New regulations affecting California pest control companies

Category: Pest Control

Pest control companies in California will have new restrictions placed on them that could hinder the type and amount of spraying they do.

The Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies' Association released a statement concerning the pesticide regulations that will affect pest control companies statewide starting this week.

The new regulations put in place will restrict the use of 17 pesticides by companies that apply these methods to homes, landscaped areas and other structures. Pest issues are prevalent throughout California as well as other states during the summertime, as the season brings with it favorable conditions for bed bugs, termites, ants and mosquitoes. The latter may be the most dangerous, as mosquitoes can spread the West Nile virus; cases have already cropped up in California, Texas and other parts of the Southwest.

“Perimeter spraying of potentially harmful pesticides is a cause of water pollution,” said Geoff Brosseau, executive director of the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association, a regional consortium of stormwater agencies committed to reducing water pollution. “These new regulations will be instrumental in helping to decrease stormwater pollution in the region.”

The new regulations also decrease the amount of pesticides that can be used around structures in perimeter spraying. In addition, the new regulations prohibit pest control companies and maintenance gardeners from using pesticides when it rains because the water can function as a medium, transferring the chemicals found in the pesticides to undesired locales.

“BASMAA applauds the Department of Pesticide Regulation for enacting these new rules, and we encourage people to go a step further and choose one of the several pest control operators in the Bay Area who are certified in less toxic, integrated pest management (IPM) methods,” Brosseau added.

Although the new regulations are something to keep in mind for pest control companies, they should not hinder their business operations during this busy season. Field service professionals employed by pest control agencies in California and elsewhere in the United States are using smartphones and other personal mobile devices to work as efficiently as possible to handle the influx of summertime calls. Apps and other software exist that allows for field service professionals to increase efficiency across the board.