West Virginia Category 13D - Mosquito Control Recertification Bundle

This course bundle is geared toward the Mosquito Control Commercial Applicator (Category 13D). The course bundle contains 20 credits of education that have been approved for category 13D as approved by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

BUNDLE CONTENTS:

Mosquito Identification – 6 credits
Intro to Mosquito Control – 4 credits
Mosquito Management – 4 credits
Zika and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases – 2 credits
Reading the Pesticide Label: Beyond the Basics – 4 credits

Mosquito Identification: Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Mansonia, and Psorophora

Course Description

Correct identification of each mosquito species is an important step to managing the mosquito population in your area. Each species of mosquito has its own preferred habitat and breeding environment. This course covers the preferred habitat, breeding ground, and physiological differences between five major species of mosquitoes found throughout the United States.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

Discuss the differences between the five major mosquito species in the United States.
Identify each of the mosquitoes covered in this course.

Intro to Mosquito Control

Course Description

Mankind has been battling mosquitoes since before the first settlers landed on the continent. Mosquitoes are vectors for a multitude of diseases that are harmful to humans, livestock, and pets. To effectively manage a mosquito population as part of an integrated pest management plan applicators must be familiar with mosquito physiology, the lifecycle of the mosquito, and various collection and surveillance methods for both adult mosquitoes and larvae. It is also important to have a good understanding of the diseases that are commonly vectored by mosquitoes. The course will talk about surveillance methods, mosquito anatomy, and touch on the diseases that are most commonly vectored by mosquitoes in the United States.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

Describe the different stages in the mosquito lifecycle.
Explain the differences between male and female mosquitoes.
Suggest different surveillance and collection tactics to efficiently trap mosquitoes in the target area.
List and describe several commonly mosquito vectored diseases.

Mosquito Management & Control

Course Description

Mosquito management is a daunting task for many applicators. When done correctly, outdoor areas such as parks and neighborhood common areas can be a perfect place for people to relax. When mosquito management is done incorrectly or isn’t done at all, mosquitoes can make public spaces unusable. This course will discuss common methods of mosquito controls, everything from physical controls, to pesticides, to record keeping, all as part of a solid integrated pest management approach to mosquito control.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

Discuss the different types of control methods for managing mosquito populations.
Discuss the different types of insecticides available for both larval and adult control of mosquitoes.
Identify and describe the different kinds of equipment commonly used for mosquito control pesticide applications.
Discuss several ways to evaluate the efficacy of the different mosquito control methods implemented.

Zika and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Course Description

This course brings to light an up-and-coming issue within the United States and an issue that has been on-going across the world. Many mosquito-borne diseases are specified within the course, with an emphasis on the Zika Virus. Zika’s extent, side effects, testing and diagnostics are detailed along with protection and reduction techniques of mosquitoes to minimize the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

Implement methods to reduce mosquito populations.
Describe the zika virus, how it is contracted, what effect it has on the human body, testing and diagnostics, and what the congress is doing to aid in its prevention.
Describe what can be done to prevent and control mosquitoes personally and from the source.

Reading the Pesticide Label: Beyond the Basics

Course Description

This training will cover many sections of a pesticide label and safety data sheets. Labels are increasing in complexity and depth of information. It is never suggested that anyone try to memorize a pesticide label. By reviewing parts of a label and recognizing label language and use, we hope that you feel more comfortable with the information on pesticide labels and feel confident in understanding the information the present. Many examples of labels are used in this training that cover a variety of types of pesticides and also represent a variety of sites. It’s essential that we look at REAL label language and not simply make generic statements to evaluate.

There is no endorsement for any company or product by representation of information in this training. All material presented is for educational purposes only and is not intended to purposefully include or exclude any company, tradename, product, use, proprietary, or any other information. Whenever you have questions about interpretations of label language, we encourage you to contact your local extension, land-grant university, department of agriculture, product dealer, or the manufacturer for more information.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

Discuss different types of pesticide registrations.
Identify where to find specific information on the pesticide label.
Identify pests and site usage according to the label, and recognize information on safety data sheets.