Oregon Commercial Applicator Bundle - Vertebrate Pest Control
This course bundle is designed for the Oregon commercial applicator. The bundle focuses on vertebrate pest control pesticide use and safety. Commercial applicators may complete a maximum of 15 credits per calendar year. All courses are approved by the Oregon Department of Agriculture Pesticides Program. Please click on course details for a list of specific courses.
BUNDLE CONTENTS:
- Inspecting Structures for Wildlife – 2 credits
- Cage Trapping Techniques – 3 credits
- Understanding Rodenticides and Their Labels – 1 credit
- Rodents and Other Vertebrate Pest Management – 2 credits
- Bat Damage Management – 1 credit
- Mice: The Ubiquitous Commensal Rodent – 1 credit
- Mole Management – 1 credit
- Management of Pocket Gophers – 1 credit
- Skunks: $mell the $uccess – 1 credit
- Voles: Biology, Damage, and Control – 1 credit
- Control and Management of Unprotected Birds – 1 credit
Inspecting Structures for Wildlife
Course Description
If you do not diagnose the problem correctly you will spend a lot of time treating something that is not there. Identify correctly and gather evidence and determine the extent of potential problems. This course will cover the basics of what to look for while inspecting a structure that has potentially been invaded by wildlife.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Discuss the different health risks associated with routine wildlife inspections.
- Identify common wildlife pests and their sign.
- Describe the differences between domiciled and transient wildlife damage.
Cage Trapping Techniques
Course Description
Cage and box traps play an important role in the management of vertebrate pests in urban and suburban environments. These devices capture animals by imprisoning them in a wire cage or box with solid walls. Their simple construction and perceived humaneness lead many to mistakenly believe that these devices require little training to master. This course will review the differences between cage and box traps and how to use those differences to achieve control goals. Likewise, students will learn the three main trapping sets, effective baits, safe and humane use of the traps, and how to reduce non-target captures. After this class, you will never see cage/box trapping in the same way again.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify the parts of cage and box traps.
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different features in cage/box traps and how retail traps differ from commercial traps.
- Know foundational ways to use cage/box traps to improve capture efficacy and improve humaneness.
- Understand the importance of disease safety for both the wildlife control operator and the client.
Understanding Rodenticides & Their Labels
Course Description
Rodenticides are becoming a widely discussed and concerning topic in the pest control field. There is a growing public concern at the risk of secondary and non-target poisonings when rodenticides are used. As a pest control operator is it your responsibility to understand how rodenticides work and how to read their labels. This course discusses the common types of rodenticides, their appropriate application, the risks involved with the use of each type of rodenticide, and takes a look at specific label language.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Outline and describe the primary classifications of rodenticides
- Describe the differences in toxicity and risk between first-generation and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides
- Describe how to use appropriate baiting techniques and the importance of carcass removal
Rodents and Other Vertebrate Pest Management
Course Description
An animal with a backbone or spinal column is called a vertebrate. A few vertebrates, such as rats and mice, are common pests in urban and industrial areas. Others are not pests in their normal habitats but may occasionally become pests when they conflict with humans. Public concern for the welfare of animals and the risk to people, pets, and other non-targets from poisons used to kill vertebrates have made rules governing vertebrate pest control particularly strict. Laws and regulations at the state and local levels may be much more restrictive than federal regulations. Be sure you understand all the regulations that apply in your geographic area before attempting to control vertebrate pests.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Describe the lifecycle, inspection process, and health concerns commonly associated with vertebrate pests
- Distinguish the different types of lethal and non-lethal options for managing vertebrate pests
- Describe the various types of traps and baits used to control vertebrate pests
Bat Damage Management
Course Description
The site of a bat hanging around a structure can be unnerving to most clients. Finding one inside a home is even more unsettling and can send the homeowner into a panic. This course will talk about the identification of bat issues, fundamentals of bat control, and a few health issues that can be quite costly for wildlife control operators and clients.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Effectively pre-qualify a client to determine the potential presence of bats.
- Outline to the client the necessity to capture the bat alive.
- Describe the common signs found when bats are present.
- Describe the common diseases and ectoparasites associated with bats.
Mice: The Ubiquitous Commensal Rodent
Course Description
One of the challenges with house mice is that clients don’t take house mice seriously. It’s amazing how people will move heaven and earth when rats are around, but when it comes to mice they will simply say “oh, it’s just a mouse!” This course will help educate applicators on the risks of allowing house mice to remain in a structure.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify preferred habitats of mice
- Describe several IPM methods for controlling mice
- Describe the differences in mouse traps and outline which trap is best in a given situation
- Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using rodenticides
Mole Management
Course Description
Moles can be the bane of a well-kept lawn. But is it really a mole? Moles, voles, shrews, and pocket gopher damage can look the same to the untrained eye. This course covers the physiological differences between moles and other look-alike vertebrate pests, trapping techniques, and toxicant options.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Correctly identify mole damage.
- Distinguish the differences between moles, voles, shrews, and pocket gophers.
- Describe the different traps and toxicants available and when best to use each one.
Management of Pocket Gophers
Course Description
The site of a fresh mound of soil in an otherwise manicured lawn or alfalfa field can be enough to send a landowner into a tizzy. Pocket gophers can be devastating to both lawns and agricultural fields if they are not properly controlled. The damage caused by pocket gophers can sometimes be confused with either moles or ground squirrels. There are multiple control methods available to management pocket gophers. This course will cover the basics of pocket gopher management including biology, damage, trapping, and toxicant use.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Correctly identify the difference between molehills, ground squirrel mounds, and pocket gopher mounds.
- Describe the different types of toxicants labeled for pocket gopher management and the pros and cons to each.
- Locate the different parts of pocket gopher burrow systems and correctly place traps in each tunnel.
Skunks: $mell the $uccess
Course Description
Skunks used to be considered a very valuable animal, probably because they weren’t called skunks. They were called “Alaska Sable” or “Black Marten.” But when the Supreme Court insisted there be truth in advertising the demand for Alaska Sable plummeted. The desire to have a skunk residing on a client’s property doesn’t seem to have improved either. This course will discuss the lifecycle and biology of skunks, habitat modification to discourage skunks from taking up residence, trapping tips and techniques, the basics of rodenticide use, and the basics of euthanizing if allowable by law. It is important to be familiar with state and local laws regarding skunk management.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Describe common skunk behavior, habitat, and diet.
- Discuss the different methods and sets for efficient trapping of skunks.
- Describe the various methods of euthanizing.
Voles: Biology, Damage, and Control
Course Description
Voles are known by a variety of names, meadow mice or field mice for example. Voles are rodents, meaning they like to chew on things, but they rarely enter structures and are primarily a pest in landscape settings. But they are often confused with mice by many homeowners. The damage caused by voles is to the grass and other plants in the landscape and garden and is most noticeable after the snow melts in northern climates. This course will cover the basics of vole identification, biology, and damage as well as several control methods including trapping and rodenticide use.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Correctly distinguish between a vole, a shrew, and a mouse.
- Identify vole damage in grass, garden, and landscape areas.
- Outline the different types of rodenticides labeled for controlling voles.
- Discuss the different types of traps and how to set them.
Control & Management of Unprotected Birds
Course Description
Unwanted birds can pose a problem for applicators and their clients. Some people love to feed the birds and spend hours watching birds. Once birds have become established in an area they can be difficult to control or deter. Though this course will focus on the control and management of unprotected birds, some of the techniques covered will help with the management of protected birds when a permit is issued.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify birds not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
- Discuss different forms of deterrents available and when best to use each method
- Discuss the different forms of toxicants and when they would be appropriate