Some of the most common questions directed to the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division have to do with training – who is required to have training and what kind. The answers depend on what type of work a person wants to do. This breaks down to either pest control of buildings (which falls under the Structural Pest Control Section of the division) or pesticide applications over land (which falls under the Pesticides Section of the division.)
“If a person is spraying against, above, into or under a house or a structure, then that’s structural,” said John Feagans, manager of certification & licensing for the division. “Basically, it comes down to what is your intent? Where do you plan for that spray to land?”
Feagans leads a small team of NCDA&CS employees dedicated to overseeing the state’s licensing and certifications in both sections of the division. An outline of training requirements for each section follows:
Structural Pest Control
In North Carolina, there are three levels of training for structural pest control professionals.
1.) At the most basic level, anyone working in a pest control capacity by applying treatments or offering pest control advice or information must be, at a minimum, a registered technician. To become a registered technician the person must have a baseline training, which comes from a workbook, 24 hours of on-the-job training and an eight-hour class. At that point, that registered technician must still work under the supervision of someone with a structural pest control license.
2.) The second level of pest control training is for someone to become a certified applicator. This is a certification that requires a person to meet all the requirements of a registered technician and also pass a core exam along with an exam in each specialized area the person wants to work in. (Those specialized areas are broken into these three “phases” – household pest control [P phase], wood-destroying organisms [W phase] and fumigation [F phase].)
“For someone to become a certified applicator, that means that person’s passed the core and one [or more] of the phase exams, and they’re now certified in that phase,” said Feagans. “[Like a registered technician] they still have to work under a licensee because of the structural pest control law.”
3.) Every pest control business must have at least one licensee overseeing that company’s registered technicians and certified applicators. To obtain a Structural Pest Control License, a person must qualify as a N.C. certified applicator in the phase(s) in which they want to become licensed, and they must also have two years of experience in in that phase of structural pest control. They also have to pass an examination in the desired phase(s).
Continuing Education and Professional Development
Certified applicators and structural licensees must meet Continuing Certification Unit (CCU) requirements. Professionals can access recertification information and review their credit transcripts online. If discrepancies occur, assistance is available through the Division’s credential support contacts.
For industry-wide training and networking, the annual PCT School conference is hosted by the North Carolina Pest Management Association.
Pesticides
There are several different types of pesticide licenses. A pesticide license is required for commercial applicators applying any type of pesticide for compensation. Also, public employees who apply pesticides for a state or local government, dealers selling restricted use pesticides or pest control consultants making recommendations for pesticide treatment need an appropriate license. This includes many jobs such as aerial pesticide applicators, applicators for public utilities, people who want to apply pesticides as part of landscaping or lawn care, etc.
Farmers would need a “private pesticide applicator certification.”
“A private applicator is someone who only makes applications on property that they own or lease and only for the purpose of raising an ag commodity,” Feagans said.
People can read more about the available pesticide license types and categories on the Pesticides Section’s Pesticide Licensing and Certification page of ncagr.gov. From there, use the link for “Pesticide License & Category Types.”
Obtaining training
For either the Structural Pest Control section or the Pesticides section, the website can also be a helpful resource to figure out what training is required and how to obtain the training. Start at the division’s page – ncagr.gov/divisions/structural-pest-control-and-pesticides – and then navigate to the appropriate section (Structural Pest Control or Pesticides) and the “Pesticide Licensing & Certification” link under each section.
Feagans said if you’re not looking for structural pest control, look to the Pesticides Section where license types, certifications and categories aren’t listed by the specific pests that are targeted but instead are listed by the type of site that you’re going to be making the application on.
Can Homeowners Do Their Own Pest Control?
North Carolina law allows individuals to apply legally acquired pesticides on property they own, provided they strictly follow label directions. However, restricted-use pesticides require proper credentialing.
While some pest issues can be managed independently, others — particularly structural termite treatments or complex infestations — may warrant professional expertise. Educational resources on selecting pest control services are available through NC State Extension.