Do I need a licence to do my own pest control?
Can I do my own pest control at my home or office? Some years ago a new law called the Hazardous substances and new organisms act was passed in New Zealand. How does that affect they way you handle pesticides?
Not long ago it was considered safe and legible for anyone to purchase any amount insecticide for domestic or commercial use.
This included chemicals for treating Ants, Flies, Spiders, Bed bugs, mosquito’s and so on. Since HSNO has been introduced, many chemicals organic or otherwise have been restricted and available only to individuals who apply for a licence. What’s the reason?
In the past it was the responsibility of the user to read the label of the insecticide and to make sure they utilized the chemical according to the label. The problem with that was too many chemicals were being used inappropriately and largely in the disposal of pesticides.
Insecticides actually are largely not harmful to humans but deadly to insects, and more deadly for fish and other aquatic life, so when insecticides are not stored properly or disposed of outside of label instructions then harm to non target pest can be far reaching, especially if traces of the product make their way to the sea or rivers before they naturally biodegrade.
Commercial companies who apply insecticides are the most at risk since they carry larger amounts of concentrated chemicals- So almost anyone who carries out pest control commercially or [on a] commercial site must have a licence to prove he/she has been appropriately trained to handle the substances.
Of the shelf chemicals can still be attained for domestic use by the public, however these are in small quantities or less concentrations- minimizing the risk of environmental pollution. Applying these chemicals outside of the specifications on the label is illegal and in most cases they are suitable only for domestic situations.
If you suspect a tradesman or someone is applying chemicals for commercial gain, without an approved handler certificate, then you can inform the Labour dept of New Zealand.