Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Termite and Wood Destroying Organisms Supervisory Certification


All professional termite and wood destroying organisms specialists must be certified by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. An applicant for a termite control certificate is expected to possess a working knowledge of the operations performed by a commercial pesticide applicator and the reasons for performing them.  Outlined below are areas in which an applicant should be proficient:  

Areas to Study***

The PDF linked below encompasses topics that can be covered in the exam, the topics covered on the list are also what can be treated using this category certification.

Click here to view diagnosis, treatment and operational practice topics to cover when studying***

Sources below that are not linked can be found from a variety of websites online both used or new ( amazon, thrift books, your local library, etc).*

  1. Required and Additional Study Materials for Pesticide Supervisors

  2. Truman's Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations - available through Purdue

  3. Pesticide Applicator Training Manual - Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health, Subcategory - Termites 7C
    Available from: Cornell University Cooperative Extension

  4. Handbook of Pest Control by Arnold Mallis

  5. F.H.A. Regulations- helpful to look into as well

  6. Common Sense Pest Control (Least Toxic Solutions for Your Home, Garden, Pets and Community by William and Helga Olkowski and Sheila Daar.  The Taunton Press, 1991. 

  7. Approved Reference Procedures for Subterranean Termite Control by the Wood Destroying Organisms Committee, National Pest Control Association, Inc.

Permitted Activities

Outlined below are responses to some questions which have arisen concerning what activities are permitted with the indoor (general pest) and outdoor (custom ground) certificates.

  1. Generally, any spraying indoors belongs with the indoor certificate.
  2. Spraying outdoors with an indoor certificate would be permitted in situations such as:
    1. For termite or rat control if the certificate holder holds a termite or rodent license.
    2. For control of indoor pests that enter from the outside, such as clover mites or earwigs, on the outside foundation of the house and on grass in the immediate vicinity of the foundation.
    3. For wasps if the nest is in the immediate vicinity of the house.
  3. Spraying outdoors with an indoor certificate would not be permitted for insects that are only casually a pest indoors. For example:
    1. if a heavy flight of aphids is bothersome to people on a porch, a holder of an indoor certificate would not be allowed to spray the plants in the yard from which the aphids came; or
    2. if wood roaches are coming to lights on a porch, a holder of an indoor certificate  would not be allowed to treat outside areas.
  4. An outdoor certificate holder could also:
    1. treat for clover mites or earwigs on the outside foundation of the house, but not within the house;
    2. treat for ticks outdoors;
    3. manage Canada geese on the lawn using general use repellents; and 
    4. mange deer with repellents.
  5. Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) has been be phased out. December 31, 2001 was the last sale date of the product. However, any existing stocks can be used up after that date.
  6. Diazinon has also be phased out. The last sale date of Diazinon used for indoor was December 31, 2002 and the last sale date of Diazinon for outdoors use was December 31, 2003. Syngenta began a product recovery program in 2004 for Diazinon.
For more information, please contact deep.pesticideprogram@ct.gov or call the Pesticide Management Program at (860) 424-3369

Content Last Updated on August 25, 2022