Pest Control FAQ

Yes, you can make pesticide applications to your own individual residential property.

If you own property other than your own residential property, you would be required to obtain "Limited Certification" from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for each applicator if using or mixing pesticide concentrates or restricted use materials. Limited Certification is not required for the application of disinfectants, sanitizers or ready-to-use pesticides sold over the counter at retail (although we still recommend that you obtain certification for your applicators for safety/technical reasons).

We ask that you first try to resolve your problem directly with the pest control company involved. Ask to speak to the certified pest control operator or branch manager directly. In larger companies there are regional or divisional managers and/or corporate officers that you can discuss your situation with.

Our procedures require that a written consumer complaint form[ ] must be filed to initiate an investigation.

Please remember the inspectors spend most of their time in the field investigating complaints. Please use their recorders to leave messages. 

You may also contact us in writing at 3125 Conner Blvd., Ste. N, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650, by phone at (850) 617-7996, or by fax at (850) 617-7981.

Please be advised that FDACS has no authority under the Structural Pest Control Act, Chapter 482, F.S., to arbitrate any claims for personal or property damage or adjudicate settlement. If you wish to pursue these matters you may want to consult an attorney for legal options.

Anonymous written complaints will be investigated on a lower priority based on the merit/context of the information provided.

Yes, a company's complaint history is public information. When requested, we will review the company's file and report any written consumer complaint in the file for the last three years. We will disclose the type of complaint and its resolution.

Please remember that the number of complaints is not necessarily as important as the complaint disposition. Many companies resolve their complaints when the matter is brought to their attention. Also, it would be reasonable to expect that a larger company with more customers may have more complaints than a smaller company.

If shopping for pest control services, please request ONLY the final two or three companies you are thinking of using. We physically must go and review the files and it is easier for us to pull all of the company files that you have an interest in at one time.

If you'd like copies of our records, we require that you provide a written request for duplication of the files. The present fee schedule for duplication of records is 15 cents for single-sided pages and 20 cents for two-sided copies. Additional fees apply when extensive clerical or supervisory time is needed to fulfill your request.

We can calculate the cost of duplication in advance. Please contact us at the Bureau of Inspection and Incident Response, 3125 Conner Blvd., Ste. N, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650, telephone (850) 617-7996.

It's not wise to use an unlicensed pest control operator. Most do not have insurance, and cleaning up a contaminated house resulting from misuse of pesticides can be very expensive and not worth the couple of dollars you saved. An unlicensed pest control operator might use an agricultural pesticide indoors or use the incorrect pesticide entirely. Some consumers have paid in advance for a year of service and then complain to us when the person disappears with their money.

Our regulations require that all service vehicles used for pest control be permanently marked on both sides of the vehicle with the licensee's business name as registered with FDACS. Sales vehicles that carry no pesticides or service equipment are required to be marked but may use a temporary marking such as a magnetic sign. Check to see if the vehicle is marked.

Be suspicious if any person asks you to make your check out to cash or to them personally. Don't participate in "under the table payments" to avoid "taxes" or for any other reason; it is illegal.

Occasionally, an employee might steal from a pest control company and not turn in money collected on their route. Check your statements closely, and it wouldn't hurt to contact the office every now and then to check on your balance.

Moonlighting by pest control identification cardholders (employees) is prohibited by law. We will not hold a company responsible for stolen contracts although most companies will attempt to resolve the issues with you and pursue criminal action against the thief.

The state issues a numbered pest control business license to all active pest control companies annually. You could request the company to supply you with a copy of this document. Business license numbers will begin with a prefix of "JB."

You can check online if a company or person is licensed/certified. You are always welcome to contact our office and verify that the company/person is licensed. We can be reached at (850) 617-7997, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except for holidays).

Regulations allow for the issuance of a Commercial Customer Contact Center License to individuals or corporations who maintain a licensed pest control business office located in the state of Florida. The "call center" may or may not be within Florida. With advancements in electronic communications, the pest control industry desired the ability to staff a central location with highly trained individuals to field questions, respond to customer concerns, and provide superior customer service.

No, lawn maintenance companies cannot make pesticide applications to turf areas of your property. Presently, lawn maintenance companies are restricted to making ONLY fertilizer applications within turf areas. They cannot make "weed-n-feed" applications or use granular fertilizers with pesticides incorporated within them. Lawn maintenance companies can cut, mow, edge, use blowers and physically pull weeds anywhere within your turf or plant bed areas.

Section 482.156, F.S., allows certification of commercial landscape personnel and authorizes certified applicators to apply herbicides, fungicides and insecticides with the signal word of "caution" to plant beds and the ornamental plants. These applicators are limited to portable, handheld 3-gallon compressed-air sprayers or backpack sprayers having no more than a 5-gallon capacity and they may not use any power equipment.

Individuals certified under Section 482.156, F.S., are issued a numbered identification card that is carried on their person. Their number will begin with a "JL." You should ask to see this credential.

This program certifies the individual applicator and not the company. In order for us to verify that your lawn maintenance company is certified to make limited applications to plant bed areas and to ornamental plants, you will need to know the applicator's name.

Certification under this program does not authorize:

• Application of pesticides to turf,
• Operation of a pest control business, or 
• The application of pesticides by unlicensed or uncertified personnel under the supervision of the certified person.

Any person making commercial fertilizer applications to an urban landscape must be certified by FDACS. To obtain a certificate, an applicant must take six hours of Green Industry Best Management Practices training and submit a copy of the training certificate and fee with the application form. A certificate is valid for a four-year period. Certification under this section does not authorize:

• The application of pesticide to turf or ornamentals, including pesticide fertilizer mixtures;
• The operation of a pest control business; or
• The application of pesticides or fertilizers by unlicensed or uncertified personnel under the supervision of the certified person.

Yard workers who apply fertilizer only to individual, residential properties using fertilizer and equipment provided by the residential property owner or resident are exempt from the requirements of this section.

Learn more about Limited Urban Commercial Fertilizer Applicator Certification.

FDACS issues Limited Commercial Wildlife Management Certificates to nuisance control wildlife operators who want to trap "commensal" rodents (rats and mice) "in, on, or under" a structure. This certificate authorizes a person who engages in the commercial trapping of wildlife to use non-chemical methods, including traps, mechanical or electronic devices, and exclusionary techniques to control commensal rodents. Certification under this section does not authorize:

• The use of pesticides or chemical substances, other than adhesive materials, to control rodents or other nuisance wildlife, on, or under structures;
• Operation of a pest control business; or
• Supervision of an uncertified person using non-chemical methods to control rodents.

To obtain a certificate, a person will apply to FDACS and pass a certificate exam. You can request to see this credential — the certificate number will start with "LW."

Chapter 482, F.S., does not prohibit or restrict the location of the pest control business. Many small companies work directly from their house.

The location from which someone can operate a business is usually regulated by a local county or municipal zoning regulation.

To discuss pesticides, you will need to know the trade name or common chemical name of the product that was used (or is planned to be used).

Pest control companies are required to provide a customer, upon request, their business name or name of the limited certificate holder; the applicator's ID card number or limited certificate number; the common or brand name of the pesticide used and the common name of the active ingredient in that pesticide; and the appropriate safety information pertaining to the pesticide product to be used (such as the label and Material Safety Data Sheet).

For further information about pesticides, we recommend that you contact the National Pesticide Telecommunication Network at 1-800-858-7378. This organization is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and operates from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST (9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST). 

To discuss pesticides, you will need to know the trade name or common chemical name of the product that was used (or is planned to be used).

Pest control companies are required to provide a customer, upon request, their business name or name of the limited certificate holder; the applicator's ID card number or limited certificate number; the common or brand name of the pesticide used and the common name of the active ingredient in that pesticide; and the appropriate safety information pertaining to the pesticide product to be used (such as the label and Material Safety Data Sheet).

For further information about pesticides, we recommend that you contact the National Pesticide Telecommunication Network at 1-800-858-7378. This organization is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and operates from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST (9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST). 

Hotel/motel maintenance staff (or other employees of the hotel/motel) can make pesticide applications to all areas of the company's property (including inside individual units) since there is no ownership associated with the renting of the units. An applicator should have the appropriate category of Limited Certification.

Condominiums can have maintenance staff (or other employees of the association) make pesticide applications to the common areas of the property such as a building's hallway, lobby, elevator, utility room, laundry room, etc., and to the exterior grounds. Condominium employees cannot make applications within an individual unit. An applicator should have the appropriate category of Limited Certification.

Homeowner associations can have maintenance staff (or other employees of the association) make pesticide applications to the common areas owned by the associations such as entrance berms and right-of-way areas. Homeowner association employees cannot make applications to each individual property owner's lawn or structure. An applicator should have the appropriate category of Limited Certification.

In all of the above cases, any of the groups above could contract with a licensed pest control company to provide the pest control services on behalf of the entire community.

Also, the individual property or unit owner could make pesticide applications to their own individual residential property.

Property management firms, and/or janitorial or housekeeping firms and their employee(s) would not be allowed to make any pesticide applications to any property (or properties) they manage or service unless they are licensed with this agency as a pest control business.  You can check for licensure on any company or individual by visiting the Public Database Searches website.