Burlington—On April 9, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets will offer a review session, followed by a written examination, at four locations for anyone seeking pesticide applicator initial certification.
Venues are the UVM Extension Office in Brattleboro (130 Austine Drive, Suite 300); UVM Extension Office in Rutland (271 North Main St.); Vermont Department of Health Office, St. Johnsbury (107 Eastern Ave.); and the Robert Miller Community Center, Burlington (130 Gosse Ct.,). The review of materials will begin at 9 a.m., with the required written exam from 2 to 4 p.m.
Preregistration is required. The registration fee is $40 or $60 after April 1. No walk-ins will be allowed.
To register, go to https://go.uvm.edu/core24. To request a disability-related accommodation, contact UVM Student Accessibility Services at access@uvm.edu or (802) 656-7753.
Pesticide applicator certification is required by law for anyone in Vermont who uses, supervises, recommends or sells pesticides and/or trains Worker Protection Standard handlers and workers. To become certified, a passing score of 75 percent on the exam is required.
The exam is based on the Northeast Pesticide Applicator Core Manual (third edition), which covers state and federal pesticide laws and regulations, ecology and environmental considerations, pest identification and management, pesticide formulations, equipment calibration, protective equipment, personal safety and proper handling of pesticides, among other topics.
Manuals and required inserts (pdf downloads) may be ordered online for $45 from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture at https://go.uvm.edu/vaafm-manuals. The manual must be obtained in advance in order to study the information and regulations that will be covered in the exam.
The exam is closed book, and cell phones are not allowed. However, participants are asked to bring a calculator.
After passing the core exam for initial certification, anyone requiring commercial or non-commercial certification will need to take additional exams for specific categories. These may be scheduled for a future date through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture at https://go.uvm.edu/vaafm-exams.
To learn more about the pesticide applicator program, visit www.uvm.edu/extension/psep or contact Sarah Kingsley-Richards at (802) 656-0475 or sarah.kingsley@uvm.edu.