Hello IPMA Members,

Finally spring has sprung!  It’s been a rough start to 2023.  Currently we’re about 26-28 days behind the norm as far as heat units go.  We’ll see if pest pressures follow suit of if things will get back on track with normal timings through late spring and in to summer.

Several members of the IPMA Board of Directors met with the Department of Ag on March 14 to discuss several concerns regarding licensing and training.  I think we all walked away from that meeting feeling assured that the Dept. of Ag feels the urgency to get employees licensed and have already made big strides to correct some of the issues at hand.  We learned that they are planning on releasing training videos by summer 2023 for all of the urban pest categories.  They have already implemented in-person training days that are being taught in Spanish and hopes to have Spanish training videos released in the not so distant future.  ISDA is also working on a rule change that would eliminate or significantly reduce the 1 week waiting period on test retakes.  Like I said, this is a rule change with the state so this will take a little time to go through the process of getting the rule changed.  Another rule change that will be in the works for next year is adjusting the expiration date on the Apprentice License from December 31^st of the year it was issued to one full calendar year from date of issuance.  We also learned that paying the licensing fees with a credit card can slow the entire process of getting your license by several days.  The Department suggests paying with checks and in person (versus mail) can possibly save you 4-5 days of waiting.  These are all major steps in the right direction to help make the process of getting employees licensed more efficient and streamlined.

As I mentioned back in my December article, we have been continually monitoring the progression of House Bill 7266 which was written to make preemption the law in all 50 states.  This would eliminate the possibility of individual counties, cities and towns from making their own laws with regards to pesticides. Well, good news and bad news.  The bad news is HB7266 has been killed since the congressman that introduced the bill did not get re-elected.  The good news is this has now become part of the Farm Bill which will be negotiated later this summer.  Preemption is already working in 44 of 50 states and we would like to have this in place with all 50 states soon since there is a big push by the environmental groups to get rid of this law and allow each municipality to regulate pesticides as they see fit.  IPMA will continue to fight for and support preemption and the basis of one set of rules, set at State level, and administered by the Department of Ag on behalf of the EPA.

We are also following the progression of the new legislation being proposed surrounding the use of rodenticides.  In the near future, it looks like most rodenticides will be classified as “restricted use” pesticides, which means the applicator must be licensed in that particular category to apply.  Rubber gloves will also be required to apply rodenticides but the thickness of the gloves is up for debate.  Respirators will, most likely, not be required when making applications and the daily removal of dead rodents probably won’t be required at this point in time.  California is at the forefront on rodenticide bans but so far, none of this legislation has been approved.

I hope you all have a safe and prosperous summer and hope you’re able to take a little time out of the busy schedule and mix in a little personal time.

Sincerely,

Pat Sherer

IPMA members can now save at the pump!

Get .06 cents off per gallon of fuel, including diesel at Maverik gas stations with your membership!

For more information you can call the association representative Ronald Perry 801-725-9669 and Maverik Flyer.pdf or email Ronald.Perry@maverik.com

**YOU MUST MENTION THAT YOU ARE A MEMBER OF IPMA IN YOUR CORRESPONDENCE**

The Most Dangerous Creature in the World Will Return to Idaho Soon!

You might be surprised that the most dangerous creature on earth can be found in Idaho. They’re not large. They’re not ferocious. But they are about to be active again across the state.
The creatures we are talking about are mosquitoes. According to the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District (ACMAD), there are about 175 species of mosquitoes in the United States and 50 of those species call our region of Idaho home. These creepy crawlies really like temperatures above 80 degrees, but will come out of hibernation once temperatures get above 50.

This article brought to you by NewsBreak Idaho Falls, Michelle Heart. Photo by Mikeal Seegen on Unsplash 

Mosquitoes Are the Deadliest Creatures In the World

It’s estimated that mosquitoes are responsible for at least 700,000 deaths a year and it’s because they are carriers of all sorts of nasty diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Malaria, Zika and West Nile Virus, just to name a few. According to Pfizer, 600,000 of those deaths are due to Malaria. 
While you don't hear of people contracting Malaria or Zika in Idaho, West Nile Virus is in the news every summer.  The ACMAD explains that the virus was first detected in Ada County in 2005 and the following year, we led the nation in the most reported cases.

According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 people who contract the West Nile virus will likely be unaware of it.  Some may experience unpleasant sysptoms like fever, vomiting/diarrhea and fatigue.  About 1 in 150 will develop symptoms that can affect the central nervouse system.  We're talking about things like encephalitis or meningitis.  Those who develop nervous system symptoms could die.

CDC data shows that Idaho has reported 1,403 human cases of West Nile Virus since 1999. 250 of those have been neuroinvasive. Idaho’s most recent West Nile Virus death was in 2021. The man contracted the virus in Ada County.

This spring has been annoyingly cool, but according to Mosquito Max mosquito season in the lower half of Idaho begins in late April, which is right around the corner.

Not all mosquitoes are West Nile vectors. ACMAD says six species in our area are and two of them are primary vectors. 

Japanese Beetles in Idaho

Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are highly invasive pests of more than 300 plants including some of Idaho's top commodities.

Identifying Japanese Beetles

• Japanese beetles are ½ to ¾ inch long. Front of body is shiny metallic green. Wing cases are coppery. Body has 5 white tufts of hair along each side.
• Adult beetles feed on the upper leaf surface, removing leaf tissue and releasing an aggregation pheromone that attracts additional beetles to the potential food source.
• Manifested as skeletonized leaves with large, irregular holes, adults will move to devour flowers and fruits.
• Evidence of grub (beetle larva) are often unnoticed until populations build up to levels of sufficient to kill grass roots. Evidence of damage is seen when localized discolored patches appear.
• Attracted to some of Idaho's top commodities including hops, grapes, apples, stone fruits, vegetable crops, and nursery stock.

Photo Source: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org/(japanese beetle damage) Lynette Elliot, Creative Commons, Bugguide.net/ (japanese beetle)