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08/26/2026

Rodent Academy Training: 15 CEUs, Hands-On Training & Real-World Application

Education

Hosted by the Washington State Pest Management Association

Rodent Academy Training

September 27–29, 2026

AC Hotel Vancouver Waterfront | Vancouver, Washington

Go beyond the basics of rodent control with an immersive training experience built specifically for pest management professionals.

Rodent Academy Training combines expert-led education, real-world field application, practical exclusion techniques, regulatory updates, product knowledge, and hands-on training into one intensive program.

Attendees will move from the history and biology of rodents through modern control strategies, structural exclusion, regulatory challenges, equipment selection, and ultimately into a supervised real-world rodent management and exclusion field lab.

Featured instructors include Raoul Persaud, Chris Morales, Chris Somers, Joe Hyman, Dr. Niamh Quinn, Billy Olesen, and additional industry professionals.

Continuing Education Credits

15 WSDA CEUs Approved!

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has approved 15 continuing education credits for Rodent Academy Training.

WSDA Course Numbers: 2026-424-A and 2026-424-B
Oregon Department of Agriculture: CEU approval pending

Hotel Deadline Approaching — Friday, August 28!

Reserve your room at the AC Hotel Vancouver Waterfront before the discounted WSPMA room block closes. Standard Rodent Academy registration is also available through September 10.

15 WSDA CEUs Approved   |   ODA Credits Pending

Register for Rodent Academy

Registration Pricing

Registration includes classroom education, hands-on training, the real-world field lab, program materials, Sunday's Welcome Reception & Vendor Showcase, Monday breakfast and lunch, and participation in Rodent Academy activities.

Standard registration is available through September 10. Rates increase beginning September 11.

WSPMA Member

Standard – $395
Through September 10

Late Registration – $450
September 11 through the event

Non-Member

Standard – $545
Through September 10

Late Registration – $595
September 11 through the event

Register for Rodent Academy

More Than a Classroom Training

Rodent Academy is designed to connect the science of rodent management with the challenges pest management professionals encounter every day.

  • Rodent history, biology, and behavior
  • Rodenticide science, application, and stewardship
  • Inspection strategies and structural vulnerabilities
  • Professional exclusion materials and installation techniques
  • Rodent management under changing regulatory restrictions
  • Washington and Oregon rodenticide, trapping, and glue-board legislation
  • Communication between PMPs and property management
  • Professional rodent management equipment and material selection
  • Four-hour supervised real-world rodent management and exclusion field lab

Rodent Academy Schedule

15 WSDA CEUs approved. Classroom education, hands-on skill development, and supervised real-world field application.

Sunday, September 27 — Welcome & Vendor Showcase

2:00 – 4:00 PM — Vendor Setup

4:00 – 6:00 PM — Welcome Reception & Vendor Showcase

Meet fellow attendees and connect with industry partners while exploring rodent management products, exclusion materials, tools, monitoring equipment, and other solutions.

Monday, September 28 — Technical Education & Exclusion

7:00 AM — Breakfast Bagel Bar, Coffee & Vendor Engagement

7:30 AM — Welcome, Introductions & Rodent Academy Overview

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Rodents Through the Ages: History, Biology & the Evolution of Rodent Control

Raoul Persaud | PelGar

Explore the relationship between people and commensal rodents, key aspects of rodent biology and behavior, and how our understanding of rodents has shaped the evolution of professional rodent control.

9:00 – 9:10 AM — Industry Partner Spotlight

9:10 – 10:10 AM

Rodenticide Science & Applied Rodent Management

Chris Morales | R&D Manager, LiphaTech

Rodenticide selection and application considerations, rodent behavior affecting control outcomes, monitoring treatment effectiveness, and incorporating rodenticides into an integrated rodent management program.

10:10 – 10:20 AM — Industry Partner Spotlight

10:20 – 11:20 AM

Practical Rodent Exclusion: From Inspection to Repair

Chris Somers | Rambo Total Pest Control

Identify rodent entry points and structural vulnerabilities, develop an exclusion plan, and translate inspection findings into effective, durable repairs.

11:20 – 11:30 AM — Industry Partner Spotlight

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Structural Exclusion: Materials, Methods & Building Vulnerabilities

Joe Hyman | HY-C

Common structural entry points, exclusion material selection, installation considerations, durability, and matching exclusion methods to real-world construction conditions.

12:30 – 1:30 PM

Rodent Management Under Regulation: Federal & State Legislative Update

Billy Olesen | State Policy Affairs Representative for Washington & Oregon

Federal and local rodenticide restrictions plus glue board and trapping legislation, including introduced Washington and Oregon bills, their current status, and potential impacts on professional rodent management.

1:30 – 2:30 PM

Rodent Management in a Changing Regulatory Environment

Dr. Niamh Quinn | Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension

Examine the practical impacts of restricted rodenticide availability and how programs adapt through inspection, monitoring, exclusion, sanitation, trapping, and other IPM strategies.

2:40 – 3:40 PM

Hands-On Rodent Exclusion Workshop

Chris Somers | Rambo Total Pest Control

Supervised practice using common exclusion tools and materials to address representative rodent entry points, with emphasis on material selection, installation technique, durability, and field application.

Tuesday, September 29 — Partnership & Field Application

7:30 – 8:30 AM

Building Better Pest Management Partnerships: Communication Between PMPs & Property Management

Carrie Lewis & Steve Wittig | WSPMA President / Owner, PestLocal

Communication of inspection findings, documentation, access, responsibilities, treatment expectations, resident considerations, corrective conditions, and follow-up for successful rodent management in managed properties.

8:40 – 9:40 AM

Rodent Management Equipment, Tools & Material Selection

RAT Instructor Team

Selection and use of professional rodent management tools, traps, monitoring devices, equipment, and exclusion materials based on site conditions, rodent activity, structural characteristics, and management objectives.

Featured Field Experience

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Real-World Rodent Management & Exclusion Field Lab

RAT Instructor Team

This four-hour team field lab brings the entire Rodent Academy program together. Participants will work through a real-world rodent management scenario with instructor guidance.

  • Conduct a systematic rodent inspection
  • Document rodent activity, entry points, and conducive conditions
  • Develop a site-specific rodent management plan
  • Select trapping, monitoring, and exclusion strategies
  • Choose appropriate exclusion materials
  • Complete approved exclusion work with instructor guidance

2:00 PM — Rodent Academy Training Concludes

Sponsorship & Vendor Opportunities Still Available!

Put your company directly in front of pest management professionals looking for rodent management products, exclusion materials, tools, monitoring technology, and solutions.

Participating vendors have opportunities to connect with attendees during the Sunday Welcome Reception & Vendor Showcase, breakfast, breaks, Industry Partner Spotlights, and throughout Rodent Academy.

Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are still available. Contact WSPMA to reserve your space.

Hotel Deadline — August 28

Stay at the Rodent Academy Host Hotel

Rodent Academy will be held at the AC Hotel Vancouver Waterfront. Stay on-site for convenient access to all training activities, Vancouver's waterfront, restaurants, and nearby attractions.

Group Rate: $219 per night
Room Block Dates: September 27–30, 2026

Book by Friday, August 28, 2026
The discounted room block ends soon. Rooms and the group rate are subject to availability.
Book Your Hotel Room

Take Your Rodent Management Skills to the Next Level

September 27–29 | Vancouver, Washington

15 WSDA CEUs Approved | ODA Credits Pending

Register for Rodent Academy

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