Ontario Pesticide Structural Exam key terms

Ontario's provincial law that governs the sale, use, storage, transportation and disposal of pesticides, and that establishes licensing, classification, permitting and enforcement requirements for pesticide businesses and applicators.

The detailed regulation under Ontario's Pesticides Act that sets out rules for pesticide classes, licensing of businesses and applicators, IPM accreditation, record keeping, storage, signage and permitted uses in the province.

A licence issued by Ontario's environment ministry that allows a business to sell or apply pesticides commercially; the business must meet insurance, record-keeping and staffing requirements and employ properly licensed applicators.

An individual who has passed the provincial certification exam and holds a valid Ontario licence to apply pesticides in the structural category, working within a licensed business and following the label and regulations.

Ontario sorts pesticide products into numbered classes based on hazard and intended use; the class determines who may buy, sell or use a product and what permits, accreditation or training are needed.

A credential some Ontario pesticide-using businesses must hold, demonstrating that the business follows a written, independently reviewed integrated pest management program with monitoring and non-chemical controls rather than routine spraying.

Canada's federal law that registers pest control products, approves labels and sets national safety standards; a product must be registered under it before it may be sold or used in Ontario.

The federally approved document attached to a product container that legally defines the registered uses, sites, rates, precautions, first aid and disposal directions; using a product contrary to the label is an offence.

The unique number assigned when a pest control product is registered in Canada and printed on the label; it confirms the product is legal for sale and use and is used to identify it in records.

A word such as CAUTION, WARNING, DANGER or POISON printed prominently on a label to show the product's relative acute hazard and alert the user to the level of precaution required.

A standardized document from the manufacturer, organized into 16 sections, summarizing a product's ingredients, hazards, first aid, handling, storage, spill response and disposal; it supports but does not replace the label.

The period after an application during which people should not enter the treated area without the protective equipment specified, so that exposure to pesticide residues is avoided.

The physical form in which a pesticide is sold, such as emulsifiable concentrate, wettable powder, dust, gel bait, aerosol or ready-to-use liquid; it determines how the product is mixed, applied and how hazardous it is.

The chemical or organism in a pesticide product that actually controls the target pest; its identity and concentration are stated on the label, and the remaining ingredients are carriers or inert materials.

A decision-making approach that combines inspection, identification, monitoring, sanitation and exclusion, and uses pesticides only when thresholds are exceeded and in the least hazardous effective way.

The pest population level or amount of damage at which control action must be taken to prevent unacceptable harm; below that level, monitoring continues without pesticide use.

Regularly inspecting and recording pest presence, numbers and locations using visual checks, traps or sticky monitors, so treatment decisions rest on evidence instead of a fixed calendar schedule.

A place where pests find shelter, food or moisture, such as cracks, wall voids, warm motors, drains or cluttered storage areas; removing harbourage is a key non-chemical control step.

A growth stage of an immature insect between molts; recognising instars helps an applicator judge how old an infestation is and whether baits or growth regulators will be effective.

A small pale-brown cockroach with two dark stripes on the shield behind its head; it lives indoors, reproduces quickly and prefers warm, moist hiding places close to food and water.

A rat or mouse species that lives in and around human buildings, chiefly the house mouse, Norway rat and roof rat, depending on people for food and shelter and damaging property and food supplies.

Placing a pesticide mixed with an attractive food so pests eat it and, for social insects and rodents, carry it back to the harbourage; it reduces overall pesticide use and exposure.

Applying small amounts of pesticide directly into cracks, gaps and concealed voids where pests hide, using low-pressure pinpoint equipment so that exposure to occupants and surfaces is minimized.

Physically preventing pests from entering a structure by sealing gaps around pipes, repairing screens, fitting door sweeps and covering vents; a permanent non-chemical control method that is central to IPM.

Removing the food, water and shelter that pests need by cleaning, storing food in sealed containers, fixing leaks and clearing clutter, thereby reducing a building's ability to support pests.

Alternating active ingredients or modes of action and combining them with non-chemical controls so that pest populations do not become insensitive to the products being used.

A pesticide that interferes with insect development, such as molting or metamorphosis, rather than killing quickly; it targets immature stages and is often combined with other tactics in an IPM program.

The dose of a substance, usually expressed in milligrams per kilogram of body weight, that kills half of a test population; a lower value indicates greater acute toxicity.

An enzyme that controls nerve signal transmission; organophosphate and carbamate insecticides inhibit it, producing nerve symptoms, and exposure can be checked with blood tests.

The gloves, coveralls, footwear, eyewear and respirator specified on the label to protect the applicator from skin contact, inhalation and eye exposure during mixing, application and cleanup.

A check confirming that a respirator seals properly to the wearer's face, verifying the correct model and size; it is repeated periodically, with a quick user seal check before each use.

Effects such as headache, nausea, sweating, blurred vision, dizziness, muscle twitching or breathing difficulty that can follow exposure; they resemble flu and must be reported and treated promptly.

Measuring and adjusting application equipment so it delivers the intended amount of product over a known area, verified by checking output, pressure and travel speed before each job.

The amount of pesticide product or active ingredient applied per unit area, volume or treated site, as set by the label and achieved through correct mixing and calibration.

Nozzle tips set the droplet size, spray pattern and flow rate; worn or mismatched tips change output and coverage, so tips are matched to the job and replaced when worn.

Movement of pesticide droplets, dust or vapour away from the target area by wind or air currents, which can expose people, pets, plants and water; it is limited by pressure, droplet size and weather checks.

A stocked set of absorbent material, containers, gloves, bags and a broom kept on hand so a pesticide spill can be contained, cleaned up and disposed of immediately and safely.

Rinsing an emptied pesticide container three times and adding the rinse water to the spray tank, so the container is clean enough for proper recycling or disposal and residue is minimized.