May 5, 2003

 

Training Set for Municipal Mosquito and West Nile Virus Control

Lessons from experts on mosquitoes, public health and pesticide regulations will be part of training for individuals involved in municipal mosquito control programs. The training is Tuesday, May 13, and is sponsored by the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

"The emergence of the West Nile Virus has really emphasized the role of municipal pest control in public health," says Andrew Thostenson, Pesticide Program Specialist with the Extension Service. "This training is especially designed for those who want to institute or improve their city or town pest control programs. The afternoon session focuses specifically on mosquito control and West Nile Virus."

The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be broadcast over the North Dakota Interactive Video Network. Participants may attend at NDSU campus in room 183 of E. Morrow Lebedeff Hall. Downlink sites include:

• Bismarck State College in room 228, Vocational Technical Center, 1200 College Dr.
• Bottineau, room 1, Arntzen Building on the Minot State University Campus, 1055 Simrall Blvd.
• Dickinson State University in room 104, North Campus Building, 1679 Sixth Ave. W. (7:30 a.m.)
• Grand Forks at the University of North Dakota in room 120, Gamble Hall, Centennial Dr.
• Jamestown at the State Hospital in room 320, Learning Resource Center.

The program is free for those who attend the program for informational purposes only. Those who participate in the pesticide certification training will need to pay $53. For more information and registration materials go to www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/pesticid/pesticid.htm  or call (701) 231-7180.

The morning session focuses on national and state pesticide issues, basic state pesticide laws, pesticide safety and rules for city-wide mosquito control programs. The afternoon session will include mosquito biology and control by NDSU Extension Service entomologist Phil Glogoza. Members of the Grand Forks County Mosquito Control Board will discuss strategies for setting up a mosquito control board. Finally, Roger Naci of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control will give an update on the West Nile Virus.

"The entire training will be useful to prospective pesticide applicators, but the afternoon sessions in particular will be useful for decision makers and others interested in the control of mosquitoes and the West Nile virus," Thostenson says.

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Source: Andrew Thostenson, (701) 231-7180, athosten@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu