Ohio Pesticide Safety Education Program Offers Recertification Credits

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Commercial pesticide applicators will have multiple opportunities beginning in January 2014 to earn recertification credits to renew their pesticide licenses during a series of conferences sponsored by Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

The 2014 Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification conferences are designed to help applicators fulfill the Ohio requirement of five hours of training in a single day, said Mary Ann Rose, program director for Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio Pesticide Safety Education Program.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.

The Ohio Pesticide Safety Education Program provides training, education and outreach to pesticide applicators about the safe, effective and legal use of pesticides, Rose said.

The program works with farmers, businesses and public agencies to protect human health and the environment and serves as a critical part of job training and business growth in Ohio, she said.

“Applicators will receive the most up-to-date, research-based information from Ohio State specialists while meeting the requirements to maintain their pesticide license,” Rose said.

The conferences are:

• Jan. 30, 2014, at the Dayton Convention Center, 22 E. 5th St. in Dayton.
• Jan. 31, 2014, at the Kalahari Conference Center, 7000 Kalahari Drive in Sandusky.
• Feb. 19, 2014, at the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St. in Akron.
• March 6, 2014, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St. in Columbus.

The conferences will cover a variety of topics, including turfgrass management, ornamental care, industrial vegetation control, pest control strategies and agricultural pest management, Rose said.

“Licensed pesticide applicators need the recertification training to learn about new alternatives and methods to control pests and to stay current with pesticide regulations,” she said. “The program focuses on responsible use of the products while promoting the health of the public and the environment.”

To become licensed, a pesticide applicator must pass a series of exams that test their competency in pesticide application. To renew a license, applicators must be recertified through continuing education or retest, Rose said.

“Most applicators choose the continuing education option,” she said.

More information on the recertification conferences, including how to register, is available on the Pesticide Safety Education Program’s website at http://pested.osu.edu or by calling the pesticide program office at 614-292-4070.