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CORVALLIS - It'll be creepy and crawly Thursday, Oct. 3, when "Oktoberpest" returns to the Portland metro area.

The workshop series, sponsored by the Oregon State University Extension Service, is designed to help growers in Oregon's largest agricultural industry - greenhouse and nursery crops - control pests that cause economic and environmental damage.

"This is the second year we've offered Oktoberpest. It seems to be getting more popular," said Robin Rosetta, an Extension horticulture faculty member at OSU's North Willamette Research and Extension Center at Aurora, the site of workshops each Thursday in October.

"The goal is for even the most experienced pest management professional to learn something new," said Rosetta. "Whenever possible, we try to include a hands-on component." For example, she said, in one session attendees will set mole and gopher traps, with help from an expert.

The schedule:

• Oct. 3 - "Aphid Capital Punishment." Rosetta will focus on how to identify aphids in nursery crops, and discuss their lifecycles, the damage they can do, and how to monitor and manage the tiny creatures. 9 a.m. to noon.

   

• Oct. 10 - "Beating Botrytis." OSU plant pathologist Jay Pscheidt will help growers learn how to identify and control the plant disease, which damages nursery and greenhouse plants. 9 a.m. to noon.

   

• Oct. 17 - "Calibration Celebration." OSU Extension horticulture faculty member James Altland will teach growers how to calibrate pesticide application equipment more effectively. The workshop will include a simultaneous Spanish translation. 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a break for lunch.

   

• Oct. 24 - "Tunnel Vision: Field Rodent Management (Gophers, Moles and Voles)." Jay Paxson of United Agri Products, Inc., will discuss management techniques and offer field demonstrations and hands-on learning opportunities. 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a break for lunch.

   

• Oct. 31 - "Eyes on the Prize: Sampling versus Scouting for Plant Pests." Robin Rosetta and Jim Todd of Willamette Agricultural Consulting, Inc., will discuss and demonstrate techniques for monitoring plant pests. 9 a.m. to noon.

The charge for the workshops is $25 each (lunch not included). For more information, contact Jan Egli at 503-678-1264 or e-mail at jan.egli@orst.edu. You can register online at http://www.orst.edu/dept/NWREC.

The North Willamette Research and Extension Center is at 15210 N.E. Miley Road in Aurora.