Selling pesticides online in Washington State

Catherine Bowman

Pesticide Management Compliance

Are you or do you want to distribute, sell, barter, or supply pesticides online in Washington State? If yes, read on. Here’s what you should know. 

First, you need a Pesticide Dealer license if you’re distributing any pesticides in Washington other than those for “home and garden use only” an actual legal definition determined by WSDA.

Second, a Pesticide Dealer may only distribute pesticides in Washington that are registered with WSDA and it’s the Pesticide Dealer’s responsibility to make sure products offered for sale in our state are registered.

Finally, to buy what are known as Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) as defined by the federal government or the state, you must be certified, or licensed, by WSDA. 

Maintaining this license requires you to keep sales records for pesticides, except, once again, those classified by WSDA as being for “home and garden use only.” These records must be maintained for seven years. You can learn more about recordkeeping on our website. 

What is a pesticide? 

Pesticides include, but are not limited to:

• Any substance or mix of substances intended to prevent, destroy, control, repel, or mitigate any insect, rodent, snail, slug, fungus, weed, and any other form of plant, animal life or virus. The exceptions are viruses in people or in an animal that’s already a pest . 
• Any substance or mix of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant, something inducing dryness.
• Any spray adjuvant, which is a substance added to a spray tank to improve pesticide performance.

See our website for a list of pesticide examples at Selling Pesticides Online.

Be familiar with legal requirements for doing business in Washington State. Most companies, including out-of-state businesses, need some type of business registration or licensing through the State Department of Revenue’s (DOR) Business Licensing Service.  For more information, visit DOR’s Doing business page. 

If you are distributing pesticide products other than for home and garden use, you will need to complete the Agricultural Addendum to become licensed as a Pesticide Dealer. 

For the answer to “Which pesticides in the state of Washington require a license to purchase and apply them?” see Selling Pesticides Online under that question heading. 

With questions regarding the Business License or Pesticide Dealer licenses, contact DOR’s Business Licensing Service at 800-451-7985.  

Questions? 

Give WSDA a call at 877-301-4555. From the menu options, select: 

• “Licensing” for questions about pesticide licensing. 
• “Laws” for questions about recordkeeping or distribution of RUPs.
• “Registration” for questions about registration of pesticides and classification as home and garden use only.

Image courtesy of sixninepixels at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

STAR-certified schools practice sustainable pest management

Juliann Barta

EPA Region 10*

What do control methods for discouraging pests (i.e. bugs and such) have to do with schools? Four school districts were recently recognized at a Seattle event for their sustainable pest management practices.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a common sense approach to managing pests that focuses on preventing the conditions that encourage them. On Oct. 1, Washington State University Extension convened a school IPM event that was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through a partnership with WSDA. 

Speakers and school district representatives at the
IPM school event on Oct. 1, 2015

Carrie Foss, WSU’s Urban IPM director, along with Dr. Thomas Green, president of the IPM Institute of North America, evaluated and recognized the school districts of Kelso, Mukilteo, Lake Washington and Federal Way Public Schools for receiving IPM Institute of North America STAR certification. 

Other districts in Washington noted for their IPM certification include Bellevue, Marysville, Colville, Pasco, Walla Walla, South Kitsap, North Thurston, and Vancouver Public Schools.

Dr. Green spoke at the event and talked about the benefits of IPM for schools. These include reducing the risk of pests and pesticide exposure, creating a healthier school environment for our children, and saving schools money in treatment and energy costs.   

Another speaker, Jim Jones, EPA's chief of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said everyone has a role, from the federal government to school district staff, to make IPM a widespread practice. 

WSDA is on the Urban Pesticide Education Strategy Team, a group of state organizations that address urban pesticide issues in Washington. Visit www.schoolipm.wsu.edu to learn more about the team and school IPM resources. 

*Editor's note: EPA Region 10 submitted this post as a partner collaborating with WSDA to support IPM practices.  

Director's statement on reauthorization of the Grain Standards Act

Derek Sandison
Director of WSDA 

I am gratified to learn that President Obama has signed the reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act, without which WSDA’s Grain Inspection Program would not be able to continue. I want to thank both the President and our leaders in Congress for acting before the authorization expired.

An inspector at WSDA's
Spokane grain inspection
office

Washington has a robust wheat industry which depends upon reliable and credible inspections that ensure product quality and market confidence. WSDA’s Grain Inspection Program offers this, providing high quality, third-party inspections of grain for both domestic and export markets. The reauthorization of the Act ensures that this service will continue.

But reauthorization of the Act means more than the continuity of business for WSDA. It also means that domestic grain inspection services can continue in 45 other states across the country.

I recognize the importance of the uninterrupted movement of grain for both domestic and export markets, and I'm pleased that the Act as reauthorized provides additional measures to support consistent inspection services without interruption.

I want to thank all of those who worked so hard to get this important piece of legislation approved. We look forward to continuing to provide excellent service to the grain industry.

Washington State Fair opportunity to ‘tell our story’

Mike Louisell

Communications Office

In the age of Facebook, Twitter and blogs, is a booth at a fair or trade show still relevant for government agencies to reach the public and stay connected? While many choose social media to learn what’s happening, the WSDA booth at this year’s Washington State Fair in Puyallup presented another way of sharing information about our programs that support agriculture and a sound environment.

Volunteers from many WSDA programs talked with fairgoers about the threat of gypsy moth, ways to protect bees, and how large agriculture is in the Evergreen State. It was a perfect setting for these topics, situated as we were in the Ag-Hort/Floral Tent, among giant pumpkins, gorgeous flowers and artfully-constructed displays presented by Washington State Grange members.

Rickie Lehto and Jeff Britt at booth

“The majority of visitors I met were interested in the noxious weed materials and our board reflecting the different commodities throughout the state,” said Amber Robertson, Human Resource consultant and agency recruiter. “I thought our booth was very well done and had a variety of different reference materials.”

Director Derek Sandison staffs the booth.

A USDA booth adjacent to ours stressed the importance of keeping various pest insects, plant diseases and animal health threats contained. In that regard, both USDA and WSDA had information about avian influenza and how to “spread the word, protect your birds” with information for bird owners, consumers and veterinarians.

WSDA field veterinarians have been visiting various fairs across the state to test poultry and other birds for avian influenza and other diseases, even fairs that have opted out of testing in the past.

Tacoma visitor at fair since 1934!

WSDA also showed its support for 4-H and FFA. WSDA fairs program coordinator Henri Gonzales accompanied Fairs Commissioner Debbie Adolphsen to present ribbons. The commissioner evaluated the youth organizations for their skills in grooming animals, keeping stalls and pens clean and decorated, their showmanship and ability to discuss their projects.

“We met so many good kids dedicated to their animals and really enjoyed the beef exhibitors for being so friendly and helpful,” Henri said.

Many visitors told us they have been to the fair numerous  times over the years. One woman from Tacoma told us she has come to the fair every year since 1934. Here's hoping she stops by our booth again next year. 

Avian influenza – spread the word, protect your birds

Dr. Joe Baker

Washington State Veterinarian 

Fall is coming and with it a renewed risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. But first, some background on why this is such a serious cause for concern.

In the fall of 2014, Washington became the first state to have flocks infected with highly-pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. When the outbreak was over, four small, non-commercial poultry flocks, a game bird farm and a falconry were all affected.

None of our large commercial poultry operations became infected, but they still suffered as a result of the actions required in response to the infected flocks. The ability of the commercial operations to export poultry and poultry products was hampered. In one case, tens of thousands of day-old chicks were destroyed because Canada refused them entry after we established our first quarantine zone around two small, non-commercial flocks in Benton County.

As this illustrates, all poultry owners in Washington are part of the poultry industry, and disease in even small flocks can directly or indirectly affect flocks large and small throughout the state. It is vital that all poultry owners recognize this and take the steps to protect their birds and others, too.

The cases of avian influenza in Washington and neighboring states in the fall were the tip of what turned out to be an iceberg of historic proportions, as highly pathogenic avian influenza found its way into commercial turkey and layer operations in the Midwest, creating a massive animal disease outbreak and control response. Federal costs alone are expected to reach a billion dollars while the disease and depopulation led to the loss of more than 10 percent of our nation’s layer hen inventory and more than 7 percent of our turkey inventory. It will take at least two years for the poultry industry to recover and some producers will be put out of business permanently.

Risk returns with migration cycle

The risk that avian influenza will return to our state rides on the wings of migratory waterfowl that have once again begun to arrive from northern latitudes to spend the winter here. Unfortunately, these waterfowl species tend to carry avian influenza viruses with no ill effects, and can spread the disease to other susceptible birds through their droppings. Particularly vulnerable are the small hobby, exhibition, layer and organic flocks scattered all over our state, where the birds are allowed to spend significant time outside. 

Disinfectant for footgear outside
a bird flu town hall meeting.

The Animal Services Division of WSDA is trying to raise awareness of the threat HPAI poses to all poultry, and the biosecurity measures that flock owners should be putting in place to help protect their birds from the disease. Check out our updated website at agr.wa.gov/birdflu for information to help bird owners, no matter how large or small your flock.

There is no vaccine currently authorized for birds and there is no treatment for the disease, so flocks hit with HPAI must be euthanized in order to prevent the virus spreading. That is why prevention through good biosecurity is so important.

I encourage you to visit our webpage, look through the materials and formulate YOUR plan for protecting your birds this fall and winter. As ever, if you have questions or need help, you can also email ahealth@agr.wa.gov or call 800-606-3056.