Frequently Asked Questions

Federally, the primary statute that regulates pesticides is the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). FIFRA gives the EPA authority to regulate the sale, use, and distribution of pesticides. Congress has passed other various statutes that ensure the safety of pesticides with respect to food and animal feed, re-testing of pesticides, and rules governing pesticide registration with the EPA. The use of pesticides in Kansas is regulated by the Kansas Pesticide Law. This law requires individuals to become certified as commercial applicators and businesses to become licensed to apply pesticides to someone else’s property.

To obtain certification as a commercial pesticide applicator in Kansas, we must first pass two 100 question exams testing our knowledge on proper pesticide mixing, application, and safety. To maintain our certification, every year we attend 7 hours of classroom training on pest management and 1 hour of core training in person administered by the state of Kansas. Additionally, our company trains new field service reps for 2-3 months before they are allowed to provide service individually. Throughout the year, we conduct internal pesticide management training in person and online to provide our customers with the best and safest service possible.

Just as a doctor would utilize a certain medication to control a particular illness, we utilize certain pesticides to control a particular pest issue. But to give an example of one of the many pesticides we use, we will describe bifenthrin. It is a manmade compound (pyrethroid) made to mimic chemicals found in chrysanthemum flowers (pyrethrins). It works by interfering with the nervous system of a pest when they eat or touch it. There are over 600 products containing bifenthrin in the US. There is no data to suggest that children have increased sensitivity to bifenthrin. Environmentally, bifenthrin is not likely to reach ground water because it binds highly to soil. If you ever have questions about the pesticides we apply we encourage you to ask!

A primary component of pest management is being a good steward of the environment. We do not want to, nor are we allowed to, kill every insect in the environment. Pest management seeks to limit only those insects, arachnids and rodents that become pests when they threaten our public health or the safety of our property. Every pesticide has its own unique environmental requirements, but common precautions we take include: avoiding aquatic life and reptiles, limiting drift and run-off into surface waters and drainage, and avoiding applications to blooming crops or weeds to limit exposure to bees.