For NMDA publications (laws & regs, core manual, ag pests, and O & T pests) fill out this order form (PDF) and mail with your payment to:  NMDA, MSC 3AQ, PO Box 30005, Las Cruces, NM, 88003-8001.

Preparing for pesticide applicator certification exams requires studying three basic areas of information: general pesticide knowledge, the laws & regulations governing pesticides, and one or more specific categories of pest control.

General Study Materials 

General Pesticide Knowledge: The National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual covers pest management, federal pesticide laws, labels and formulations, safety and first aid, environmental issues, application procedures, etc. It includes calibration exercises, practice questions, information on professional conduct, and selected pesticide references. It can be viewed or printed from the web or purchased from NMDA for $15.

Laws and Regulations: Applicants should study the New Mexico Pesticide Control Act and related rules, especially 21.17.50 NMAC. Available on the web or from NMDA. For a layman's version refer to this summary of New Mexico pesticide regulations; remember that the actual law and regulations always take precedence.

Category-Specific Study Materials

1A: Agricultural Pest Control and 1B: Agricultural Weed Control - The NM Training Manual for Agricultural Pest Control and Agricultural Weed Control, compiled by NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service, is a comprehensive manual on agricultural pests (insects and mites, plant pathogens, nematodes, and weeds) and the use of soil fumigants. Available from NMDA for $25.

1C: Animal Pest Control - covers controlling pests of livestock & pets and animal premises. Applicants should study common livestock pests and general livestock pest management principles. An internet search on "livestock pests" will bring up several good online sources of information; no specific material is recommended.

2: Forest Pest Control - material on using pesticides in forests and forest nurseries can be found in the book Conifer Pests in New Mexico, by Robert Cain. This 1995 USDA Forest Service publication is available for $3 from Stephanie Sandoval, 505-476-3351. Also study the Worker Protection Standard, which requires training and other protections for persons working in forests where pesticides are used. The How To Comply manual and other information is available on the web or by calling NMDA.

3A: Ornamental &Turf Pests, and 3B: Ornamental &Turf Weeds - these two categories cover insect, disease and weed control in ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf. Recommended study materials for these categories include:

1. New Mexico Pesticide Applicator Training: Ornamentals &Turf is a complete overview of the Ornamental and Turf category. Nearly 200 pages, this manual covers turfgrass management, ornamental plant management, pest control strategies, and application equipment and methods. Available from NMDA or NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service for $25.
2. Cranshaw, Whitney: Pests of the West: Prevention and Control for Today's Garden and Small Farm, is available from retail bookstores or from Fulcrum Publishing, phone 800-992-2908.
3. Calibration of Pesticide Application Equipment for Golf Courses and Recreational Turf is a video that is available in English and Spanish. It can be purchased from Marathon Agricultural and Environmental Consulting, Inc, phone 505-527-8853. The price is about $50.
4. Weeds of the West is published by the Western Society of Weed Science. Avalable from NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service, phone 505-646-5280, for $23.50.
5. Conifer Pests in New Mexico - see Forest Pest Control (category 2)

4: Seed Treatment is the use of pesticides on seed to protect and/or control insect and disease pest organisms. Good study guides are available from Washington State University Cooperative Extension (800-723-1763) and Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (405-774-5385), among others.

5: Aquatic Pest and Weed Control covers using pesticides in standing or running water to control algae, undesirable fish, and other aquatic organisms (other than vector control). Suggested study material includes Aquatic Pest Management: A Training Manual for Commercial Pesticide Applicators, from Michigan State University Extension, phone 517-353-6740, about $10 plus shipping/handling. Another manual is How to Identify and Control Water Weeds and Algae, edited by JC Schmidt and published by Applied Biochemists, Inc. It's available from Cygnet Enterprises for about $10; phone 800-530-0885.

6A: Wood Preservation is the treatment of lumber to prevent fungal decay and insect damage. The Preservation of Wood is a University of Minnesota publication, available from UM Extension Service Distribution Center, 405 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108-6068, phone 800-876-8636, email order@extension.umn.edu.

6B: Right-of-Way Weed Control covers weed control along roads, power lines, pipelines, and rights-of-way; also areas such as around oil wells, equipment yards, airports, etc. Rights-of-Way Vegetation Management is a Washington State University publication, phone 800-723-1763.

7A: Structural Pest Control is the control of household pests like cockroaches, ants, etc., and stored product or fabric pests. Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations (ISBN 0-929870-64-6) is the "bible" of structural pest control. It can be ordered from Questex Media Group, phone 866-344-1315, for about $90. Another great resource is the Handbook of Pest Control by Arnold Mallis (ISBN 1-890561-01-0), available from PCTOnline.com for about $135.

7B: Vertebrate Animal Pest Control is the control of rodents, birds, bats, and predators of wildlife and domestic animals. Both books described above for 7A are recommended.

7C: Fumigation is using fumigants such as methyl bromide, hydrogen cyanide, and phosphine to control pests in structures, railroad cars, stored grain, etc. Both books described above for 7A are recommended.

7D: Wood Destroying Pest Control is the control of termites, carpenter ants, wood-boring or tunneling beetles, fungi, and other pests which attack wood in structures or sawed lumber. Both books described above for 7A are recommended.

8: Public Health Pest Control is the control of mosquitoes, flies, fleas, and other vectors that transmit human or animal diseases. The latest version of the New Mexico Vector Control Manual is available online at  www.health.state.nm.us/epi/NewMexicoVectorControlManual. Printed copies are available from NMDA for $15.

Other miscellaneous category study material:

11B: Cooling Towers is the use of antimicrobials to control bacteria in cooling-tower water. The recommended study material is from Cornell University and is available from their web site www.store.cornell.edu.

11E: Worker Protection Standard. This certification is required for persons who want to train agricultural workers and/or handlers as outlined in the WPS. Study materials are available on our web site or by calling NMDA. Material is also available commercially from Gempler's, 1-800-382-8473.

11G: Sewer Line Chemical Root Control is the use of pesticides to control roots in sewer lines, mainly foaming methods with metam-sodium and dichlobenil. The recommended study material is from Cornell University and is available from their web site www.store.cornell.edu.