Ontario Pesticide Structural Exam study guide
Ontario Pesticide Structural Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Ontario structural pesticide applicator credential authorizes the application of pesticides in and around buildings - apartments, restaurants, warehouses, schools, hospitals, food plants and similar structures - for pests such as cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, rodents, stored-product insects and occasional invaders. Candidates are typically technicians entering the pest control industry, experienced applicators adding a class to an existing licence, or supervisors who need to understand what their staff do and why. The Ontario Pesticide Structural Exam study guide has 8 sections and about 2,624 words.
01Pesticide Legislation, Licensing and Regulatory Compliance
Two levels of government matter. Health Canada's PMRA registers pesticide products and approves the label federally, and assigns a PCP registration number.
367 words, about 2 min02Pesticide Labels, Safety Data Sheets and Product Information
The approved label is the legal document for a product. It carries the PCP registration number, the guarantee (active ingredient, concentration and formulation type), the provincial class designation, the target pests and use sites, mixing and application rates, application methods, restrictions, re-entry intervals, personal protective equipment, storage and disposal directions, first aid and toxicological statements, and hazard symbols with signal words (POISON, DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION).
338 words, about 2 min03Integrated Pest Management Principles and Decision-Making
Integrated pest management in structural work runs in a cycle: inspect and monitor → identify → compare against a threshold → prevent → control → evaluate . Inspection comes first because treatment depends on species, harbourage and travel routes.
314 words, about 2 min04Identification, Biology and Behaviour of Structural Pests
You identify structural pests by body shape, antennae, waist, wings, legs, size, mouthparts, droppings, damage and signs. Learn the discriminators for the groups Ontario exams love.
330 words, about 2 min05Control Methods and Treatment Strategies for Structural Pests
Formulations: liquid concentrates (EC, SC, WP, CS) for residual surfaces; dusts for dry voids and cracks; gels and bait stations for cockroaches, ants and rodents; aerosols and ULV for space treatment; fumigants for whole-structure work, which require a separate licence category. Application techniques: crack and crevice (the workhorse for cockroaches, ants and bed bugs), void treatment, spot treatment, baseboard or broadcast banding, space spray, and fogging.
319 words, about 2 min06Toxicology, Human Health Protection and Personal Safety
Toxicity is a product's capacity to injure; hazard is toxicity multiplied by exposure. Routes of exposure are dermal (the main route for applicators), inhalation, oral and ocular.
308 words, about 2 min07Application Equipment, Calibration and Application Techniques
Typical structural equipment: compressed-air sprayers (1–3 gallon), backpack sprayers, hand and bulb dusters, bait guns, foam generators, ULV and fogging machines, termite rodding tools and granular spreaders. Each has a working pressure, a nozzle or tip, and a delivery rate that must be measured rather than assumed.
322 words, about 2 min08Environmental Protection, Spills and Emergency Response
Pesticides leave the target through drift (wind, small droplets, high pressure), volatilization , runoff , leaching to groundwater, and bioaccumulation in organisms. Structural risks concentrate around floor drains, sumps, sewer connections, wells, watercourses, and around children, pets, food, feed and beneficial insects including pollinators.
326 words, about 2 min