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ABOUT PESTICIDE APPLICATOR TRAINING, CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION IN DELAWARE Choose a link to find the answer:
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| WHO NEEDS TO
BE CERTIFIED? |
Anyone buying or using a restricted-use pesticide must be
certified and licensed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA),
unless they work under the direct supervision of a licensed applicator.
Those hired to apply to lands of another must be certified (or work under
supervision) whether they apply restricted-use or general-use pesticides.
Application of liquid soil termiticides must be conducted with a commercial
applicator (7b) at the site of application.
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| PRIVATE
APPLICATORS COMMERCIAL
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Private Applicators are the producers of agricultural commodities and
apply restricted-use pesticides to land that is owned or rented by them
or their employer.
All other restricted-use pesticide applicators are commercial applicators. RETURN TO TOP
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| HOW DO I
GET CERTIFIED? |
Private Applicator: Pass core exam.
Commercial applicator: Pass core exam and category exam(s). Exams are given four times each year. Call 1-800-282-8685 to make a reservation, get directions to the exam site or to ask what category you need. RETURN TO TOP
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| WHAT DO I STUDY
FOR THE EXAM? |
The core manual & workbook and your category manual(s). Send
an order blank for manuals to the University of Delaware. You can get order
blanks at county Extension offices, DDA, or the Entomology Department at
UD (831-2526). Save postage - pick up your manuals at the Entomology Department
or your county Extension office. Study your manuals and practice the calibration
problems. All Delaware exams are closed book. You may use a calculator
at the exam.
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| WHERE CAN I
GET TRAINING? |
The Quarterly Training Review, sponsored by Cooperative Extension and
DDA, is held before each exam. It runs 1 and 1/2 days starting at 8:15
each day. Be sure to study ahead of time -- this is only a review.
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| HOW DO I GET
RECERTIFIED? |
Your certification is good for 3 years. Then you must demonstrate that
you've kept up with changes. Either retake the exam or collect the required
number of recertification hours. Recertification courses must be approved
by DDA.
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| HOW MANY HOURS
DO I NEED? |
Private applicators need 3 recertification hours every 3 years. Fifty
minutes of class room instruction equals one recertification hour. Commercial
applicators need the following recertification hours every 3 years:
Agricultural Plant (1A) 8 Hr
Ornamental & Turf (03) 8 Hr
Antifouling Paint (5B) 2 Hr
Industrial, Institutional,
Public Health (08) 4 Hr
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| WHERE CAN I
GET HOURS? |
Attend the Delaware
Pesticide Conference every January. All licensed applicators
will be sent registration information.
Private applicators may attend any Quarterly Training Review for three recertification hours. Commercial applicators may get hours at commodity meetings and professional seminars. The Delaware Pest Control Association sponsors an annual meeting for category 7 applicators in February. The Delaware Vegetable Growers meetings are held every winter. O&T applicators may attend the Delaware Trufgrass Conference or the Turf and Ornamental Conference. Subscribe to your county Cooperative Extension newsletter and watch for announcements. Or call the DDA at 1-800-282-8685 for information. RETURN TO TOP
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| I WENT TO A GOOD
PESTICIDE PROGRAM LAST MONTH. CAN I GET CREDIT FOR IT? |
Maybe. If you recently attended a pesticide program in Delaware or
another state that was not pre-authorized for recertification hours, you
may still be able to get credit. Send a copy of the program and proof of
your attendance to Larry Towle, Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320
S. Dupont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. He will let you know if the program can
be approved for recertification hours. Larry will award credit if the talks
cover at least one of these issues: pesticide safety, pesticides and the
environment, pest information, methods of control or pesticide information.
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| DELAWARE CORE TEST BLUEPRINT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOB-RELATED
SKILLS |
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
AT EACH LEARNING LEVEL |
TOTAL
QUESTIONS |
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| Factual Recall | Understanding | Application | ||
| 1. Laws/ liability | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2. Pest ID & Life Stages | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3. Pest Control/ IPM | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 4. Label Comprehension | 4 | 6 | 10 | 20 |
| 5. Poisoning Symptoms | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 6. Personal Safety | 4 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| 7. Transportation/ storage
Disposal / spill cleanup |
3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 8. Equipment/ formulation | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 9. Calibration/ dilutions | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 |
| 10. Environmental
Concerns |
4 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| # Questions | 40 | 30 | 30 | 100 |
LEARNING LEVELS:
Factual Recall: Tests the applicator’s ability to remember significant
facts
Understanding: Tests the applicator’s ability to interpret critical
information.
Application: Tests the applicator’s ability to solve relevant problems.
91% OF APPLICATORS WHO ATTEND TRAINING PASS THE EXAM!!
Don’t be left out. Attend the Delaware PAT review before you take the exam. Staff from UD Cooperative Extension and DDA will cover all topics and answer your questions. This exam blueprint will tell you what questions will be on the exam.
Applicators responding to a recent survey say that information learned
during the PAT review is very useful to them in the work they do in their
jobs. They adopted new safety practices that helped reduce pesticide exposure
during the most hazardous pesticide handling activity in their work.
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UD Home Page
Dr. Susan P. Whitney
swhitney@udel.edu