Montana State to offer pest management tour Oct. 2-4 across northwestern Montana

From the MSU News Service

BOZEMAN — The Montana State University Extension Pesticide Education Program is offering a pest management tour for pesticide applicators at six locations across northwestern Montana Oct. 2 - 4.

In order, the tour will visit Kalispell, Ronan, Superior, Plains, Missoula and Hamilton. At each stop, speakers will present on a variety of topics, including forage pests, integrated weed management and herbicide resistance, management of vertebrate pests, proper pesticide use and integrated pest management, biological control of weeds, and identification of weeds and nontarget pesticide symptomology. Presentations vary by location.

Tour speakers include:

• Hayes Goosey, MSU Extension forage specialist.

• Tim Seipel, MSU Extension cropland weed specialist.

• Stephan Vantassel, Montana Department of Agriculture vertebrate pest specialist.

• Cecil Tharp, MSU Extension pesticide education specialist.

• Melissa Maggio from the Montana Weed Biocontrol Program.

• Noelle Orloff, MSU Schutter Diagnostic Lab weed diagnostician.

Private applicators can attend morning or afternoon sessions for three credits or both sessions for six credits. Commercial applicator credits are also available and can be viewed on the MSU Pesticide Education Program website at pesticides.montana.edu.

Individuals in the state’s Private Applicator Training District 1 need to earn six private applicator credits before Dec. 31 to avoid losing their private applicator certification, according to Tharp. Applicators can check their credits at mtplants.mt.gov by selecting “pesticide programs” and “pesticide license search” prior to entering their license number. Applicators can also contact their county MSU Extension office for license information.

The tour stops are:

• Oct. 2, Kalispell. Hilton Garden Inn, 1840 Highway 93 S. Cost is $15. Lunch is provided. Register by Oct. 1 by contacting Mackenzie Dey, MSU Flathead County Extension agent, at 406-758-5554 or [email protected].

• Oct. 2, Ronan. Community Center, 300 Third Ave. NW. Cost is $20. Lunch is provided. Register by Oct. 1 by contacting Patrick Mangan, MSU Flathead Reservation Extension agent, at 406-210-9843 or [email protected].

• Oct. 3, Superior. Mineral County MSU Extension office, 301 Second Ave. E. Cost is $15. Lunch is provided. Register by Oct. 2 by contacting David Brink, MSU Mineral County Extension agent, at 406-822-3545 or [email protected].

• Oct. 3, Plains. Butcher’s Nook, 600 W. Railroad Ave. Cost is $10. Lunch is provided. Register by Oct. 2 by contacting Wendy Carr, MSU Sanders County Extension agent, at 406-827-6934 or [email protected].

• Oct. 4, Missoula. Fairgrounds, Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center, 1075 South Ave. W., Large Conference Room, New Facility Conference Room. Cost is $20. Lunch is provided. Register by Sept. 29 by contacting Steffany Rogge, Missoula County weed education coordinator, at 406-258-4211 or [email protected].

• Oct. 4, Hamilton. Bitterroot River Inn and Conference Center, 139 Bitterroot Plaza Dr. Cost is $45. Lunch is provided. Register by Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. by contacting Kimberly Richardson, MSU Ravalli County Extension agent, at 406-375-6611 or [email protected].

A detailed program agenda is available online at http://www.montana.edu/extension/pesticides/events/2023pmt.html . Information is also available from local MSU Extension offices. For other questions, contact Tharp at 406-994-5067 or [email protected].

The MSU Extension Pesticide Education Program is an educational program promoting the proper use of pesticides to protect public health and the environment. The program supports all applicators, businesses and homeowners by combining educational resources and knowledge from scientists, governmental agencies and the public.