SAN BENITO — Training for private pesticide applicators or those needing Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units to maintain their license will be held Feb. 5 in San Benito.
The training will be held at the Cameron County San Benito Annex Building at 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, according to Brad Cowan, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent in Hidalgo County.
The fee is $70 and includes class manuals, he said. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and classes begin at 9 a.m. The day concludes at 2:30 p.m.
“Class size is limited so preregistration is required by calling the AgriLife Extension office for Hidalgo County at 956-383-1026,” Cowan said. “We encourage everybody to be on time because credit can only be given to those who attend the entire session. I’d also recommend bringing a pencil and calculator. And lunch is on your own.”
The training required to obtain a private pesticide applicator license is provided on a quarterly basis by AgriLife Extension agents in Hidalgo and Cameron counties. The 2015 schedule can be found online at http://hidalgo.agrilife.org/home/agriculture .
Texas Department of Agriculture rules have changed to now allow license holders to get their continuing education units at this training.
“In the past we have not been able to award CEUs for this training,” Cowan said. “But we now have the flexibility to allow current license holders who are ‘in a bind’ to attend and receive the needed CEUs. Therefore, if your license expires in the next six months and you are still in need of continuing education hours, you may attend this training to obtain the needed education.”
The fee for CEU credits is $10 per hour, Cowan said, and three CEUs will be offered – one general, one laws and regulations, and one integrated pest management. The CEU part of the program will be from 9 a.m. to noon.
“To become a licensed private applicator, you must first attend this mandatory training, then sign up to take an exam at a location contracted by TDA, which we will discuss at the class,” he said. “The private applicator license is then valid for five years. By the end of the five-year licensing period, you must have obtained 15 hours of continuing education in order to renew the license for another five years.”
While the Feb. 5 training is specifically designed for private applicators, it is also an excellent review for anyone preparing to take the commercial/non-commercial license tests, Cowan said.
“If you are unsure which license meets your needs, contact TDA at 800-835-5832 for assistance.”
