Fall and winter is growing season for PMPs

The Texas State Fair is open.  We've had three days of rain and cooler temperatures.  I think I finally believe that summer is done for, and fall is here. I thought Dallas had it bad this summer with over seventy 100 degree days, beating the previous north Texas record heat wave of 1980.  But Wichita Falls, TX crushed their previous (1980) record of 79 days with 100 days of triple digits this summer.  Add to all of this the exceptional drought and add some of the worst wildfires in history--it's enough to put 2011 in the record books.

The Fall 2010 IPM Seminar in Dallas drew over 300 pesticide
applicators for their required annual training.

Besides relief from the heat, the end of summer means a busier time for us on the education side of things. In October my Extension colleagues and I generally start a new round of CEU courses around the state.  I look forward every year to the chance to see many of you Texas readers again in the coming months.  Here are some of the meetings in Texas and around the country you might want to check out.

Texas

• The Texas AgriLife Center at Dallas will be hosting the annual Fall Integrated Pest Management Seminar on November 8.  The focus of this training is on pest control of landscapes, although a full range of CEUs is available for PMPs (except termite control).  To register, click here and search on the Dallas location, or the term IPM.
• If you live near San Antonio or Austin, our Extension Entomologists there will be hosting two programs for credit on November 9-10 (Austin) and December 2 (San Antonio).
• Texas A&M University will host the 66th Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop on January 11-13, 2012 in College Station.  This is one of the most educational pest control workshops in the state.  It always attracts interesting speakers and provides a unique opportunity to learn about the latest research in urban entomology from the premier university in Texas.

National 
An increasing number of PMPs are getting certified and learning about the educational opportunities of participating in the Entomological Society of America's annual conference.  The largest scientific society devoted to entomology in the world, the ESA annual meeting may be just the kind of challenging educational event you've been looking for.  Swarming with Ph.D. entomologists and eager graduate students with an enthusiasm for insects, there are always dozens of presentations and posters on urban entomology subjects.  This year's meeting is in Reno, Nevada. Click here for more information.

The National Pest Management Association's annual meeting, Pest World 2011, is in New Orleans, October 19-22.  Serveral thousand PMPs, industry experts and entomologists attend this prestigious meeting each year.  I've always found this meeting to be entertaining and informative.  Many of the new products for the year are also introduced at this meeting.