My Journey Through the NYS 30 Hour Pesticide Course Online
Alright, so I recently went through the whole NYS 30-hour pesticide course, all online. Let me tell you, it was an experience. I figured I’d share how it all went down, just in case anyone else is looking into this stuff.
Getting Started and Why I Even Bothered
First off, finding a legit online course wasn’t too bad. Did some digging, found a provider that seemed decent enough. The main reason I jumped into this? Well, I’ve got this small patch of land, right? And last year, the aphids, man, the aphids were something else. They absolutely wrecked my prize-winning (in my mind, anyway) tomatoes. I tried all the “organic” stuff from the local garden store, spent a fortune, and those little green demons just laughed. A buddy of mine, who does some landscaping, mentioned needing a certification for certain stuff, and it got me thinking. If I was gonna get serious about tackling these pests, maybe I needed to actually know what I was doing, legally and effectively.
The Nitty-Gritty of the Course Itself
So, I signed up. The platform was pretty straightforward. You log in, and there’s a whole bunch of modules. We’re talking safety, types of pesticides, laws and regulations, label reading – the whole shebang. Thirty hours is, well, thirty hours. It’s a chunk of time. I mostly chipped away at it in the evenings after work, and a few longer sessions on the weekends. My kitchen table became my command center.
- Modules, Modules, Modules: Each section had reading material, sometimes videos. Lots of clicking “next,” you know how it is. Some parts were surprisingly interesting, especially learning to decode those complicated labels. Other parts, not gonna lie, were a bit of a slog. I definitely made sure the coffee pot was always full.
- Quizzes and Checks: After most modules, there’d be a little quiz. Just to make sure you weren’t, like, napping through it. Kept me on my toes, I guess. You had to pass those to move on.
- Flexibility (Sort Of): The good thing about online is you can mostly do it at your own pace. The bad thing is, you still gotta do it. Thirty hours doesn’t magically shrink. I had to be disciplined, which isn’t always my strong suit, especially when the TV is calling my name.
That One Time with the Squirrels (My “Aha!” Moment)
You might be thinking, all this for some aphids? Well, it wasn’t just the aphids. The year before, it was squirrels. Not just any squirrels. These were like, ninja squirrels. They figured out how to get into my “squirrel-proof” bird feeder. Then they started gnawing on the garage trim. I tried traps, I tried sprays (the “friendly” kind), nothing. One day, I saw one literally taunting my cat from the roof. I felt so helpless. It was then I realized, I’m just guessing here. I’m throwing money at problems without really understanding the enemy or the tools. This pesticide course, while not directly for squirrel warfare, started to feel like arming myself with actual knowledge, not just random internet advice.
Finishing Up and What’s Next
Eventually, I got through all the material. Clicked that final “module complete” button. Felt pretty good, actually. There was a final exam for the course itself, to get the certificate of completion which I’d then need for the actual state certification exam. That course exam was comprehensive, definitely had to study my notes. Passed it, thankfully.
So, now I’ve got the course completion under my belt. The real test is the state exam, which is the next hurdle. But honestly, I feel a lot more prepared. I actually understand what I’m reading on a pesticide label now, which is more than I could say before. I know about PPE, and re-entry times, and all that important stuff you just don’t pick up from reading the back of a bottle at the hardware store.
Was it a thrilling rollercoaster of excitement? No, it’s a compliance course. But was it useful? Absolutely. My tomatoes (and garage trim) might actually stand a chance this year.
