DEP’s pesticide control program website was updated over the past few weeks to reflect that
“Based on the current COVID 19 public health emergency, the Department has extended an interim policy allowing 100% online CEUs for remaining credits to accommodate for applicators whose 5-year recertification cycle ends October 31, 2021 and 2022. To verify you are eligible, please click HERE.”
However, there are no longer directions explaining where certified applicators can check the status of their credits and the course histories. Growers requesting this indicate it takes some searching to find it. Here are revised instructions to get you there. You might want to bookmark whichever site below gets to the information you need most directly.
To review course history:
- go to www.pcpnj.org;
- in the bottom section labeled ‘About US’ (NOT the ‘About DEP’ link in the bottom line!), click on “Pesticides” in the list;
- find and click any one of the links marked ‘NJDEP’s Online Reports‘;
- on the DEP DataMiner site, make sure the Report Category says ‘Pesticide Control Program’ (if not, select it from the menu);
- on the list under ‘Pesticide Licensing’ select the appropriate type of license. There are two reports for each that can be searched by either name or license number:
- Applicator Business
- Certified Pesticide Dealers
- Commercial Certified Pesticide Applicators
- Commercial Pesticide Operators
- Pesticide Dealer Information
- Private Certified Pesticide Applicators
- follow instructions to get your course history information. Select your pesticide license # from the menu. You’ll also need your birth date and last 4 digits of your social security #.
Right on time with last year’s observations, adult spotted lanternflies (SLF) were found in Pilesgrove (Salem County) NJ. In 2020 adults at the same location were found on July 23 so despite the earlier hatch observed in May, the phenology is right on track.
In 2020, adults dispersed in large numbers to commercial vineyards around September 4. I think this dispersal is a combination of depletion of resources (they are literally sucking the sap out of trees) and density. As NJ populations of SLF increase, they are depleting food resources faster. I expect this movement from wooded areas to vineyards will happen earlier this year, likely mid August. There will be a few bugs here and there, but commercial vineyard managers should wait to apply insecticides until you see the larger influx. Across sites, the 10 adults/vine threshold was reached around the same time last year – although some vineyards had much larger numbers per vine – so this is a good threshold to use for now. I will post management recommendations for the adults soon!
