North Carolina Demonstration & Research 5 Credit Bundle Part I
This course bundle is designed for North Carolina Agricultural Commercial Pesticide Applicators. The course bundle contains 10 credits of training approved by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Click on course details for a list of specific courses.
BUNDLE CONTENTS
- Environmental Fate and Transport of Pesticides – 1 credit
- Setting up a Mosquito Control Program – 1 credit
- Balancing Pest Management and Pollinator Health – 1 credit
- Intro to Mosquito Control – 2 credits
Environmental Fate and Transport of Pesticides
Course Description
Pesticides are a key factor in pest management but it is important to understand what happens to those pesticides after the application. This course will review some key characteristics of environmental factors that can affect how pesticides move and degrade in the environment.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Describe the elements of the environment that can play a role in chemical processing such as soil composition and moisture
- Describe the role of microbes and the factors that change populations
- Identify the factors that affect pesticide drift
- Explain the ways that pesticides can be decomposed
- Identify the connections between pesticide properties and potential for groundwater contamination
- Explain application techniques that can minimize impacts
Setting up a Mosquito Control Program
Course Description
Mosquito control programs manage the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice as mosquitoes are the number one vector of disease globally, spreading many diseases such as Malaria, West Nile virus, Dengue Fever, and Yellow Fever. Besides, mosquitoes can cause significant pain, irritation, and infection from their bites, which are a considerable nuisance. Taught by Mississippi State University’s Jerome Goddard Ph.D., Extension Professor of Medical Entomology, this course outlines mosquito control’s components, methods, benefits, and complexities.
After completing this course users will be able to:
- Outline strategies for mosquito control.
- Justify the need for mosquito pest control, including surveillance, trapping, and spraying.
- Identify problem areas for mosquito management such as public objections and environmental protection efforts.
Balancing Pest Management and Pollinator Health
Course Description
Balancing the need to manage agricultural pests with pollinator health is dependent on cooperation between beekeepers, farmers, and pesticide applicators. This course outlines the importance of honey bees honey bee decline and discusses some pollinator myths. Finally, the strategies required to coordinate the efforts of farmers, beekeepers, and applicators are discussed.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Gain an understanding of the issues surrounding pollinator importance, decline, and health.
- Tailor a management strategy that addresses the cooperation between farmers, beekeepers, and applicators.
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.