Pest Control – Are You Qualified?

Dear Reader

The summer weather is proving uncertain – so is the future for many of us in agricultural and farming industries facing a difficult time ahead. That's why this month we want to share some information on pest control. Vermin and insect infestation can afflict the best run businesses and dealing effectively with it is essential to maintain the quality and value of your produce. Safely and successfully eradicating pests requires knowledge, skill, and because many treatments involve the use of poisonous substances – training is a legal requirement.

So read on to find out more about pest control and how it could affect you, and take a look at the training we offer here at the Rural Skills Centre.

Please forward this issue to anyone who could benefit from it. Contact James Foster for more information about the legal requirements or training available.

Best wishes

James

Pest Control for Farmers

Now is the time that you should be thinking about pest control – how to prevent it and how to deal with it. Once harvesting is over and the produce is stored away it's not the time to become complacent. Caring for it effectively is essential to maintain its quality, value and your reputation.

Have you thought about the damage rats and mice can cause? Not only do they eat your produce, they foul it in the process. Your crop yield diminishes from being stolen, and loses value due to contamination. If uncontrolled, vermin also constitute a serious hazard to health and can cause physical damage to your buildings.

On a smaller scale, stored product pests like weevils, saw tooth grain beetles and mites will also eat away at your produce and lead to consumer problems. If infestation goes unnoticed, which is easy to do, you will find all your hard work has gone to waste when the goods are rejected.

With heightened public consciousness about what is in food, there is increasing pressure on farmers to produce records of pest activity, materials used and the progress achieved. Understandably the concern about contamination to the food chain has led to COSHH assessments and legal requirements for training. The bottom line is you are responsible to ensure your crops maintain their quality and the pest control methods and substances you use are legal, safe and effective.

Pest Control Training at the Rural Skills Centre

Regulations are constantly changing and our courses are regularly updated accordingly. You can trust us to equip you with the statutory requirements for controlling pests on your land.

Our courses are comprehensive and cover a range of subjects:

The kind of pests that need to be controlled
The relevant regulations
Both preventative and curative methods of controlling vermin infestation
Safe and effective administration of pesticides
How to plan and monitor a vermin control programme.

On the successful completion of an assessment, you will be awarded Lantra Awards Certification.

Courses Currently Available:

Rodent Control: 5 November 2010

Rabbits and Moles: 18 March 2011

Other Lantra courses available are:

Domestic Insect Control

Management of Flies in Livestock Housing

Grey Squirrel Control

Management of Pests in Grain Stores

If you would like any further information about these courses, or any of the other courses we run here at the Rural Skills Centre contact James Foster – send an email or telephone 01285 889873.