February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month! We're celebrating by providing a free Safety Compliance Suite with every purchase of the Worker Protection Standard. 

Spring is arriving and that means we are going to start seeing more of our vertebrate friends. Sometimes they even make themselves at home where we really wish they wouldn’t! Over the month of April, we’ll be looking at options for managing the vertebrate wildlife that makes itself at home where it’s not welcome.

Our wildlife expert Stephen Vantassel recommends covering at least half of that trap during setting. What? Why would I want to cover my trap? Won’t that make it harder for the animal to find it? Perhaps, but the benefits far outweigh the loss of a little bait scent in the air. In addition to providing cover for that animal to hide, you’ve also hidden that animal from the family dog, the nosey neighbor, and predators that may decide that animal you trapped looks like a tasty snack. Take a look at this short clip from our Cage Trapping Techniques course to see why Stephen always covers his traps.

Last week we looked at the difference between live traps and cage traps. This week we’ll be looking at how retail cage traps differ from professional cage traps. As you might suspect, there are multiple differences right down to the spacing between the wires of the cage. We’ve asked our wildlife trapping expert Stephen Vantassel with the Montana Department of Agriculture to describe the differences between retail cage traps and professional cage traps, and how to compensate when all you might have available is a retail cage trap.

Imagine this: you’ve set a trap to catch what you think might be a squirrel, groundhog, or rabbit, but when you check it the next day you’ve caught a skunk! What do you do now? At this point, you’re glad you’ve covered at least half of your trap with an old blanket or something similar. Not only do you have a blind side to approach the cage trap, it also provides that skunk someplace to hide. We asked our wildlife trapping expert Stephen Vantassel if he’s ever had this happen to him. Check out the video clip from our Cage Trapping Techniques course for tips on keeping that trapped skunk calm, because let’s face it, nobody wants to be sprayed!

If you are like me, deciding to get your pesticide applicator certification or add a category is a big deal. You’ve spent time looking for the best initial certification course for the best price and now you’re signed up to take the exam. You’ve circled the date on the calendar and the pre-test jitters are setting in. You have questions like “how much should I study? and "what should I study?” Every state's exam may be slightly different but the test taking skills you will need are universal. Here are some of the best exam taking tips to help you pass your exam.

A pest inspection/WDO inspection involves a full inspection of a home for any evidence of termite activity and/or evidence of dry rot damage, or moisture conditions that could lead to an atmosphere for wood destroying organisms or termites.

Water features (manmade or natural) can add beauty and depth to any landscape. However, water features and ponds come with their own set of weeds.

Certified Training Institute is currently seeking instructors for our Certified Crop Adviser curriculum. This is a great opportunity to share your expertise with the more than 13,000 certified crop advisers across the United State, Mexico, and Canada.

MDARD has published a list of businesses that are certified in category 7F and licensed for commercial mosquito pest management. This list is a great way for potential clientele to find your business. The Michigan continuing education and certification renewal date is fast approaching for many applicators and it is important to keep your certification current in order to stay on this list. If you haven’t already completed your continuing education, visit our Michigan Pesticide Continuing Education page to get signed up for your CE today!