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Pest Control Workers Occupation Detailed Description

Pest Control Workers career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Pest Control Workers

The main tasks and work activities of Pest Control Workers are to document work hours or activities, inspect buildings or grounds to determine condition, treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances, clean facilities or sites. In general, for the Pest Control Workers, critical Thinking, active Listening, monitoring, speaking and other 15 skills are required.
Pest Control Workers Job Description
EducationThese occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related ExperienceSome previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Pest Control Workers jobs. 90.24% of Pest Control Workers have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 8.79% of Pest Control Workers have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
90.24%
Post-Secondary Certificate
8.79%
Some College Courses
0.59%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.38%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
0.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Pest Control Workers

  • Record work activities performed.
  • Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.
  • Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
  • Clean work site after completion of job.
  • Direct or assist other workers in treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds.
  • Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.
  • Post warning signs and lock building doors to secure area to be fumigated.
  • Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground.
  • Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.
  • Dig up and burn, or spray weeds with herbicides.
  • Set mechanical traps or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches.
  • Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes.
  • Position and fasten edges of tarpaulins over building and tape vents to ensure air-tight environment and check for leaks.
  • Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.
  • Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRunning, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Document work hours or activities.
  • Inspect buildings or grounds to determine condition.
  • Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
  • Clean facilities or sites.
  • Supervise maintenance workers.
  • Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
  • Treat facilities to eliminate pests.
  • Evaluate reports or designs to determine work needs.
  • Recommend products or services to customers.
  • Estimate maintenance service requirements or costs.

Skills and Abilities for Pest Control Workers

  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Operation and ControlControlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Operation MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Trunk StrengthThe ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
  • Control PrecisionThe ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Manual DexterityThe ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Time SharingThe ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Adjustable wrenchese.g. Adjustable hand wrenches
  • Animal control trapse.g. Bait stations
  • Dusterse.g. Bellows dusters
  • Broomse.g. Brooms
  • Dusterse.g. Bulb dusters
  • Hazardous material protective footweare.g. Chemical-resistant footwear
  • Hazardous material protective apparele.g. Chemical-resistant suits
  • Claw hammere.g. Claw hammers
  • Fog or mist generatorse.g. Cold foggers
  • Photocopierse.g. Copy machines
  • Digital camerase.g. Digital still cameras
  • Power drillse.g. Electric drills
  • Shovelse.g. Flathead shovels
  • Rakese.g. Garden rakes
  • Gas generatorse.g. Gasoline powered generators
  • Pocket calculatore.g. Handheld calculators
  • Hand sprayerse.g. Handheld compressed air sprayers
  • Hand sprayerse.g. Handheld pesticide sprayers
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.