When you apply for a pest control job you need to remember that The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) categorizes pest control technicians into three categories. Each category comes with specific responsibilities that pest control technicians can and cannot do. It is important that you refer to the official guidelines.
1. Trainee – This is a person who is at least 16 years old, unlicensed, and performs responsibilities directly under a licensed exterminator. She or he requires direct supervision at all times.
2. Technician – This is a person who is at least 16 years old and completed, a course within the previous 24 months approved by the Director for technicians concerning basic pesticide safety or an equivalent qualification to the ones that the Director for technicians regarding pesticide safety concerns.
To become a technician you apply to Ontario Pesticide Training & Certification, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. You also pay an $85 application fee. You will be given a Core Manual, study this, and take the exam within 12 months. Note that during this time you are still a trainee. When you feel ready take the exam and once you pass with a 75% or higher mark. After this, you will be issued a Technician Identification Card signed by an official of Ridgetown Campus. Finally, you turn in the application “Application for Pesticide Technician”. This will cost you $25 and this must be turned in within 30 days after the date you took the exam on.
For the practical training, you must be on-site for at least once a week. One everything checks out and you demonstrate your competency the licensed exterminator will sign-off your Technician Card work with his or her license number. You scan and email a copy of your signed Technician Identification Card to the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus within 5 working days to officially register as a Technician. Keep the card with you when you are working. Do not mail the original card.
3. Licensed Exterminator – To become a Licensed Exterminator in Ontario is pretty straight forward. You have to complete an application and return it along with a payment of $165.00 to Ontario Pesticide Training and Certification, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. After you turn in your application you will be given study material that covers all the information to all types of exterminators and a License Category Specific Module which has the information in it about the license class you are sitting for and wishing to obtain. Next, after studying for the material, you sit the exam at a time and place that is convenient for you. The exam is multiple choice and consists out of two parts each 50 questions. The Core Manual part of the exam is an hour-long closed-book and the License Category Specific Module is one and a half-hour long. When you complete the exam with 75% or greater on both parts of the exam you will then be given a letter of certification. Once you receive this letter, you must send a letter of the copy to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) when you apply for a Pesticide Examination License.
Apart from the theoretical part, the person must be on-site for at least 1 time a week and must be supervised by a licensed exterminator. This is required and s/he must demonstrate practical skills and must be evaluated
What throws most people off is that there are three types of exterminator licenses which are land licenses, structural licenses, and water licenses. These three categories set out the conditions and the situation pesticides can be used. Within these 3 types, it is further subdivided into an additional 12 license categories. The certification you need depends on the type of activity you will partake in. This will also determine the type of material you will need to know for the License Category Specific Module that you need to know the material for.
