The National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) began offering a Rodent Standards Course in 2020. The Rodent Standards Course debuted at the 2020 Wildlife Expo in Las Vegas. It was a huge hit and it was hoped that the Association would offer the in-person training again in 2020. Unfortunately, the Corona virus and the demand for sequestration and prohibition of travel forced the Association to change plans.

Fortunately, NWCOA decided to offer the training via a webinar on April 7, 2020. The NWCOA Rodent Standards Certified training course is an 8-class that covers commensal rodent biology, damage identification, rodenticides, disease safety, repellents, trapping and exclusion. Unlike other training courses which only focus on house mice, Norway rats and roof rats, NWCOA’s Rodent Standards course includes training on controlling Peromyscus spp. (e.g. deer mice and white-footed mice) and voles. Thus, NWCOA’s training moves beyond rodent control in urban settings (though Peromyscus spp. occurs in more urban areas than people or pest control operators realize), into suburban and exurban areas.
The course is particularly strong in pesticide-free control methods. Attendees are taught how to combine trapping and exclusion to reduce and in some cases eliminate the need for rodenticides and other toxicants.
I was honored to give the talk on Rodenticides and the Law. My talk focused on the legal status of rodents, the importance of reading and following the label and how to use toxicants in ways that improves environmental safety while not reducing control.
Attendees must achieve an 80% score on a 50 question exam in order to become certified. If you would like to know more about this superb training course, contact the National Wildlife Control Operators Association at NWCOA.com.
Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.