PESTICIDE USE IN VIRGINIA

(From Virginia Core Manual Insert)

 Virginia laws require certification of all commercial pesticide users, all aerial applicators, and all private users of restricted-use products.

 Certification Categories and Procedures:

Types of pesticide applicators recognized in Virginia:

1. PRIVATE APPLICATOR - uses or supervises the use of any restricted-use pesticide in production of agricultural commodity.  Applications must be on property owned or rented by user or his/her employer.  There are 7 categories of private applicators.

 2. COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR FOR HIRE - uses or supervises use of any pesticide for any purpose or on any property in exchange for compensation.

 3. COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR NOT FOR HIRE - uses or supervises the use of any pesticide as part of his/her job duties only on property owned or leased by applicator or his/her employer.  This includes governmental employees in performance of their official duties.

 4. COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR INACTIVE - any commercial applicator that is not currently employed in a pesticide-related job and is thus not covered by required insurance.

 5. REGISTERED TECHNICIAN - renders services similar to certified commercial applicator.  May apply general use pesticides without supervision, and may apply restricted use pesticides under direct supervision of certified commercial applicator.

 Exemptions:

1. Limited lab research.
2. Doctors of medicine, veterinary medicine applying pesticides as drugs or medications in normal course of their practice.
3. Providers of janitorial, cleaning, sanitizing services; swimming pool treatments.
4. Persons selling or applying paints not classified as restricted-use.
5. Persons who use or supervise use of pesticides not classified for Restricted-use for purpose of producing agricultural commodity on private lands.
6. Farm hands, persons employed by agricultural producers who work only for that grower.

 

 Commercial Applicator Categories

 Inactive -

- Annual renewal $35, expire June 30.  Requires one year of re-certification credit.

- Re-certification:

- To qualify for annual renewal, must participate in Continuing Education program

- Earn 2 years of “Recertification Credit” for each fully-approved program, up to 4 years of credit.

- Failure to re-certify - cannot renew

- Failure to renew - requires new testing

For Hire -

- Same as above.

- Adherence to label:

- Read and follow all instructions on label.

- Instructions on proper use, site conditions, application rates,

Transportation, mixing, loading, storage, and disposal

- Supervision of other workers.

- Pesticide Business license.

- Reporting accidents.

 

Not For Hire -

- Same as above for “Adherence to Label”, “Supervision of others”, “Reporting Accidents”, “Certification and Renewal”.

- Record keeping for Restricted-Use pesticides:

- Maintain records for 2 years

- Name, address, telephone of applicator’s employer, location of application.

- Certification number

- Date of application

- Type of plants, crops, and animals treated

- Principal pests controlled

- Acreage

- Identification of pesticide, brand, EPA registration #, amount, type of equipment used.

 

Principles of Pest Control

PESTICIDE: Any substance used to control a pest, or to reduce the unwanted or harmful effects of a pest.

Virginia law includes: “...any insects, rodents, fungi, bacteria, weeds or other forms of plant or animal life...”

 

 PEST: Any living thing that is undesirable, or causes injury or harm to people, property or the environment.

 Virginia Pesticide control Act of 1989

- Established Virginia Pesticide control Board

 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

-Virginia Pesticide Control Act of 1989 & other related regulations are enforced by:

 Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Office of Pesticide Management

 

 Applicator Use Categories

 

1A - Agricultural Plant Pest Control

 1B - Agricultural Animal Pest Control

 1C - Fumigation of Soil and Agricultural Products

 1D - Chemigation

 2 - Forest Pest Control

 3A - Ornamental Pest Control – outdoor & 3B - Ornamental Pest Control – indoor (combined)

 3C - Turf

 4 - Seed Treatment

 5A - Aquatic Pest Control - General

 5B - Marine Anti-foulant Paints (TBT)

 6 - Right-of-way Pest Control

 7A - General Pest Control

 7B - Wood-destroying Pest Control

 7C - Fumigation (Non-agricultural)

 7D - Vertebrate Pest Control

 8 - Public Health Pest Control

 9 - Regulatory Pest Control

 10 - Demonstration and Research Pest Control

 11 - Aerial Pesticide Application

 12 - Wood Preservation and Wood Products Treatment