Maryland Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education Courses

2 credits: 7C
The site of a bat hanging around a structure can be unnerving to most clients. Finding one inside a home is even more unsettling and can send the homeowner into a panic. This course will talk about the identification of bat issues, fundamentals of bat control, and a few health issues that can be quite costly for wildlife control operators and clients.

2 credits: 7A, 8
Bed bugs are a common and difficult household pest that can be linked to a number of health effects such as psychological issues, cutaneous reactions, allergic reactions, anemia, and potential disease transmission. This course outlines various management methods for bed bug control and treatment as well as common symptoms and signs of health effects caused by the presence of bed bugs.

6 credits: 3A, 7C
Pest management of ornamental plants involves multiple steps from growing a healthy plant that is more resistant to pest damage to correctly identifying the problem when present. This course will cover the most common pests of ornamental plants.

6 credits: 7A, 7B, 7D
This online video course teaches Maryland pest managers how to control interior and exterior pests that can infect people and damage property.

2 credits: 3C
Managing weeds in a turf stand can be a tricky proposition. Often times the client fails to recognize that the presence of weeds in a turf stand is the result of poor turf, not the cause. This course will provide applicators with a working knowledge of weed biology, weed identification, and how herbicides work.

2 credits: 7C
Unwanted birds can pose a problem for applicators and their clients. Some people love to feed the birds and spend hours watching birds. Once birds have become established in an area they can be difficult to control or deter. Though this course will focus on the control and management of unprotected birds, some of the techniques covered will help with the management of protected birds when a permit is issued.

7 credits: 5
This course discusses managing pests in aquatic environments. It contains extensive plant identification, discussing common weed types and species. Other pests, such as insects or birds, are also covered. In addition, this course explains a variety of control methods, outlining how to use pesticides safely and the necessary first aid for any exposure. Finally, calibration of equipment is explained and example scenarios are explored.

2 credits: 3C
Turf responds best to consistent cultural practices including mowing, irrigating, and fertilizing. But as turf managers know, there is a right way and a wrong way to do these. This course covers the dos and don’ts of good cultural practices that will result in a healthy vigorous turf that will be enjoyed for years.

8 credits: 1A, 10, Core, Private
Pesticides protect plants and animals from insects, weeds, and diseases; improve the efficiency of food, feed, and fiber productions; and provide for greater crop yields. This course outlines various invasive pests of field crops and how an applicator can effectively treat pest invasions while protecting themselves and the environment from the adverse effects of pesticides.

8 credits: Core, 2
This course discusses integrated pest management strategies within forest environments. Lessons focus on explaining how to protect non-target organisms, minimize pesticide’s impact on water sources, and manage pesticide resistance. Topics covered include forest pest management regulation, sprayer components, various application methods, and more.

4 credits: Core, 2
This course teaches pest control professionals in Maryland how to manage pests found in forest environments safely. Lessons discuss integrated pest management strategies, forestry herbicide types, pesticide-mixing safety measures, and more.

2 credits: Core
This course provides a basic understanding of how fungicides work, and the basics of collecting plant material samples for testing pathogens. Fungal spores, germination, plant appearance, infections, fungicide mechanism, collection techniques, and collection dos and don’ts are all discussed.

6 credits: 7A, 7D
As certified or licensed professionals we have legal responsibilities that we must fulfill in every job that we do. Not only do have to control pests, but we also have to do the paperwork and legwork that documents our applications. This course reviews the basics of general structural pest management.

6 credits: 3B
Pesticides protect plants in your interior landscape from insects and diseases; maintain the aesthetic appeal of indoor plants, and provide a good image for your clients’ establishments. This course outlines various invasive pests and diseases of interior plants and how an applicator can effectively treat pest infestations while protecting themselves and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of their clients’ businesses.

2 credits: 3A
IPM of ornamental plants involves multiple steps; producing a healthy plant, correctly identifying the problem, recognizing that there will always be some pests and damage, and only using pesticides as a last resort. This course teaches the basics of pest and disease management for ornamental plants, and the different tools and techniques needed to successfully provide your clients with a healthy and attractive landscape.

2 credits: 3C
As a turf manager, you’ll need to be more than someone who just applies pesticides. Good turf management requires the use of all the tools in the toolbox. This course will touch on the best practice cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls for turf management.

2 credits: 3A, 3B, 3C, Core
This Effective Pesticide Applications in Landscape and Turf Settings course illustrates benefits and considerations for developing an integrated pest management (IPM) program in Maryland. Course topics include a variety of pest-management methods, such as sanitation, augmentation, pesticide use, and mechanical and cultural control.

2 credits: 7D
One of the challenges with house mice is that clients don’t take house mice seriously. It’s amazing how people will move heaven and earth when rats are around, but when it comes to mice they will simply say “oh, it’s just a mouse!” This course will help educate applicators on the risks of allowing house mice to remain in a structure.

4 credits: 5, 10
Managing microbial pests in water systems is essential for human health and the wider environment. This course will cover pest identification and methods of control. It will also discuss common application methods and ways to protect yourself from hazards when using biocides.

4 credits: Core, 7A
This course explains safe, effective, and cost-efficient pest control techniques to help you manage pests that cause property damage, infect or injure people, or affect the quality of life. You'll learn to minimize risks to yourself, others, and the environment while managing pests effectively.

2 credits: Core
Maryland pest managers can protect people and the environment from pesticide hazards through legal, safe pesticide use. This course starts with elements of safe pesticide handling and application, including chemical selection and pesticide alternatives. It continues with planning tools like advance warning and acceptable signage.

6 credits: 8
Public health pests affect humans through discomfort and disease and can be found in homes and other buildings and structures. This course will outline control techniques and requirements for the most common public health pests which includes mosquitoes, flies, fleas, lice, bed bugs, cockroaches, wasps, ticks, mites, spiders, and rodents.

4 credits: Core, 2, 3A, 7E
Learn how to manage forest pests while protecting the environment, non-target organisms and humans from pesticide hazards with this course for Maryland pest managers. Know what personal protective equipment (PPE) your employer must make available to you, practice calibration techniques for broadcast sprayers and improve your understanding of pesticide application methods.

2 credits: Core
Maryland pest managers will learn how to manage the toxicity dangers of pesticides in this course. Covered material includes pesticide classifications and designations, dangers and toxicity of pesticides, and minimizing exposure to people and non-target organisms.

6 credits: 6
Pest management in right-of-way situations can be a challenge. The economic thresholds are different in right-of-way situations compared to either a landscape setting or an agricultural setting. This course provides an overview of pests common to rights-of-way, management solutions, a look at the equipment commonly used to treat rights-of-way, and a review of calibration steps for that equipment.

4 credits: 7C, 7D
An animal with a backbone or spinal column is called a vertebrate. A few vertebrates, such as rats and mice, are common pests in urban and industrial areas. Others are not pests in their normal habitats but may occasionally become pests when they conflict with humans. This course looks at basic management of common vertebrate pests. Be sure to understand all the regulations that apply in your geographic area before attempting to control vertebrate pests.

2 credits: 4
In the last ten years, there has been a resurgence of treated seed use, largely due to the advent of improved chemical performance. We as agricultural producers are obviously concerned about the more modern applications of these processes. This course outlines the benefits and risks associated with treated seed products.

2 credits: 3C, 7C
There are a variety of diseases, disorders, insects, and vertebrate pests that can cause problems in turfgrass. This course will give applicators and turf managers an overview of these common pests and strategies for their management.

2 credits: 7D
Rodenticides are becoming a widely discussed and concerning topic in the pest control field. There is a growing public concern at the risk of secondary and non-target poisonings when rodenticides are used. As a pest control operator is it your responsibility to understand how rodenticides work and how to read their labels. This course discusses the common types of rodenticides, their appropriate application, the risks involved with the use of each type of rodenticide, and takes a look at specific label language.

7 credits: 11A
Wood is the most renewable resource, and the extraction and processing of wood products take far less energy, carbon, and water than other raw materials. To use wood as a structural material for various demands, such as utility poles, fence posts, marine pilings, lumber, timbers, and plywood, the wood must be properly treated with chemicals to protect the wood from pests.

8 credits: 7B
Termites are just one of the many wood-destroying pests found throughout the United States. Carpenter ants, powderpost beetles, and wood-damaging fungi can also cause severe structural damage if not properly managed. This course will cover the primary wood-destroying pests found through the country, the recommended treatments for each of those pests, and the primary sources of excess structural moisture.