For each quarter of the year, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recognizes a group of employees with an award for teamwork. The “Excellence in Team Accomplishment Award” goes to employees who have shown service-oriented teamwork as they worked together on projects that further efficiency, demonstrate good stewardship of taxpayer dollars and/or benefit … Read more
The sixth video in the “We Do That!” series focuses on Carmina Hanson who is a bilingual employee who helps Spanish speaking farm workers learn and understand North Carolina’s pesticide law. Hanson works in the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division. As with the other videos in the series, the goal is to showcase one … Read more
As drones continue to become more commonplace, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has prepared to be sure anyone who uses drones for pesticide applications is properly licensed. The Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division now has a document with step-by-step information on how applicators can become properly licensed to use drones. … Read more
With the warm weather of summer, you may have seen a few extra critters around your yard, and that may have brought back up some bad advice on how to deal with them – especially snakes. Even for wildlife lovers, snakes are not always welcomed with open arms, but contrary to pervasive wives’ tales, mothballs … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic changed many things for people in all walks of life, and one of those things has been the licensing testing related to pesticides in North Carolina. During the pandemic, a significant effort was made to move the testing online, and it seems the change is here to stay – at least for … Read more
It seems many people, including business owners and managers, are thinking about deep cleaning these days. That’s especially true as more businesses in North Carolina reopen and people transition from the governor’s “stay home” order to a “safer at home” advisory. While still not advised by the state’s health leaders, that means more people will … Read more
It’s the time of year when you may be seeing more carpenter bees around your house, especially if you’re around your house more these days. Carpenter bees are solitary though, so you won’t find them in hives – probably just one or two at a time in any given area. Right now, lots of male … Read more
Four million pounds. Two thousand tons. Sixty-four million ounces. No matter how you say it, it’s a big number, and for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer services, it’s a major milestone. Four million pounds is the amount of pesticides the department has helped collect and properly dispose of since 1980. That’s the year … Read more
“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” It’s more than just an expression. Bed bugs, which used to be more common before the 1950s ,have been on the increase since the 1990s. Bed bugs get their name from their habit of feeding on humans while they sleep. Adults are brown and about 1/4 inch … Read more
It’s been two years since the online mapping programs DriftWatch and BeeCheck were launched in North Carolina. Since then, it has become a valuable tool for beekeepers, specialty crop growers and pesticide applicators. This month the programs launched two apps to help growers, pesticide applicators and beekeepers. The apps work to increased functionality and ease … Read more
