Career Details :: Pest Control Workers
Description
Spray or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill pests and vermin, such as mice, termites, and roaches, that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Tasks
- Sprays or dusts chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, and over marshlands, ditches, or catch-basins.
- Sets mechanical traps and places poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, and ditches.
- Cuts or bores openings in building or surrounding concrete, accesses infested areas, inserts nozzle, and injects pesticide to impregnate ground.
- Directs and/or assists other workers in treatment and extermination processes to eliminate and control rodents, insects, and weeds.
- Studies preliminary reports and diagrams of infested area and determines treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.
- Digs up and burns or sprays weeds with herbicides.
- Cleans work site after completion of job.
- Records work activities performed.
- Drives truck equipped with power spraying equipment.
- Posts warning signs and locks building doors to secure area to be fumigated.
- Positions and fastens edges of tarpaulins over building and tapes vents to ensure air-tight environment and checks for leaks.
- Cleans and removes blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedure and provide drainage, using broom, mop, shovel, and rake.
- Measures area dimensions requiring treatment, using rule, calculates fumigant requirements, and estimates cost for service.
- Inspects premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, and roof porosity, and access to infested locations.
Related Careers
- Electrolytic Plating and Coating Machine Setters and Set-Up Operators, Metal and Plastic
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
- Platemakers
- Spotters, Dry Cleaning
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, Material
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Indoors
- Provide a Service to Others
- Contaminants
- Hazardous Conditions
- Hazardous Situations
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.