Spring will be here before you know it, and with it will come household and lawn pests.
A Pesticide Safety Program (PSEP) is available through University of Tennessee Extension, including Pesticide Certification Training in Knoxville, Tenn., and several other selected locations across the state. Training sessions generally occur the first Wednesday of each month.
Pesticide certification training provides knowledge to individuals who are not familiar with pest control. Individuals who pass a pesticide certification exam have an easier time becoming hired by companies that provide landscaping or pest control services. Many of the major pest control companies utilize the training services of this program.
If you are currently providing landscaping services and are not certified as a Limited Herbicide Applicator (LHA), the PSEP offers training to help obtain a LHA certification. Having the LHA certification and a minimum of $300,000 in insurance allows a landscape company the ability to legally apply products containing glyphosate. The PSEP also has study materials available for various certification categories.
If you need additional assistance to help you become certified, please contact the PSEP Office. Remember, study guides commonly improve an individual’s success in passing certification exams.
If you would like to find out more about the Pesticide Safety Education Program, please visit the website psep.utk.edu or call 865-974-1286. The fee for initial certification and core training, which includes training for the LHA certification, is $45. The fee for additional training is an additional $20 per category.
The UT Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research and outreach through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, including its system of 10 research and education centers, and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
W. Alan Bruhin
Extension Director