Pest ID Workshops

Ant ID & Management Workshop

The Ant Identification & Management Workshop is a 3-hour workshop.  Under the instructor’s direction, participants will use ID keys and stereo microscopes to compare important morphological characteristics of ant specimens magnified on an overhead with the specimens they are examining. After practicing on several specimens, participants will test their skills with five unidentified specimens. Pest habitat, behavior, and nesting characteristics will also be discussed as useful tools in identification. While the workshop focus heavily on identification, management strategies and demonstrations are covered in some detail. This workshop is approved for 3 P-phase CCU’s. Register here.

Patty Alder (standing at left) directs the class to compare key morphological characters of the specimen seen on the screen with their specimens and to follow the identification key
Patty Alder (standing at left) directs the class to compare key morphological characters of the specimen seen on the screen with their specimens and to follow the identification key seen on the screen to the left.  After practicing on several specimens, the participants test their skills with five unidentified specimens.
Demonstrating treating for ants under different thicknesses of mulch
The workshop concludes with a discussion of management using liquid insecticides and baits. Shown here – Mike Waldvogel uses a backpack sprayer to demonstrate the effect of mulch thickness and application volume on the penetration of insecticides for controlling ants in landscaped areas.

Cockroach ID & Management Workshop

The Cockroach ID & Management Workshop is a 3-hour workshop. Under the instructor’s guidance, participants will use key morphological characteristics to identify domestic and peri-domestic cockroach pest species found in North Carolina. Inspection techniques and management strategies will also be covered in some detail, including demonstrations of proper baiting techniques for controlling cockroaches. This workshop is approved for 3 P-phase CCU’s. Register here.

Male Oriental cockroach, one of the species studied in the workshop.
Display boxes with some cockroach species studied in the workshop.

Stored Product Pests ID & Management Workshop

The Stored Product Pests ID & Management Workshop is a 3-hour workshop. In this workshop, participants review the identification, biology, and behavior of common stored product pests found in both residential and commercial settings.  This workshop is approved for 3 P-phase CCU’s. Register here.

Patty Alder is shown here leading the class through the identification key for beetles commonly found in stored grain and grain products.
Group listening to explanation of cleaning grain grinder to reduce pest problems
The workshop concludes with a tour of NCSU’s Feed Mill Education Unit Facility across the road from the training facility. A group is shown here listening to the mill manager explain the importance of sanitation and cleaning milling equipment to reduce future pest problems.

Wood-Destroying Insects ID & Management Workshop

The Wood-Destroying Insects ID & Management Workshop is a 3-hour workshop. In this workshop, participants will learn to recognize and ID wood-destroying insects, including various wood-destroying beetles, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood wasps, and a few others. For each pest, participants will use both morphological features and damage evidence to properly ID important wood-destroying insects. Termites are not covered in this workshop. This workshop is approved for 3 P-phase CCU’s. Register here.

Carpenter bees are among the wood-destroying insects that will be discussed in this workshop.
Damage evidence, like the carpenter bee damage shown above, will also be covered in this workshop.

Fly ID & Management Workshop

The Fly ID & Management Workshop is a 3-hour workshop. This workshop will cover the identification and management of structural fly pests, including filth fly species, overwintering species, and various indoor species, such as fruit flies and drain flies. The workshop also includes hands-on activities. This workshop is approved for 3 P-phase CCU’s. Register here.

The house fly is one of the species covered in the workshop
Fly lights like the one shown here, will be one of the