Details
September 23, 2024
8:00AM - 5:00PM
Master Technician: Occasional Invaders
Workshop Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Norfolk Airport, 1500 N. Military Highway, Norfolk, VA 23502
Cost: VPMA Member $209 - Non-member $330
Recertification credits have been applied for in 7a and 60 in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington DC, and West Virginia.
Workshop Summary: The homes and structures that PMPs (Pest Management Professionals) work to protect are often attacked by structurally-damaging insects. But sometimes, Occasional Invaders crawl, slink, or fly their way into a structure simply looking for harborage, food, or they may have just wandered in. While they may not cause structural damage, they can certainly alarm the human residents of a structure. As a technician, having a firm understanding of the wide variety of creatures that fall into this category can equip you to better assure your customers that you can provide a solution to eradicate these invaders.
The Master Technician: Occasional Invaders workshop covers a long list of insects that find their way into customers' structures—from stink bugs and Asian ladybugs to house centipedes and springtails, to name a few. Technicians will learn the biology, characteristics, and behaviors of this extensive list of common (and not-so-common) invaders. Not all invaders are treated the same, so proper identification is crucial to gaining control. Attendees will use a microscope and taxonomic key to identify several of the occasional invaders covered in this workshop.
The control methods for Occasional Invaders are about as varied as the list of animals encountered, and they can differ depending on the insect, time of year, and life stage of the insect. As each Occasional Invader is covered, control methods will also be discussed.
Many occasional invaders go through several life stages of development and metamorphosis. Technicians will learn to inspect not just for adults, but to identify all life stages of common occasional invaders and where they are most likely to be found.
A special session on the Spotted Lanternfly and how to address your customers' concerns as this damaging insect makes its way south in Virginia will also be presented.
The full list of Occasional Invaders covered in this workshop includes: Arachnids (spiders, ticks, mites), Centipedes, Millipedes, Sowbugs, Pillbugs, Amphipods/Scuds, Thrips, Springtails, Camel Crickets, Stoneflies, Halteres (flies), Mayflies, Caddisflies, Bark lice/Book lice, Brown marmorated stink bugs, Spotted Lanternflies, Boxelder bugs, Wheelflies and Triatoma bugs, Earwigs, Mole crickets, House crickets, Field crickets, Ground beetles, and Asian Ladybugs.
Even technicians who think "they've seen it all" will surely learn something new as this vast array of insects is covered during the Master Technician: Occasional Invaders Workshop.
At the end of this event, each participant will earn their Master Technician: Occasional Invader certificate.
Master Technician: Occasional Invaders trainers will include Dr. Dini M. Miller, Professor, Virginia Tech, Morgan Wilson, Ph.D. Candidate, and Shannon Harlow-Ellis, ACE, Mosquito Joe Corporate.
