licensed pesticide applicator

As part of your lawn and/or landscape business, do you apply pesticides? Or do you plan to apply pesticides? These highly regulated chemicals are often a common element of maintaining an attractive lawn and garden, which means you fall under “Commercial Applicator” guidelines. A commercial applicator is anyone applying pesticides on the property of another for a fee, in other words, being paid to treat property you do not own. State laws are often stricter than those of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In most states, the Department of Agriculture, or extension service, is responsible for license testing. Testing usually consists of two exams: a core exam and another exam in a specific category, such as Turf and Ornamental. However, there are a number of other categories, such as: Aquatic; Right-of-way; Public Health; etc. Should a landscaper choose to add additional services, s/he would need to take the applicable category exam. Once the core exam is passed, however, it doesn’t need to be taken again as long as the license is maintained. Most states also require license holders to have a certain amount of general liability insurance.   When preparing for testing, landscapers should have a practical knowledge of: a pesticide label; pest identification and management; pesticide formulations; laws and regulations; pesticide application equipment; basic calculations; and pesticide safety. Study guides for the core exam and the category exam can generally be purchased from your extension service, state Department of Agriculture, or the state agency tasked with regulating pesticide use. ...