MSU Offer Pest Management Tour Across Eastern Montana
The Montana State University Pesticide Education Program, with assistance from the Montana Department of Agriculture, is offering a pest management tour for pesticide applicators at 10 locations across eastern Montana from Oct. 4 through 8.
Those in the state’s Private Applicator Training District 4 need to earn six private applicator credits before Dec. 31 to avoid losing their certification, according to Cecil Tharp, MSU Extension pesticide education specialist. District 4 includes Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Phillips, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, Valley and Wibaux counties. Applicators can check their credits at https://mtplants. mt.gov/PesticideApplicator/ ApplicationExternalSearch. aspx or contact their county MSU Extension office for license information.
There will be 10 onsite locations total, two for each day. Speakers will present on a variety of topics, including managing rodents; managing herbicide-resistant weeds; drought considerations when using pesticides; drought and weed management; preventing weed spread from hay shipments; and more. Presentations vary by location. Representatives speaking on the tour include Tharp; Hayes Goosey, MSU Extension forage specialist; Tim Seipel, MSU cropland weed specialist; Noelle Orloff, MSU associate Extension associate specialist; Uta McKelvy, MSU associate Extension plant pathologist; and Stephen Vantassel, MDA vertebrate pest specialist.
Private applicators can attend morning or afternoon sessions for three credits or both sessions for six credits. More information, including commercial applicator credits, can be found at https:// pesticides.montana.edu/ events/2021pmt.html.
All locations will follow MSU and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policies requesting mask use while indoors. Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks prior to the event or who are experiencing cold- or flu-like symptoms should not attend.
The tour stops in the area are as follows: Monday, Oct. 4
Nemont Friendship Room at the Daniels County Museum, 720 2nd Ave., in Scobey. Register by contacting Inga Hawbaker, Daniels County Extension agent, 406-4872861 or inga.hawbaker@montana.edu. Register by Sept. 30. No fee and lunch is not provided.
Civic Center, Sheridan County Fairgrounds, 4262 MT-16, in Plentywood. Register by contacting Amy Bowser, MSU pesticide education technician, 406-994-5178 or amy.bowser@montana.edu. Register by Sept. 30. No fee and lunch is not provided.
Tuesday, Oct. 5
Elks Lodge, 309 2nd Ave. S., in Glasgow. Register by contacting Shelley Mills, Valley County agriculture agent, 406-228-6241 or smills@montana.edu. Register by Oct. 1. No fee and lunch is not provided.
Wednesday, Oct. 6
MSU Extension Office, 1499 N. Central Ave., in Sidney. Register by contacting Tim Fine, Richland County Extension agriculture agent, 406-433-1206 or tfine@montana. edu. Register by Oct. 2. No fee and lunch is not provided.
McCone County Fairgrounds, 14 Fairgrounds Rd., in Circle. Register by contacting Ken Nelson, McCone County Extension agriculture agent, 406-485-2605 or ken.nelson@montana.edu. Register by Oct. 2. The fee is $10 and lunch is provided.
To register, contact the county Extension office where the event will occur or online at https://www. pesticides.montana.edu/ events/2020PMT.html.
A detailed program agenda is available online at https:// pesticides.montana.edu/ events/2021pmt.html. Information is also available from local Extension agents. For other questions, contact Tharp at 406-994-5067 or ctharp@montana.edu.
The MSU Extension Pesticide Education Program is an educational program promoting the proper use of pesticides to protect public health and the environment. The program supports all applicators, businesses and homeowners by combining educational resources and knowledge from scientists, governmental agencies and the public.
