Pest ID of Common Landscape, Turf, and Interiorscape Pests | Massachusetts Approval #2024-000519

Instructor: Sarah Racine

This Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources-approved course shows pest control professionals how to recognize and manage various pests found in landscape, turf, and interiorscape settings.

The two-hour course begins by describing common pest types, starting with invertebrates. Learn ways to recognize and manage arthropods (spiders, insects, mites, and others) with lessons that describe developmental stages, body structure, and proper treatment strategies. Next, learn how to deal with vertebrate pests like rabbits, gophers, and moles. Disease-causing pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi management are also discussed.

The course explains how to identify and manage weeds and other nuisance plants. Discover why dandelions, crabgrass, and clover spread rapidly and what obstacles can prevent effective control. Weed development, life cycles, classification, and physical features (flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and seeds) are also described.

The course ends with strategies for identifying and managing specific pests in each environment.

Interiorscape pests covered include:

• Fungus gnats
• Aphids
• Spider mites
• Mealybugs

For landscape and turf, learn how to manage:

• Japanese beetles
• Master grubs
• Deer
• Cutworms
• Moles and voles

Quizzes appear throughout the course to check material comprehension and make sure you can apply all that you’ve learned.

Pest control professionals in Massachusetts who complete this course will master the techniques required to identify and control the pests that threaten healthy plant settings.