Make sure you’re working with a Board-licensed pest professional
By preventing disease and protecting property through their environmentally responsible services, California’s more than 28,000 licensed structural pest control professionals support healthy families, homes, and businesses.
Structural pest control specifically deals with household pests and wood-destroying pests or organisms. Small as they are, common structural pests like termites, cockroaches, and rodents can destroy buildings, ruin products, and spread illnesses.
And it’s not all about homes: Structural pest control includes other types of buildings as well as:
- Railroad cars
- Ships
- Docks
- Trucks
- Airplanes
- Recreational vehicles
Beyond the structure itself, licensed pest professionals also can help protect a structure’s contents like warehoused commodities, train freight, or boat cargo.
Within the practice, there are three branches of structural pest control:
- Branch 1 performs structural fumigations.
- Branch 2 addresses general structural pests like ants, bed bugs, rodents, and spiders.
- Branch 3 deals with wood-destroying pests like termites and powder post beetles and performs localized treatments.
To carry out pest-control needs in these three practice branches, the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) licenses three types of pest professionals:
Applicators—An applicator is licensed to apply pesticides, rodenticides, or related chemicals or substances to eliminate, exterminate, control, or prevent infestation or infections of pests or organisms included in Branch 2 or Branch 3 on behalf of a registered pest control company.- Field representatives—A field representative is licensed to secure structural pest control work, identify infestations or infections, make inspections, apply pesticides, and submit bids for or otherwise contract on behalf of a registered company. A field representative can be licensed in Branch 1, Branch 2, and/or Branch 3 and can only perform work while working for a registered structural pest control company.
- Operators—An operator may be an employee or can own and operate their own registered company or act as a qualifying manager for a registered company where they are responsible for supervising the daily business of the company and the company’s employees. An operator can be licensed in Branch 1, Branch 2, and/or Branch 3.
If you see pests in or around your home or business and need the services of pest control professionals, make sure they are licensed. They’re trained to effectively tackle your structural pest problems—wherever they may occur—while meeting regulations and standards to support the safety of your family, your home, and your business. Visit SPCB’s website for more information and consumer resources. To check a pest professional’s license, visit https://search.dca.ca.gov.
