MEMBERSHIP CONTEST

The contest ended on May 31, 2011 and the winner is: Tamara Tibbett-Arendt of American Pest Control Company. Tamara brought in seven new members. CONGRATULATIONS!

Tamara will be awarded her prize money of $1,000 at the annual convention in Anaheim. There will also be a drawing for another $1,000 prize in which there are six persons eligible to win the prize money. Thank you to everyone for their participation.

2011 PCOC FUMIGATION BANNER BONANZA CONTEST

This contest also ended on May 31, 2011. All the entries are being judged and the prizes will also be awarded at the annual Convention in Anaheim. Thank you in advance to all of you who participated in the contest and CONGRATULATIONS as well.

RODENTICIDE UPDATE

In 2008 the EPA announced measures to reduce risks associated with 10 rodenticides. On June 4, 2011, the new measures took effect. The new measures are intended to protect children from accidental exposure to rodent control products and reduce the risk of accidental poisonings of pets and non-target wildlife.

The use of rodenticides/bait stations is prohibited more than 50 feet from any structure.
Some labels will limit the use of rodenticides to only commensal rodents (Norway and roof rats and house mice).
The packing size has changed (check with your suppliers).
The over-the-counter sales to the public have been restricted.

These new rules took effect on June 4, 2011, and manufacturers will no longer be allowed to ship non-compliant products. However, distributors will be allowed to sell the existing stock of any pre-mitigation products until their inventories are depleted. Pest control operators will be allowed to work through and use until gone any pre-mitigation products beyond the June 2011 date without restrictions.

THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO READ YOUR LABELS.

Africanized Honeybee Certification Renewal

Attention: All PCOs Certified to Control Africanized Honeybees

The board of directors of the Pest Control Operators of California has approved a program for the renewal of the Africanized Honeybee Certification program/course.

Effective immediately all persons who have previously completed the AHB course must comply with the following conditions:

(1) All certified licensees must perform a check in with PCOC to update their status, ie: employer, mailing address and license status with either or both the SPCB and DPR. This check-in process will be done through the PCOC website online and will begin May 1, 2010, and must be completed by June 30, 2011. Anyone who does not complete the check-in process will be dropped from the AHB database maintained by PCOC. Staff will have the flexibility to accommodate licensees who fail to check in during this time period because of extenuating circumstances, such as active duty overseas or other similar situations.

(2) After the initial check in, certified licensees will be sent an email annually to the email address they have established in the system (the licensee will be able to go online at any time and update their profile and contact information, including their email address) reminding them to check in to confirm their contact information and status as an active (or inactive) certified licensee.

(3) Thereafter every six years certified licensees would be required to retake the full certification course.

(4) Thereafter every three years (in between the six-year renewal) every certified licensee will be required to take a one-hour online class on the PCOC website. The AHB subcommittee will create and post a one-hour class annually, which will be available to all AHB-certified licensees to take each year. Some classes will focus on updates on a particular nuance of AHB management; other classes may focus on updates on the AHB movement, stinging incidents, new technologies and other timely issues.

(5) AHB licensees who last took the full AHB Certification course prior to 2009 will have to take the full AHB Certification class by the end of 2014. This allows a full four years to accommodate these licensees to get into the system of retaking the full AHB Certification course every six years.

(6) AHB-certified licensees who last took the full AHB Certification course in 2009 or later will have to take the full AHB Certification class with six years of when they last completed the class.

CURRENT CHALLENGES WHICH NECESSITATE THE NEED FOR RENEWALS

Lack of compliance with standards. Hopefully this is due to length of time since some have taken the course rather than a desire to purposefully violate the standards.
Desire to maintain highest levels of integrity and professionalism within this industry/statutory certification.
No system by which to maintain an up-to-date database of certified licensees. Counties, state agencies and the public have all complained that our database is all but useless because it contains licensees who are no longer in the industry, or who are certified, but longer desire to control honeybees.

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE

All AHB licensees (PCOC members and all non-members) must contact PCOC staff for login and password information. The AHB licensee then must go to the PCOC website; http://www.pcoc.org/. Click on the Find/Hire a Pest Control Company button, then click on the add/update your listing line. Click on the update your listing box.

ALL AHB LICENSEES MUST UPDATE THEIR LISTING TO INCLUDE CURRENT EMPLOYER, ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFORMATION.

The update will be automatically forwarded to the PCOC staff.

It is the responsibility of the AHB licensee to complete the update before June 30, 2011 or you will be dropped from the AHB database.