Master Technician Program Overview
This career-advancing program is composed of a series of workshops investigating eight major pest groups - Ants, Bed bugs, Blood-Sucking Arthropods, Cockroaches, Occasional Invaders, Pest Flies, Rodents, and Termites.
At the completion of each pest group workshop, participants will receive a certificate designating them as a VPMA Master for the pest group they have completed. Once a technician has mastered four of the eight pest groups, they become a Master Technician. While 4 pest groups will earn an individual the Master Technician designation, most knowledge-seeking Master Technicians complete all 8 pest workshops to gain superior knowledge and control of just about any pest they may encounter in the field.
Earning a Master Technician designation sets a PMP apart from your standard technician. When mastering a pest group, a technician delves deep in to understanding the biology, behavior, and characteristics of each pest. For most of the pest groups in the program technicians learn to use a microscope and taxonomic key to learn how to accurately identify a specific pest. Proper ID can make a major difference to the treatment methodology and formulation selection to achieve the best control of certain pests. Once the biology and ID has been mastered, the rest of the course focuses on exploring all viable control methods, formulations, and tools available for the management of each pest group.
Recertification credits are applied for in the appropriate category for the pest species being taught.
Upcoming events are listed below, if they are scheduled. |
September 2025
Tue
23
2025
September 23, 2025
8:00AM - 5:00PM
VPMA Master Technician Series: Rodents
September 23rd - Hampton Roads AREC
1444 Diamond Springs Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
The Master Technician designation, offered by the Virginia Pest Management Association (VPMA), is an advanced credential recognizing pest professionals who have deepened their technical knowledge through focused, hands-on training. To earn this designation, individuals must complete a minimum of 4 VPMA Master Technician Workshops, each centered on a key pest group, and demonstrate mastery of the material through attendance and engagement in each session. This full-day workshop, presented in partnership with Virginia Tech, offers a deep dive into rodent identification, biology, and control. Led by experts Drs. Dini Miller and Morgan Wilson, this immersive rodent-focused training covers everything pest professionals need to know to master rodent control: rat and mouse biology, behavior, and identification, and overview of rodenticide modes of action and proper usage, in-depth discussion of control tools including trapping, baiting, and exclusion techniques. A tour of a rodent infestation that provides insight into various control methods and challenges will also be conducted. This workshop combines classroom learning with field experience to give participants practical knowledge they can apply immediately in the field—while earning credit toward their Master Technician designation and will also earn (if approved) recertification credits in 7A and 60 in VA, DC, MD, NC, and WV.
Details >Wed
24
2025
September 24, 2025
8:00AM - 5:15PM
VPMA Master Technician Series: Pest Flies
September 24th - Hampton Roads AREC - Registration Open!
1444 Diamond Springs Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
To earn the Master Technician designation through the Virginia Pest Management Association, pest professionals must complete a series of specialized workshops that focus on key pests and advanced treatment techniques. Each workshop dives deep into pest biology, identification, behavior, and control strategies, and participants must attend the full training and complete the associated evaluation to receive credit toward their Master Technician credential. This one-day intensive workshop focuses exclusively on pest flies and is led by renowned entomologists Dr. Dini Miller and Dr. Jason Myers. Participants will: master identification of various fly species, learn the biology and behavior of small flies and filth flies, and observe control methods in action through live demonstrations, and will receive regulatory updates from VDACS. Participants will also test their pest fly knowledge in a fun review session using Kahoot! This workshop counts toward the Master Technician designation and (if approved) will qualify for recertification credits in VA, MD, DC, NC and WV in 7A and 60, or the corresponding category in the states listed above.
Details >