73202 Pest controllers and fumigators

What this occupation covers

Pest controllers and fumigators inspect buildings and outside areas for pest infestation and spray chemical treatments to kill noxious and destructive insects, rodents and other pests or set cage traps to capture and remove animals. They are employed by pest control companies, or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 8 main duties for this code.

• Inspect buildings and outside areas at regular intervals or at specific request of property owner to detect signs of infestation
• Determine type of treatment required and provide estimate of costs to clients
• Prepare and spray chemical mixture on infested areas using mechanical or electric sprayer to kill insects, rodents and other pests
• Fumigate households
• Place and set traps to capture and remove animals, such as skunks or raccoons
• Install animal control barriers such as needle strips, netting and other devices to keep animals off property
• Clean out areas that harbour pests using rakes, shovels, brooms or mops
• Advise clients on how to prevent pest infestation.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 8 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 72014 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers

Excluded from this code

• Pest control supervisor (See 72014 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

animal control trapper · exterminator · fumigator · nuisance control trapper · pest control operator · pest control representative · pest control service representative · pest control technician · pest control trapper · pest controller · pest extermination representative · pest exterminator · pest fumigator

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of courses in pest control or extermination or several months of on-the-job training are usually required.
• Provincial pesticide applicator licence is required in all provinces.