“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse". No matter what holiday you are celebrating this winter, chances are that rodents are not high on you preferred guest list. Check out our webpage on rodents for ideas on keeping these uninvited guests out of your home.

http://npic.orst.edu/pest/rodent.html

Our offices will be closed until Tuesday, December 27th. If anybody accidentally contacts pesticides during your holiday festivities, please contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Are your friends and relatives bringing their little ones over for the holidays? You may take a look around your home for pesticide products that children could get a hold of or come into contact with while staying with you. Here are some ideas for the proper storage of pesticides.
http://npic.orst.edu/health/poisonprevent.html

Any old pesticides should be properly disposed of before your young guests arrive.
http://npic.orst.edu/health/disposal.html

News release from EPA headquarters: EPA Prohibits 72 Inert Ingredients from Use in Pesticides.

Learn more about inert or "other" ingredients used in pesticides: http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/inerts.html

Around this time of the year, many of us are traveling or entertaining visitors for the winter holidays. To help make these times enjoyable and less stressful, we have put together a small series of pesticide related topics to keep in mind this season.

Let us know if you have any specific questions by contacting us at 800-858-7378, Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm PT. Happy Holidays! #NPICHolidaySeries

There is nothing quite like the panic that comes from pulling out sheets for your holiday guests, only to find that moths have created new, breezy designs with your linens. Before you pop open a box of mothballs to take care of the problem, make sure to carefully read the label and remember that most mothball products are only meant to be used inside airtight, closed containers. Please visit our web pages on mothball use for more information. #NPICHolidaySeries

http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/mothball/regulation.html

We have a new student worker that is helping us add closed captioning to all of our YouTube videos! We have now completed the captions for the webinar: Pesticide Strategy: The Good, the bad, and the Ugly.

This webinar is great for people who use pesticides in their homes or gardens. It was given by Kaci Buhl through the eXtension All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series in February 2015.

Join the EPA School IPM team tomorrow from 11am - 12:30 PST for a free webinar on how to control cockroaches in school environments. Cockroaches can be a serious health concern in schools (triggering asthma and allergies), and should be controlled using multiple methods.

Can pesticides be poured into smaller bottles? What if a friend wants to share a concentrated product with you, or you only have a little left? Watch our NEW VIDEO to learn why you should never pour or store pesticides in other bottles or containers.

Researchers are working on creating an insecticide that stops mosquitoes from being able to urinate. Something to specifically target the deadliest animal on Earth.

Do you know anyone suffering from bed bugs that doesn't have the means to hire a professional to help with control? Bed Bug Central has a holiday charity set up where people (or organizations such as shelters, nursing homes, etc) can apply for assistance or a donated treatment. Check it out, and please share.

With Texas becoming the second state to report local transmission of the Zika virus, it is important to continue to take action to both control the mosquito population and protect yourself. Learn ways to protect yourself (http://npic.orst.edu/faq/mosqtrvl.html), and what you can do around your home to keep mosquitoes from breeding (http://npic.orst.edu/faq/mosqctrl.html).

Food always seems to be a central theme to any winter holiday. If you are concerned about reducing pesticide residue on the produce you are carefully preparing for family meal, check out our webpage on washing fruits and vegetables. #NPICHolidaySeries

http://npic.orst.edu/faq/fruitwash.html

Are you traveling to a warmer climate this holiday season? Check out the “Pack Safe Mosquito repellent, insect repellent” guidelines from the Federal Aviation Administration for rules and regulations regarding travel with repellents (https://www.faa.gov/a…/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_info/…). And don't forget to always read the label and follow directions (http://npic.orst.edu/images/labelinfographic.jpg) #NPICHolidaySeries

Around this time of the year, many of us are traveling or entertaining visitors for the winter holidays. To help make these times enjoyable and less stressful, we have put together a small series of pesticide related topics to keep in mind this season. Let us know if you have any specific questions by contacting us at 800-858-7378, Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm PT. Happy Holidays! #NPICHolidaySeries

As we finally must admit that summer has long since come to an end, we are bidding adieu to our #PermaSeries for the year. We hope that we have given you a good taste of what permaculture is and some strategies that you can apply in your homes, gardens, and farms to increase your production and decrease your effort. There are many wonderful resources for you to continue your own investigation deeper into the permaculture field. We hope that you have enjoyed the series and as always, please contact us if you have any questions.

Over the past months, we have covered a few of the many benefits of companion planting or inter-cropping. #PermaSeries

Here is a good overview of how this all might fit together in your garden and where to start:

Join us today at 1pm PT (4pm ET) for a short webinar on our new Herbicide Properties Tool (npic.orst.edu/HPT). This tool can be used to investigate whether an herbicide active ingredient is likely to contaminate shallow groundwater, and other chemical properties. Just click http://bit.ly/2eiC1w2 to join!