CA Branch 3 key terms

A California Structural Pest Control Board license category authorizing a business or individual to perform structural fumigation of buildings, soil, and stored commodities. Branch 3 is the fumigation branch of structural pest control licensing.

California Business and Professions Code Chapter 14, the statute that sets licensing, practice, and enforcement standards for structural pest control, including fumigation, and establishes the Structural Pest Control Board.

The California board within the Department of Pesticide Regulation that licenses structural pest control businesses and individuals, administers examinations, and enforces the Structural Pest Control Act.

The county official who enforces pesticide and structural pest control law locally, issuing restricted material permits, receiving notices of intent before structural fumigations, and inspecting fumigation jobs.

A written notice filed with the county agricultural commissioner before a structural fumigation begins, identifying the site, fumigant, dosage, applicator, and scheduled time so the county can inspect or oversee the work.

A permit from the county agricultural commissioner required before a California restricted material may be purchased or used; fumigants on the restricted list cannot be applied without one.

A person licensed by the Structural Pest Control Board who may solicit, negotiate, or secure pest control contracts and who may supervise fumigation work performed by a licensed business.

A pesticide that exists as a gas at the temperature and pressure of use and kills pests by inhalation within an enclosed space, penetrating cracks and commodities rather than leaving a surface deposit.

A colorless, nearly odorless and highly toxic fumigant gas used against insects in structures and commodities; because it gives little warning of exposure, it is usually mixed with chloropicrin.

An odorless, colorless inorganic fumigant gas sold under the trade name Vikane and used mainly for whole-structure termite fumigation; it is denser than air and requires monitoring during aeration.

A volatile liquid whose vapor is strongly irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract and is added to fumigants such as methyl bromide as a warning agent so leaks are noticed.

A highly toxic and flammable gas released when aluminum or magnesium phosphide reacts with atmospheric moisture; used mainly for stored commodities and rodent burrows, with careful attention to fire and explosion hazards.

The airborne concentration of a fumigant that kills half of a test animal population during a stated exposure time; a standard index of acute inhalation toxicity used to compare fumigants.

The legally enforceable maximum average airborne concentration of a substance to which a worker may be exposed over a stated period, used to select respiratory protection and to judge monitoring results.

Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health: a concentration so high that it can cause death, irreversible harm, or inability to escape, so that only supplied-air or self-contained breathing apparatus may be used.

A respirator that supplies clean breathing air from a remote compressor or cylinder through a hose to the facepiece, used in fumigant atmospheres where canister respirators cannot safely protect the wearer.

A check that a respirator facepiece seals against a specific wearer's face, performed before initial use, annually, and whenever a different respirator model or size is used.

A trained worker who remains at the fumigation site throughout the exposure period to maintain security, watch for leaks or unauthorized entry, and call for emergency help if needed.

A posted placard bearing the word DANGER, a skull and crossbones, the fumigant name, and entry restrictions, placed at each entrance to a fumigation area to keep people out.

The quantity of fumigant applied per unit of enclosed volume or commodity weight, usually stated as ounces or grams per 1,000 cubic feet, calculated from the label rate and the measured volume.

The mathematical product of fumigant concentration and exposure time, used to express the total exposure received by pests and to judge whether a treatment was adequate.

Absorption and adsorption of fumigant gas by wood, grain, insulation, and other porous materials, which reduces the concentration in the enclosure and must be considered when setting dosage.

Use of fans or blowers inside a tented structure to mix the fumigant uniformly and prevent concentration stratification, so that all pest habitats receive a lethal dose.

Covering a structure, or part of one, with gas-resistant tarpaulins and sealing the edges and seams so fumigant is held at the required concentration for the full exposure period.

Closing cracks, vents, windows, and tarp seams with tape, plastic, foam, or sealant so fumigant loss is minimized and the target concentration can be maintained.

A large sheet of gas-resistant plastic or coated fabric used to enclose a structure during fumigation; it must be strong enough to resist tearing and sealed at seams and ground edges.

The pre-fumigation tasks of removing or protecting people, pets, plants, food, and medicines and bagging or sealing items, as required by the label and the fumigation plan.

Opening the tent, vents, and doors and using fans after the exposure period to release fumigant, continuing until monitoring shows concentrations have fallen to the label's clearance level.

The verified condition in which fumigant concentrations throughout a structure are at or below the label and regulatory level, allowing occupants and workers to re-enter without respiratory protection.

An instrument or detector tube, such as a thermal conductivity analyzer or colorimetric tube, used to measure fumigant concentration for dosage verification, leak detection, and clearance testing.

Entering a fumigated structure after the exposure period; allowed only when monitoring shows concentrations at or below the label re-entry level and any required protective equipment is worn.

A termite species that lives entirely inside dry wood and pushes fecal pellets out through small holes; colonies are often treated by whole-structure fumigation because soil treatment cannot reach them.

Any insect or fungus that damages wood in a structure, such as termites, powderpost beetles, carpenter ants, or decay fungi; inspection findings drive the decision to fumigate.

A monthly report of pesticide applications, including structural fumigations, filed with the county agricultural commissioner and the Department of Pesticide Regulation, listing site, product, amount, and applicator.

The job file kept by the licensee containing the notice of intent, label and dosage calculations, monitoring readings, aeration and clearance times, and the names of the crew.