UC IPM's online courses for 2023 are now available!
All of UC IPM's courses can be accessed for free. However, if you need Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and a certificate of completion, most courses require payment. From now through October 31, 2023, we are offering 50% off the regular price when you use code ipm50 at checkout.
Certain course certificates are offered for free this year, such as Urban Pyrethroid and Fipronil Use: Runoff and Surface Water Protection and Providing IPM Services in Schools and Child Care Settings.
All courses must be completed by December 30, 2023 if you need CEUs. Upon course completion, be sure to download the Certificate of Completion (PDF file) to receive your CEU credits. Certificates will not be available for download after December 30th.
Visit the UC IPM website to see all the courses that we offer for CEUs by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Many of our courses are also accredited by the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA), and the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
2023 Pesticide Instructor Training via Zoom
If you are looking to become a certified trainer, this is the workshop for you. Participants who complete this training will become qualified to provide pesticide safety training to fieldworkers and pesticide handlers, as required by California state regulations and the EPA revised Worker Protection Standard. This training is approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Each participant will receive a certificate and CE is available. All workshops run from 8am to 4:30pm. 6.5 CEUs (Laws & Regulations) from DPR are pending. Registration is now open.
Please contact psep@ucanr.edu with any questions.
- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
Are you in need of some last-minute CEUs for 2022? We're pleased to announce that a new online course on runoff and surface water protection is available and offered for free. If you are a pest management professional working primarily in structural pest control or landscape maintenance, then this course is for you! Developed by pest management experts from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the University of California, this course presents information on the Surface Water Protection Regulations that are found in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations sections 6970 and 6972. These regulations were put into place to prevent pesticide runoff into California waterways and to reduce surface water contamination from pyrethroid insecticide use. In this course, you'll learn about the types of pesticide applications that are allowed under the regulations as well as application types that are prohibited and also application types that are exempt. The course takes a close look at pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin because of its high use in urban areas, high detection in surface waters, and high toxicity to aquatic organisms. Fipronil, another commonly used ingredient in structural and landscape products, is addressed in the course as well because it has similar water-quality concerns as the pyrethroids. Specific label restrictions of bifenthrin and fipronil products in California are also discussed.
The Urban Pyrethroid and Fipronil Use: Runoff and Surface Water Protection course has been approved by DPR for a total of 1.5 continuing education units (CEUs), including 0.5 hour of Laws and Regulations and 1.0 hour of Other; and by the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) for 1.5 hours of Rules and Regulations.
UC IPM currently offers 22 other online courses with continuing education units from DPR. Many of our courses are also credited by the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA), and the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
In addition to our newest course, this year we are offering another course for free: Providing IPM Services in Schools and Child Care Settings.
Don't forget that if you are a license or certificate holder with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and your last name begins with the letters A through L, then this is your year to renew. DPR encourages all license holders to send in renewals as soon as possible. If you have specific questions about renewal with DPR, please see their new Licensing Renewal Information page.
Do you have general questions about our online courses and DPR and SPCB CEUs and want them answered live?
Join us on Zoom December 6. Drop in anytime between 3 and 4pm (PST).
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/98437300331?pwd=R0s4NklJZjBpeU5neVlva2lYV3Y2Zz09
Meeting ID: 984 3730 0331
Passcode: 532183
- Author: Mike Hsu
Publication in English, Spanish prepares private applicators for state exam
Expanded from four chapters in the previous edition to 12, the third edition of Pesticide Safety: A Study Manual for Private Applicators aims to be more than just a study guide.
The manual, available for purchase in English and Spanish, provides much more detail on essential processes and procedures that will help keep applicators safe while using pesticides – as well as reduce environmental impacts from misapplication.
Published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation, the manual – intended for members of the agricultural community who own, manage or work on farms that use restricted-use pesticides – also includes substantial updates.
“The information in the book they were using was way out of date,” said writer/editor Shannah Whithaus, senior editor for pesticide safety education with UC ANR's Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. “Also, the book was much, much shorter than it needed to be, because it wasn't providing enough information for people to safely apply pesticides, given the complexity of the regulatory environment we're in now.”
The new manual reflects important changes to federal and state regulations since the publication of the previous edition in 2006.
“There are significant regulatory updates which help you stay up-to-date with safety rules and standards – and protect your workers from overexposure to pesticides,” said Lisa Blecker, technical editor of the publication, and currently a pesticide safety educator at Colorado State University.
In addition to emphasizing the broader ecological ramifications of improper pesticide use, the manual includes information on subjects that might get short shrift in other manuals, such as the correct calibration of equipment to ensure accuracy of application.
“All of that is now in the book and fully fleshed out,” Whithaus said. “[Applicators] are going to be able to do that much more effectively using the new book, compared to the old one – it was really hard to be thorough in 80-some pages.”
The new edition – totaling more than 200 substantive pages – also features a more streamlined and user-friendly layout modeled after a sister publication, The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides, written for commercial applicators.
“A significant update is a layout that is not only beautiful, but helps you identify key information you need to know in order to make safe and effective pesticide applications,” Blecker explained.
She highlighted the “knowledge expectations” listed at the beginning of each chapter and in the margins of the book, next to the relevant passages. The statements serve as “visual cues” to help readers learn and retain the material they need to pass California DPR's certification exam for private applicators.
And while the manual functions as an improved study aid for owners, managers and workers who apply pesticides, it doubles as a reference that they can turn to for years to come.
“It's going to be able to serve as a reference manual, as opposed to just a study guide,” Whithaus said. “You really will be able to use this book as a tool to help you do better in managing your land.”
The manual, listed at $29, is available for purchase in English at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3383 and in Spanish at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3394.
/h4>- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Starting August 1, 2020, all pesticides containing the active ingredient carbaryl will be designated as restricted materials in California, except for baits labeled only for agricultural use.
After August 1, 2020 it will be unlawful to possess or use carbaryl products without an appropriate pesticide applicator license and permit. This includes home gardeners and maintenance gardeners (if they are not licensed to apply pesticides). There will not be a sell-through period for existing products on retail shelves following the effective date.
Consumers should contact their state or local hazardous waste disposal program or local solid waste collection service for proper disposal of unused products and containers. It is illegal to dispose of carbaryl products in sinks, toilets, storm drains or any body of water.
For more information, see the California Department of Pesticide Regulation pages at https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pressrls/2020/072720.htm.
Please share this information with others in your network.
- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
This spring if you are looking for options to obtain your continuing education units (CEUs) and not sure where to get them, why not check out the online options that the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM) has to offer. For license and certificate holders from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) with last names beginning with the letters A through L, 2020 will be the year to renew.
UC IPM currently offers 16 online courses for DPR credit. Many of the courses are also accredited by the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA), or Arizona Department of Agriculture.
If you are looking for CEUs in the Laws and Regulations category, check out these courses:
- Proper Pesticide Use to Avoid Illegal Residues (2.0 Pesticide Laws & Regs)
- Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment (1.5 Pesticide Laws & Regs)
- Providing IPM in Schools and Child Care Settings(1.0 Other and 0.5 Pesticide Laws & Regs)
Some of our courses do require a fee and are being offered at an early-bird price through October 31st. These courses can be purchased individually, or they can be purchased as a 4-course bundle for a special price of $85—a total discount of $20 versus purchasing each course separately.
In addition to offering online courses, UC IPM also hosts a monthly webinar series sponsored by
the Citrus Research Board. The UC Ag Experts webinar series is designed for growers and pest control advisers. It includes presentations on various pest management and horticultural topics, primarily for citrus and avocados. The next webinar will be held on April 8th from 3 PM until 4 PM with Dr. Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell, UC Riverside Department of Entomology and Extension Specialist, speaking about citricola scale. This webinar has been approved for one hour of Other CEUs from DPR and 1 hour of IPM units from CCA. Registration is currently open. View past webinars on the YouTube UC Ag Expert Talk Playlist. CEUs are only available for attending the live webinar.
DPR always encourages license and certificate holders to avoid the last-minute rush and renew early to ensure your license will be renewed by January 1st. Take advantage of UC IPM's online courses and webinar series to get a jump start on your renewal today!