Illinois state legislators are working on several bills that, if passed, would introduce new regulations or restrictions on pesticide use in the state. Most of these bills will not make it out of their respective legislative committees, but some have strong support in the Illinois House and Senate...

Spring is the perfect time for cleaning your chemical storage area and disposing of any old or unwanted pesticides. To assist with this effort, the Illinois EPA will hold one-day household hazardous waste collections. Their schedule for this spring has been released to the public. Please note, all...

The Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program Grain Facility (SP39-8) and Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program Livestock (SP39-15) Manuals have been updated for 2026, and are now available on the University of Illinois Extension PubsPlus online store:...

The growing season is upon us finally! With the new green growth will also come pests unfortunately. Do you have what you need to deal with them? Do you still need to obtain your Illinois pesticide applicator or operator license? Only a couple in-person pesticide safety education clinics remain and...

February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, and the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), the American Phytopathological Society (APS), and the Entomological Society of America (ESA) are inviting you to participate in promoting pesticide safety awareness and practices during February...

Just a quick reminder that Paraquat users are required to participate in product training every three years. EPA requires that Paraquat applicators take an EPA-approved training program every three years in order to mix, load, apply, or handle Paraquat. Users should check the date printed on their...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced new digital tools designed to help pesticide applicators comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) mitigation requirements. These requirements, which have expanded in recent years, require applicators to implement runoff and spray...

You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. Here are some of the more frequent questions we get from Illinois pesticide applicators. Don’t see what you are looking for? Let us know what you are wondering about. Also, a lot of information...

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has announced that rulemaking related to an amendment to the Illinois Pesticide Act, enacted in 2023, is now open for public comment. This amendment focuses on regulating residential barrier mosquito treatments, beyond what exists for most other types of...

The University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program has released their upcoming clinic schedule with locations that span the state. Offerings will be similar to that of recent years although quite limited compared to when in-person was the only option. If you are interested in attending...