Training Event
Dietrick Institute and KM AntPro on biological ant control
VENTURA – Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology and University of California Cooperative Extension of Ventura County will bring Ken Kupfer, founding CEO of KM AntPro from Florida for a training session on ant baiting systems using liquid borate baits.
The event will be from 8 to 11 a.m. June 6, 2017 at the UC Cooperative Extension Conference Room 669, County Square Dr., Suite 100, Ventura, CA 93003, at no cost to farmers, landscape managers, and Master Gardeners.
The morning will open with Entomologist Anna Howell of the UC Cooperative Extension giving an overview on ant biology. Kupfer will demonstrate why organic and biologically based pest control becomes challenging in the presence of ants and the need to manage ants for cost-effective biological pest management. He invented the AntPro Liquid Bait Dispenser that gave exceptional performance in studies at the University of California at Riverside.
Jan Dietrick, founder of the non-profit Dietrick Institute and President of Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc., is organizing the institute to offer local training programs about biological farming methods that help maintain healthy soil. “What many growers don’t know is that there are ways to manage ants without toxic pesticides that are effective and accepted on certified organic farms. When valuable soil microbes are protected by avoiding pesticide sprays, a healthy living soil is better able to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It’s a small part land stewards can play to help reverse climate change.”
Joining Howell and Kupfer is Pest Control Advisor Tom Roberts of Integrated Consulting Entomology to talk about ant management systems in different crop settings. Liquid baits are generally more effective than dry, scatter baits. Borate based baits are the only ones that comply with the National Organic Program and are used by many certified organic growers. Future training workshops will cover other technologies for increasing soil biology on managed lands.
Contact: Ron Whitehurst, PCA, Ventura, CA, 805-643- 5407, email ron@rinconvitova.com.