamental entomology and basic knowledge requirements
for the ACE exam. The training is intended as either a kickoff for the studying
process, or as review and confidence building class (not a substitute for
comprehensive studying). Coincidently, the class is also good for new
technicians who would like a broad overview of the science of pest management.
Over the course of 7 zoom events
Bob Davis, Robert Puckett, Sonja Swiger, Wizzie Brown, Molly Keck and Janet
Hurley will cover content from the “IPM for the Urban Professional: A Study
Guide for the Associate Certified Entomologist” in 2-hour slots each Thursday
morning and Friday afternoons starting on October 22, 2021 and finishing on November 12, 2021. Zoom meetings
will be held on Thursdays 8-10 am and Fridays 3-5 pm – Oct. 28-Nov. 12; you
must be present during that time to view the content. Register here
Second do you need your annual CEUs?
Registration is now open for our 2021
Virtual Fall IPM Conference November
16, 2021: 8:15 am – 4 pm for pesticide applicator CEUs. If you
need CEUs before your license expires, the Fall IPM Conference is a great place
to get them. This is your invitation to join us for our annual fall pest
management training – a full day of pesticide applicator CEU’s from experts at
the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and our community. This year we
are adding termite to the end of the program per your request.
You will receive the latest
updates on pesticide laws, pest biology and identification, and pest management
strategies. As always, participants are eligible to receive CEU’s whether your
license is from Texas Department of Agriculture or the TDA’s Texas Structural
Pest Control Service. This year we will offer 5 Ag, 5 Structural, and 1 Termite
CEU. You MUST enter your correct TDA License number at registration and MUST
have an email address to receive instructions to access the virtual conference.
To qualify for CEU’s, you must be present for the entirety of the virtual
conference. The online platform will monitor your presence and CEUs will be
awarded accordingly. Register here
Next up is the fall course
on Understanding Termites and Wood
Destroying Insects, this will be an in-person class held at the Texas A&M
AgriLife Research and Extension Center on
November 15, 2021, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Register here
This class is designed to orient
new apprentices, technicians, and certified applicators to a better
understanding of termite biology and control, as well as some of the most
common wood destroying insects as well. As with all IPM Experience House
classes, instruction is a combination of classroom and hands-on demonstrations.
Dr. Robert Puckett, Assistant Professor and Urban Entomologist, Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension College Station will be joined by Mr. Ronnie Holder of BASF
Corporation, Mrs. Nefertiti Darby, of Corteva Agriscience, Ms. Marty Keane, of
Nisus Corp and Ms. Janet Hurley from AgriLife Extension.
Finally, plans are underway for
the 5th annual
rodent academy to be held in Dallas in person. The dates have been
blocked Dec. 14 & 15, 2021 and speakers are being contacted.
Confirmed speakers are Mr. Tim Madere and Dr. Claudia Riegel, City of New
Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board, along with Dr. Niamh Quinn,
Ph.D. Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, from the University of California
Cooperative Extension. This two-day event will blend learning about the
biology of rodents with hands on activities. For those of you wondering
on Dec. 16, 2021, that day will be reserved for registered sanitarians and code
enforcement with a focus on rodents, cockroaches and other indicator pests that
can be a sign of a rodent infestation. Once we have all the details, we will
post to our conference services website as well.
To register for ALL of our events
visit our conference services website at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/ the
ACE course and Fall IPM Seminar will be found under the Webinars Tab, the
termite class will be posted under the Home page or you can search “IPM or
Integrated Pest Management” to find all the courses we have available in person
or via Zoom.