Information on pesticide use for landlords and building managers
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Organization: Health Canada
Date published: October 2024
ISBN: 978-0-660-73981-6
This document has been prepared by the Health Canada's Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) to provide information to building owners and managers on the responsible use of pesticides. The PCP mandate is to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the Pest Control Products Act.
The Pest Control Products Act
The Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) aims to prevent unacceptable health and environmental risks from the use of pest control products, also known as pesticides. In Canada, pesticides may also be regulated by provinces, territories and municipalities.
Did you know?
Any pest control device or product known as biological, natural or ecological, as well as biopesticides, meets the definition of a pesticide in Canada, and are subject to the PCPA requirements. This includes borax, mosquito traps and insecticidal soaps.
Proper use of pesticides
Prevention remains the best approach to pest management in a building. However, as a building owner or manager, you may have to deal with infestations of pests such as mice, rats, cockroaches, ants, or bedbugs, in a way that requires the use of pesticides.
Whether you use the pesticide yourself or entrust the task to a pest control specialist, the conditions of use are the same:
- The pesticide must be registered by Health Canada. You can recognize a registered pesticide by its registration number on the label, for example:
- Registration number 00000 PCPA
- The label instructions must be followed, including:
- the targeted pest, the location of use, the rate and the method of application
- the precautions to be taken, such as the personal protective equipment to be worn and the re-entry interval for treated areas
- the storage and disposal instructions
- Only professional pest control specialists are allowed to use pesticides identified as commercial class products on the label.
To ensure that a pesticide is registered in Canada, and to find the most recent version of its label, use Health Canada's online label search tool.
Questions to ask yourself before hiring a pest control specialist
- Do you have confidence in their ability to accurately identify the problem, provide the appropriate treatment, deliver necessary information to occupants, and maintain thorough records?
- Will they provide you with an itemized invoice that includes the name and registration number of the pesticide used?
Communicating with building occupants
Communication between the pesticide user, whether you or a pest control specialist, and the occupants is essential for efficient building treatment and to limit exposure to pesticides:
- Share the treatment plan with all building occupants in advance, including what they need to do before and after the treatment, e.g., put away all toys and food, ventilate the premises during treatment, wait the required time before returning to the premises. For certain pesticides, the label instructions require that an information document be given to occupants.
- Provide the name and the registration number of the pesticide used to all occupants.
Buying pesticides online
If you're considering buying pesticides online, check first that the pesticide is registered, and that you are authorized to buy and use it in accordance with Canadian regulations.
The health and environmental safety of unregistered pesticides has not been evaluated by Health Canada. They may also not be properly labelled or packaged to ensure safe use.
The Canada Border Services Agency refuses entry to foreign pesticides that do not meet the requirements of the PCPA.
Anyone importing pesticide that does not meet the requirements of the PCPA is in violation of the PCPA and subject to enforcement action.
Ask a question or report a suspected non-compliance related to pesticide use
If you come across suspected non-compliance or if you have a question about pesticide compliance, please contact the Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP). Consult the Pesticides compliance and enforcement - Contact us webpage.
Report a pesticide incident
A pesticide incident is a negative effect (adverse reaction) to humans (ex. skin rash, headache or nausea), animals (pets or livestock) or the environment (plants or wildlife) that can result from being exposed to a pesticide. Consult Health Canada's Report a pesticide incident webpage.
For more information
Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). The PCPA is the official Health Canada document. In the event of any discrepancy with the contents of this fact sheet, the contents of the PCPA shall prevail.
Fact sheet: Commercial import of pesticides into Canada
Health Canada's Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) is responsible for enforcing the Pest Control Products Act.
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