Upcoming events

What: VPMA Master Technician: Rodents
When: October 18, 2022, 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm 
Where: Tidewater, location to be determined.
Cost: $190/members; $300/non-members
VDACS Recertification Credits Applied for in categories 7-A, 8, 7-D and 60 in Virginia, and in the corresponding categories in MD, WC, NC and DC.

This Rodent Training Focuses on Going Green - Getting Better - and Making More Money on Rodent Control

VPMA is pulling out all of the stops for this special Master Technician Series! 

In addtion to Dr. Dini Miller, our lead trainer, we are bringing in Timmy Madere who is the Urban Rodentologist for the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Rodent and Termite Control Board (NOMTRCB). Morgan Wilson, of the Virginia Tech Dodson Urban Pest Management Laboratory, will round out our training team.

The first half of the workshop will walk attendees through the biology, behavior and identification of rats and mice. In-depth training on rodent control tools and the situations where they are best utilized will be presented. Rodenticide modes of action, trapping and baiting will also be covered.

The second half of the course will include a tour of “Rodent Wonderland” in the Wheelabrator Industrial Garbage Dump in Norfolk. Be prepared for a late-night excursion, because to see how and where to manage urban rodents, we have to go to where the rats play! Attendees will take a walking tour of Wheelabrator where we will investigate pest vulnerable areas. All attendees must wear a hard hat, safety vest, eye protection and steel toed boots/shoes (not provided by VPMA) into the Wheelabrator facility.

TIMMY MADERE
Timmy Madere began his career in the pest control industry early in life, crawling in attics and under houses for his Grandfather’s pest control company every summer. In 2008, Timmy went to work for the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Rodent, and Termite Control Board as a general pest control specialist and research assistant and is still working there today as their Urban Rodentologist.

Timmy has worked on research studies and urban pest issues concerning everything from termites and bedbugs to coyotes and raccoons; but his primary focus is on commensal rodents and urban rodent control.

Timmy has written articles on rodent biology and control techniques for the National Wildlife Control Operator Association (NWCOA) and PCT magazine; as well as being a featured speaker in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, for PCT magazines’ annual rodent control webinar. Timmy has a BA in History from the University of New Orleans.

What is a Master Technician?
The Master Technician Series provides technicians with in-depth training in insect ID using state-of-the-art microscopes; and hands-on training in control methods.  The series of eight workshops investigate eight major pest groups – Ants, Bed bugs, Blood Feeders, Termites, Occasional Invaders, Cockroaches, Rodents, and Pest Flies. Once a technician has mastered at least four of the pest groups, special recognition will be made at the final workshop designating them as a Master Technician. 

What: VPMA Master Technician: Blood Suckers
When: October 19, 2022, 8:00am - 5:30 pm 
Where: Tidewater, location to be determined.
Cost: $190/members; $300/non-members
VDACS Recertification Credits Applied for in categories 7-A, 8, and 60 in Virginia, and in the corresponding categories in MD, WC, NC and DC.

The VPMA Master Technician: Blood Feeding Arthropods will teach technicians about blood-feeding arthropods that can be found in and around your customers’ homes.

In addition to Dr. Dini Miller, our lead trainer, we are bringing in Timmy Madere with the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Rodent and Termite Control Board (NOMTRCB). Timmy came in to teach our rodent course, but also has a vast amount of practical experience with mosquitos, ticks and other blood feeding arthropods. David Price, of Mosquito Joe, an expert on you guessed it, mosquito control will round out our training team.

First, technicians will learn the biology, behavior, and habitats of fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes that are most common in our region and throughout the country. Next, technicians will be walked through a reference collection of specimens, and using an identification guide and taxonomic key, they will learn to identify blood-feeding pests by their physical characteristics.

After lunch, technicians will participate in interactive laboratory sessions designed to prepare them to address customer concerns and hot topics in the media. These sessions will teach technicians what they need to know about arthropod-borne diseases in humans and pets (i.e. Zika virus, Lyme disease, dog heartworm, and more), the control and management of blood-feeding pests both indoors and outdoors, and how to protect people, pets, and property from these ectoparasites. Proper use of backpack blowers and drift prevention, along with other tips of the trade, will be discussed including how to mix, use and safely apply product. We will also discuss resistance issues and control methods beyond chemical. Timmy, David and Dini will provide first-hand case studies and discuss the best ways to address challenges faced with the control of blood feeders.

 **Some of these lab sessions will be conducted outside, so please dress accordingly.**

What is a Master Technician?
The Master Technician Series provides technicians with in-depth training in insect ID using state-of-the-art microscopes; and hands-on training in control methods.  The series of eight workshops investigate eight major pest groups – Ants, Bed bugs, Blood Feeders, Termites, Occasional Invaders, Cockroaches, Rodents, and Pest Flies. Once a technician has mastered at least four of the pest groups, special recognition will be made at the final workshop designating them as a Master Technician. 

What: VPMA Certified WDI Inspector In-person Webinar
When: November 1, 2022, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Where: Location to be determined
VDACS recertification credits have been applied for in categories 7-B and 60, and in the corresponding categories in MD, WV, DC and NC.

Since termites and most other wood destroying insects are generally hidden from view, it takes a trained professional to carefully detect conducive conditions, to know the habits and patterns of each insect and to pinpoint signs of infestations. Sending a technician out to perform WDI Inspections without this training can lead to missed signs of infestations, inaccurate reports and big headaches for your company. This voluntary certification conferred by VPMA also allows you to market technicians who successfully complete the course and pass an exam as VPMA Certified WDI Inspectors.

John Singletary, Nisus, reviews the biology and behavior of the different insects that reinfest wood products, including termites, some reinfesting beetles, carpenter ants, bees and wasps and wood attacking fungi. WDI Chair, John Reid, will outline what a thorough inspection involves and the tools and safety equipment needed to conduct an inspection. A discussion surrounding the nuances and gray areas of conducting WDI Inspections will be held and step-by-step instructions for completing the NPMA-33 form will be covered.

Workshop Topics include:

• A brief overview of wood-destroying insects - you must cover this material from the manual on your own prior to the workshop.
• Step-by-Step Inspection Instructions on  Completing the WDIR, NPMA-33, including discussion of “gray areas”.
• How to Prepare the Graph.
• Construction Techniques Conducive to Infestations.
• Tools Used for Inspection, Equipment Operation, Maintenance & Worker Safety.

At the workshop, morning coffee, lunch and an afternoon break will be provided.

What: Sponsor or Exhibit at the VPMA State Technical Meeting
When: December 7 - 8, 2022, with set up and Pre-Conference Event on December 6th
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton - Richmond, 1021 Koger Center Blvd., Richmond, VA 23235 - 804-379-3800

Click here to print full prospectus.

Don't miss your chance to Sponsor or Exhibit at the VPMA State Technical Meeting!

• We are promoting the heck out of this meeting to get as many PMP Companies in front of you as possible.
• Our social events are re-imagined - giving you ample opportunities to create relationships with PMP members.
• Sponors get promotion not just at the STM, but at ALL VPMA educational events - what a deal!