source: Farm and Food Report
If you are looking to hire a pesticide applicator this spring, it doesn’t matter if you manage a small urban yard or farm a couple of sections: you would be well advised to make sure the individual doing the job is licensed.
There are many advantages to this, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Pesticide Management Specialist Cameron Wilk.
“Make sure the contractor produces a copy of his or her license upon request,” says Wilk. “Licensed applicators are trained professionals with a good background on integrated pest management strategies, which allows them to minimize the amount of product they have to put in the field. They use products at their lowest possible rate.”
Wilk adds that “if an agricultural producer is looking at a large scale pesticide application, or if the purpose of the pesticide application is to clear an industrial right-of-way on behalf of a company, the applicator should also have drift insurance. It is important because the likelihood of something going wrong during the application is very real.”
Working with a licensed applicator is the best way to ensure the type of pest management product used is registered with Health Canada. It also ensures that the pest control product is applied as directed on the product’s label. Every year, both homeowners and farmers experience financial losses due to “off-label” applications of pest control products, or use of a pest control product in a manner not intended. A common example is use of a herbicide registered for cereals on forages or special crops.
“In the city, homeowners are regularly approached with naturally-occurring products that may or may not be registered,” says Wilk. “You should ask to see a copy of the product’s label before it is applied on your property. An applicator may tell you the product they use is natural. Keep in mind that 95 per cent of products are. You should be aware that natural products can also be among the most harmful. For instance, strychnine, which can be deadly, is derived from the seed of a tree grown in India.”
Pest control may be very expensive. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada is responsible for registering pesticides for use in Canada. Before a product is registered for use, it must undergo a comprehensive and rigorous scientific assessment to ensure the product does not pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. The assessment also ensures that the product has value and will provide a level of control.
According to Wilk, using trained applicators is an internationally recognized way of reducing risks of contamination, creating safer workplaces, and keeping the environment safe for the public.
The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) trains between 700 and 1,000 pesticide applicators a year. David Warnock is SIAST’s Instructor of Agricultural Programs.
“This is an industry with a high turnover rate due to the seasonal nature of the work, and a number of the people we train are working on recertifications. They include municipal employees, golf course staff and applicators who work in agriculture. Pest control is usually done from April to October, except for structural pest control activities for insects and rats that can take place during winter.”
There are 13 different licenses available in Saskatchewan, for which there are classes that run from two and a half days to a week.
“We are primarily concerned with safety and personal protection. We discuss the risks associated with pesticides for the applicators themselves and the environment around them — especially when it comes to drift and water contamination. Students devote time to label interpretation, which is really the most important document for people using the product.”
Participants in classes are taught what to do in emergency situations, such as an accident where someone is exposed to toxicity. They learn about storage and transportation precautions; they study legislative provisions such as the Pest Control Products Act of Saskatchewan (PCP Sask.), which creates the 13 categories of licensing; and the Pest Control Products Act of Canada, which legislates product registration with Health Canada.
“The legislation allows some exceptions in mandatory licensing,” Warnock points out, “in the case of agricultural producers and homeowners applying pesticides on land they own or farm, but they still have to follow the directions prescribed on the label.”
Licensed applicators not only know this inside out, but they also understand application technology and equipment. They are familiar with the modes of action of different pesticides, as well as with pest biology, so they know the environmental relationships at stake — such as those between pests and their predators.
“There is a fine balance in nature that can be upset easily,” says Warnock. “If someone is carrying out a rat control management strategy, he or she should be aware of the potential for secondary poisoning. In situations like that, it is important that the pesticide applicator puts adequate procedures in place to prevent other animals, like pets, from consuming dead carcasses.” Applicators must also ensure that drift from insecticide applications does not impact on bee operations, biological weed control agents and organic farms.
Nothing works better to prevent grief for friends and family than a few extra precautions as spring rolls in and brings with it a new pest management cycle.
For more information, contact:
Cameron Wilk
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-2195
David Warnock
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
(306) 798-6310
If you are looking to hire a pesticide applicator this spring, it doesn’t matter if you manage a small urban yard or farm a couple of sections: you would be well advised to make sure the individual doing the job is licensed.
There are many advantages to this, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Pesticide Management Specialist Cameron Wilk.
“Make sure the contractor produces a copy of his or her license upon request,” says Wilk. “Licensed applicators are trained professionals with a good background on integrated pest management strategies, which allows them to minimize the amount of product they have to put in the field. They use products at their lowest possible rate.”
Wilk adds that “if an agricultural producer is looking at a large scale pesticide application, or if the purpose of the pesticide application is to clear an industrial right-of-way on behalf of a company, the applicator should also have drift insurance. It is important because the likelihood of something going wrong during the application is very real.”
Working with a licensed applicator is the best way to ensure the type of pest management product used is registered with Health Canada. It also ensures that the pest control product is applied as directed on the product’s label. Every year, both homeowners and farmers experience financial losses due to “off-label” applications of pest control products, or use of a pest control product in a manner not intended. A common example is use of a herbicide registered for cereals on forages or special crops.
“In the city, homeowners are regularly approached with naturally-occurring products that may or may not be registered,” says Wilk. “You should ask to see a copy of the product’s label before it is applied on your property. An applicator may tell you the product they use is natural. Keep in mind that 95 per cent of products are. You should be aware that natural products can also be among the most harmful. For instance, strychnine, which can be deadly, is derived from the seed of a tree grown in India.”
Pest control may be very expensive. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada is responsible for registering pesticides for use in Canada. Before a product is registered for use, it must undergo a comprehensive and rigorous scientific assessment to ensure the product does not pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. The assessment also ensures that the product has value and will provide a level of control.
According to Wilk, using trained applicators is an internationally recognized way of reducing risks of contamination, creating safer workplaces, and keeping the environment safe for the public.
The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) trains between 700 and 1,000 pesticide applicators a year. David Warnock is SIAST’s Instructor of Agricultural Programs.
“This is an industry with a high turnover rate due to the seasonal nature of the work, and a number of the people we train are working on recertifications. They include municipal employees, golf course staff and applicators who work in agriculture. Pest control is usually done from April to October, except for structural pest control activities for insects and rats that can take place during winter.”
There are 13 different licenses available in Saskatchewan, for which there are classes that run from two and a half days to a week.
“We are primarily concerned with safety and personal protection. We discuss the risks associated with pesticides for the applicators themselves and the environment around them — especially when it comes to drift and water contamination. Students devote time to label interpretation, which is really the most important document for people using the product.”
Participants in classes are taught what to do in emergency situations, such as an accident where someone is exposed to toxicity. They learn about storage and transportation precautions; they study legislative provisions such as the Pest Control Products Act of Saskatchewan (PCP Sask.), which creates the 13 categories of licensing; and the Pest Control Products Act of Canada, which legislates product registration with Health Canada.
“The legislation allows some exceptions in mandatory licensing,” Warnock points out, “in the case of agricultural producers and homeowners applying pesticides on land they own or farm, but they still have to follow the directions prescribed on the label.”
Licensed applicators not only know this inside out, but they also understand application technology and equipment. They are familiar with the modes of action of different pesticides, as well as with pest biology, so they know the environmental relationships at stake — such as those between pests and their predators.
“There is a fine balance in nature that can be upset easily,” says Warnock. “If someone is carrying out a rat control management strategy, he or she should be aware of the potential for secondary poisoning. In situations like that, it is important that the pesticide applicator puts adequate procedures in place to prevent other animals, like pets, from consuming dead carcasses.” Applicators must also ensure that drift from insecticide applications does not impact on bee operations, biological weed control agents and organic farms.
Nothing works better to prevent grief for friends and family than a few extra precautions as spring rolls in and brings with it a new pest management cycle.
For more information, contact:
Cameron Wilk
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-2195
David Warnock
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
(306) 798-6310
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