By Jorge Atempa, Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) · Updated Oct 22, 2026

When to Call a Licensed Pest Pro

If your team doesn't have the time, the training, or the license for a job, call early. Small problems are cheaper to fix.

Call a licensed pest professional when:

• Any pesticide is needed, indoors or outdoors.
• Bed bugs are suspected or confirmed. UC IPM says confirmed infestations should be managed by trained professionals.
• You see termite signs: mud tubes, pellets, swarmers, or damaged wood.
• Fumigation may be needed. It is a licensed-only job (Business and Professions Code §8551).
• A yellowjacket nest is near people, or anyone on site is allergic to stings.
• Cockroaches keep coming back in one or more units after sanitation and exclusion work; serious infestations need a professional (UC IPM, Cockroaches).
• Rodents are in attics, walls, or roofs, or roof rats are traveling on utility lines (UC IPM, Rats).
• Suggested: the same pest shows up in your complaint log for the same building month after month.

Can property management staff apply pesticides in California?

California's rules for unlicensed property staff are not clear-cut: the licensing law exempts people treating property they own, lease, or rent (B&P Code §8555(c)) but doesn't name management employees, and DPR treats outdoor landscape pest control by a management company as work for hire requiring a license. The safe route is for staff to do prevention, exclusion, sanitation, traps, and monitoring, and for a licensed operator to handle every pesticide application.

What notice must tenants get before pest treatment?

A registered pest control company must give the owner or agent and the tenant written notice before treatment listing the pest, the pesticide and active ingredient, and required health and contact information (B&P Code §8538). If anyone other than a licensed operator applies a pesticide in a unit, Civil Code §1940.8.5 requires written notice at least 24 hours in advance.

Can I use rat poison at my rental property in California?

Generally no: California has banned most anticoagulant rodenticides for residential use, and residents and unlicensed professionals generally can't use products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chlorophacinone, difethialone, diphacinone, strychnine, or warfarin (UC IPM; CDPR). Exclusion and snap traps are the staff-safe tools.

Questions to ask before you hire

• Are you registered with the Structural Pest Control Board, and is the technician licensed? (You can confirm license status at www.pestboard.ca.gov.)
• Do you inspect for pest evidence before treating, rather than spraying on a schedule? (UC IPM, Pest Monitoring and Recordkeeping)
• Will you report maintenance issues and clutter ratings to us after each visit?
• What product and active ingredient will you use, and will you provide the required written notice and safety data sheets?

Sources: Structural Pest Control Board, Questions & Answers About Household Pest Control; California Business and Professions Code §§8538, 8551, 8555; Civil Code §1940.8.5; California Apartment Association; UC IPM (Cockroaches, Rats, Bed Bugs, Rodenticides: Further Restrictions in 2025); CDPR, Diphacinone Q&A.