Kentucky's About Us Office of the State Entomologist

While most State Entomologists offices are associated with Departments of Agriculture in their state, our office is located at the University of Kentucky. The State Entomologist for Kentucky is also the Chair of the Department of Entomology. The State Entomologist is also the State Plant Regulatory Official (SPRO) for the state of Kentucky.

Our office is responsible for the licensing of businesses and individuals that buy, sell, ship, or distribute nursery stock for commercial or monetary gain in Kentucky. This would include, but is not limited to, nurseries, garden centers, and landscapers. We conduct annual inspections of nurseries and assist nursery owner/managers with their pest problems.

We conduct inspections for phytosanitary certification for the export of plant and plant products for both international and interstate shipments. We also work with a variety of federal, state, and local agencies to conduct surveys for exotic pests and develop management strategies for them.