Pesticide credit deadline extended

Pesticide applicators with licenses set to expire this year, but are short on pesticide credits, the window to avoid a lapse has been extended by the state.

“Due to Helene’s effects in Western N.C., NCDA (North Carolina Department of Agriculture) has extended the deadline to receive pesticide credits to Dec. 20, 2024,” stated a Facebook post from Sampson Cooperative Extension. “If your license expires in 2024 and you do not have all of your credits, this is a great opportunity to receive them and avoid your license lapsing.”

Classes will be hosted by extension agent Zach Parker on Nov. 27 with all courses held at Sampson Livestock Facility, 93 Agriculture Place in Clinton.

The first course, Private “V” Safety is 9-11 a.m. and provides two “V” credit hours for private applicators. Second is, Pesticide Specialty Training from 12-2 p.m., a re-certification course that provides two credit hours in multiple categories.

Registration for classes is also not required.

As for what these credits allow and their significance to local pesticide applicators. Private pesticide applicators must re-certify around every three years, according to Parker, by earning a specific number of ‘credits’, while commercial applicators have different requirements which Parker covers in the classes.

A pesticide license allows the use of restricted-use pesticides and includes safety training on personal protective equipment. Parker said it was a reacquiring requirement for those in the profession. As Stated before, due to the impact of Helene, the re-certification deadline has been extended.

”I think for private applicators, every three years, they have to get a certain number of re-certification credits in order to keep their license current,” Parker said. “For commercial applicators, it’s a little bit different, as far as length of time and number of credits they have to get; but generally it’s just re-certification credits that I’m given through those classes.

“So, a pesticide license, it’s pretty much like a certification that is used to allow use of restricted-use pesticides,” he added. “Those being the things that you can’t find, at say a Lowe’s or Home Depot.”

Parker noted he usually hosts similar classes twice a year, but received enough inquires into acquiring credits, and with the extended deadline, decided to host the upcoming courses.

“This year’s kind of a special case,” he said. “Most times I’ll do a class in February and then one in September, before the usual cutoff date which is in September for private applicators. But this year, they’ve extended it due to Helene and I’ve gotten enough questions, about where they could find credits,that I decided to put on a couple of classes.”

Further details on the Facebook stated, “This is also a great opportunity for specialty credits that may be tough to get for commercial applicators.”

Parker highlighted that those specialty credits are available for commercial applicators in various categories such as ornamentals, turf and aerial applications. His upcoming class will cover multiple specialty credits, benefiting commercial applicators by fulfilling requirements across those several categories needed for credits.

For question or more information Parker said reach out to him at the extension office at 910-592-7261 or email zcparker@ncsu.edu