What license does a commercial pest control business need in Wisconsin?
A commercial pest control business needs a business license from DATCP for each business location, valid for one calendar year from January 1. Each employee who applies or directs pesticides needs an individual commercial applicator license from DATCP.
The business license is held by the business, and it is tied to the location. A business with more than one location holds a license for each, and the business should be able to show which license applies to the premises being serviced. The license is valid for one calendar year from January 1, so the date is checked at the start of each year and before a new season begins.
The applicator license is held by the individual. Each employee who applies or directs pesticides for the business holds one, and the business should ask for the license number of the technician who will attend the premises. The license number is not printed on this website, and the check is made on the phone with the technician or the business that employs the technician.
- Business license: for each business location, from DATCP
- Valid for one calendar year from January 1
- Applicator license: for each employee who applies or directs pesticides
- Check the license for the premises being serviced
What should a written plan for a premises contain?
A written plan sets out the areas to be served, the methods used in each area, the products by class, the timing, and the records to be kept. A plan that is written and shared before the work starts is the basis of a commercial service.
The plan begins with a map of the premises, with the areas marked: the loading area, the storeroom, the customer or service area, the waste area and the outside walls. Each area has a method and a schedule, and the reasons are set out so the business understands why a method was chosen.
The plan also sets out what the business is asked to do: keep the loading door closed where possible, store dry goods in sealed containers, and report a sighting in a customer area on the day it is seen. A plan that asks for nothing from the business is less likely to work than one that names the business's share of the job.
- A map of the premises with the areas marked
- A method and a schedule for each area
- The business's own steps named in the plan
- The records to be kept, and by whom
How does a commercial service handle a sighting in a food or customer area?
A sighting in a food or customer area is recorded the day it is seen, reported to the technician, and answered with a response visit that deals with the area before the next service. The response is recorded, and the premises' plan is changed if the sighting shows a gap.
The business records the date, the area, the insect and the time it was seen. The technician is told on the same day, and a response visit is booked for the earliest practical date. The response is limited to the area seen and the points that could allow the insect in.
A sighting that repeats in the same area is a signal that the plan needs changing. The technician reviews the plan and the record, and proposes a change. The change is written into the plan and given to the business, so the premises has one current version.
- Record the date, area, insect and time
- Tell the technician the same day
- Response visit booked for the earliest practical date
- A repeat sighting changes the plan in writing
What records should a business keep?
A business should keep the service record for each visit, the current plan, the license check for the premises and the technician, and the sighting log. These records show what was done and when, and they can be shown to an inspector or an auditor on request.
The service record lists each visit with its date, the areas served, the findings and the method. The plan is kept current, and each change is dated. The license check is recorded with the date it was made and the name of the person who confirmed it.
The sighting log is the business's own record of what staff and customers reported. It sits alongside the service record and shows whether the plan is working. A business that keeps these records in one place is able to answer a question from an inspector without a search.
- Service record for each visit
- Current plan, with each change dated
- License check for the premises and the technician
- Sighting log kept by the business
Who is responsible for what in a commercial service?
The licensed business and its technicians hold the DATCP licenses and carry out the work, and the business that owns or runs the premises manages the steps the plan asks of it. This page does not set out a legal duty beyond the licensing rules, which DATCP administers.
The licensed business is the one that applies the pesticide and holds the license for the location. Its technicians hold the individual applicator license. The premises owner or manager is responsible for the steps in the plan that concern the building, such as keeping doors closed and storing food correctly.
The DATCP licensing rules are the regulator's, and the business should check them directly with DATCP. This page does not state any insurance or contract term, because those depend on the agreement between the premises and the service business, and the business should take those questions to its own adviser.
- Licensed business: holds the location license and carries out the work
- Technician: holds the individual applicator license
- Premises owner or manager: manages the steps the plan asks
- Licensing questions: DATCP administers the rules
