The Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) at the University of Illinois has recently filled a much needed, vacant position. We are excited to announce that Jonathan Jackson is PSEP’s new program assistant. Jonathan will be responsible for...

Jean Miles never liked any attention being placed on her, but she deserves some. She quietly retired this past March just as our busy clinic season was winding down. Jean first joined the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) as extra help in 1997...

As the spray season is winding down for many Illinois pesticide applicators, the training and testing season has also slowed way down for the University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The month of September is the perfect time for us in...

The University of Illinois recently hosted the Youth Crop Scouting Competition at the Urbana-Champaign South Farm. Student teams of two to five high-school-aged youth with an adult coach rotated through 10 outdoor...

How well are you protecting your eyes while applying pesticides? Unprotected or inadequately protected eyes are at high risk of pesticide exposure, which can result in mild to severe irritation, eye injury, vision loss, or even permanent disability. Eye exposure also provides a route for the...

Now is the time to get rid of any old or unwanted pesticides in your chemical storage area. The Illinois EPA one-day household hazardous waste collection schedule for this fall has been released to the public. Please note, all one-day collections require pre-registration. More information can be...

On April 29, 2025, the EPA published its final Insecticide Strategy, following the release of the draft version in July 2024. The insecticide strategy is part of a broader suite of regulatory efforts,...

2025 Harvest Open HouseSaturday, September 20, 202510:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m....

The elm zigzag sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) is an invasive pest of elm trees (Ulmus spp.) that was first detected in Illinois in July 2024 in Busse Woods, Cook County. Native to parts of China and Japan, this species became established in Europe in 2003 and was first detected in the United...