Category: Advocacy

CAPCA: Your Bottom Line is Our Priority

By Taylor Triffo, Managing Director of Legislative Affairs at KSC and CAPCA’s Legislative Advocate

California Association of Pest Control Advisors (CAPCA) continues to actively work to save you money. In late February, the California County Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA) introduced AB 2380, a bill impacting county registration fees for pest control professionals and businesses.

As introduced, AB 2380 proposed repealing longstanding statutory fee limits assessed by County Agricultural Commissioners on Pest Control Advisers (PCAs), pest control businesses, structural pest operators, pilots, and licensees. The original proposal created significant concern across the regulated community due to the potential for substantial increases in registration costs, particularly for professionals and businesses operating in multiple counties, and significantly inconsistent fee rates.

Through ongoing discussions with the author’s office, county agricultural commissioner representatives, and other stakeholders, CAPCA is advocating for several major improvements to the bill that directly benefit you while still preserving resources necessary for county enforcement and regulatory activities.

Most importantly, the proposed amendments would restore reasonable registration fee caps into the bill. Under the current negotiated framework:

These changes are critically important because they preserve the principle that registrants operating across multiple counties should not face duplicative or excessive costs simply for serving growers and agricultural operations throughout California.

CAPCA has also requested to work closely with CACASA to advance development of a modernized virtual registration system in the future. An online platform would improve efficiency for registrants and county offices alike by streamlining paperwork, reducing administrative burdens, and ultimately lowering long-term operational costs.

The bill has now moved to the Senate, and formal negotiations are underway.

CAPCA’s advocacy efforts focus on striking the right balance: ensuring County Agricultural Commissioners retain the resources needed to carry out important regulatory and enforcement responsibilities while protecting PCAs, applicators, pilots, and businesses from unreasonable fee increases.

Separately, AB 1603, legislation banning the use of fluorinated chemistries (pesticides containing PFAS), passed the Assembly, by only two votes. For a body that hears PFAS and immediately thinks “forever chemicals” this is a monumental testament to CAPCA’s growing and positive relationships with state legislators.  During floor debate, several Democratic legislators raised concerns regarding the lack of viable alternatives, increasing regulatory burdens on farmers and applicators, and the growing pressures posed by invasive pests and crop diseases—thereby reinforcing the role of the PCA.

CAPCA will continue working actively on AB 1603 to ensure the interests of pest control advisers and California agriculture remain fully represented as the bill moves through the Senate process.

Connecting the Dots – PCA Conflicts of Interest Data

By Adam Tavares and Gary Silveria

Back in 2023 a study was funded by the Department of Pesticide Regulation through the Sustainable Pest Management Workgroup.  The premise was to evaluate whether “sales PCAs” made different decisions then “independent PCAs” based on assumptions around sales structures and incentives.

Initially the results of the study were buried until the JLAC audit was initiated in June 2025.  At that time, DPR presented a limited summary of the results which found that, regardless of their employment type, PCAs base their recommendations and advice to growers more on risk aversion (agronomics) than on financial incentives.

This study conducted by Jay Rosenheim and Michael Culshaw-Maurer was recently published in the Journal of Pest Science – Conflicts of interest, risk aversion, and pesticide use in California agriculture | Journal of Pest Science.  Rosenheim additionally was generous enough to publish a summary in our own CAPCA Adviser – see December 2025 issue PCAs, Conflicts of Interest and Pesticide Use in California Agriculture on page 42.

So why does this matter to you?  The PCA License was created back in 1972 due to the sales conflict.  The whole premise of the license was built around eradicating that perception, but despite best efforts it continues to follow PCAs.  In the late 1990’s there was proposed legislation to strip PCAs from any type of compensation model to reduce pesticide use.  But CAPCA and industry stakeholders successfully fought back against this faulty assumption.  But it continues to be pervasive in discussions around the Capitol, within Agencies and activist organizations.  While this study is a solid data to point to educate around, it likely will not be enough to shift the tides of perception.

So what do we do about this?  As CAPCA we continue to educate and support the productive evolution of the PCA License so that you can continue to serve as the trusted Adviser in your career space as the industry evolves.  But CAPCA can’t do it for free, our Advocacy is building traction but requires constant staff attention, consultants, a strong PAC and engaged Committee.  Recently, there has not only been a lot of criticism of associations, but an attitude that CAPCA has no value to your license without the ability to track all CE hours.  We would ask you to consider, what value does your license have if it doesn’t exist due to poor assumptions or even the actions of bad actors within the licensing community?  These things rise to the top without a watch dog voice like CAPCA rebutting the assumptions and bringing real world experiences and data back to the table.  That is why we are proud to wrap up the PCA engagement portion of the CDFA grant that captured all the non-chemical decisions and actions you take every day in the field.  From preliminary feedback, we understand this data tells the other side of the story, the why an application may be needed.  In the absence of perspective on pest pressure, scouting and non-chemical actions, outside stakeholders can only draw conclusions on PCA behavior with the PUR.  We know that use shifts from a variety of factors including seasonal pest pressure and climate factors, but from the outside, changes in use whether positive or negative are hard to distinguish.

The 2025 December Adviser article is just the start of an ongoing series of outreach opportunities to highlight data for PCAs and CAPCA to arm ourselves with as we move forward in California’s political landscape.  We hope you will renew your membership and recognize the value of fighting for your license and industry.  We hope you will encourage your employer to become a corporate partner in the coming year or even raise your commitment to invest in this discussion.  We hope that you will consider attending local CAPCA Chapter events or even the CAPCA Conference for your CE requirements.  CAPCA reinvests everything we earn right back into benefiting the PCA license.  No one else is going to do that for you.

DPR Releases 2024 Air Monitoring Network Report

Air samples collected and tested in 2024 found no pesticide detections were above DPR’s health screening levels

PUBLISHED ON November 21, 2025

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released its 2024 Air Monitoring Network (AMN) Report, which analyzed over 200 samples collected in four California communities, comparing pesticide detections to health protective thresholds. Last year, no pesticides detected at DPR air monitoring stations exceeded those thresholds.

In 2024, 13 pesticides were detected at quantifiable levels, including 1,3-D, chloropicrin, methyl bromide (MeBr), and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC). All were detected below health protection thresholds, which means health effects are unlikely to occur.

“Monitoring air in agricultural communities helps us better understand potential pesticide exposure and evaluate the effectiveness of our protections,” said DPR Director Karen Morrison.

DPR’s AMN includes four monitoring stations located in Oxnard, Shafter, Santa Maria and Watsonville — agricultural communities with high pesticide use. The stations collect weekly air samples, each of which is tested for 40 pesticides and breakdown products that have higher toxicity, use, or likelihood of becoming airborne.

VIEW THE 2024 AMN REPORT

SAVE THE DATE: DPR will host a series of virtual public meetings in December to provide information on the 2024 AMN Report for the communities where monitors are located.

More information on the meetings is available on DPR’s website.

— California Department of Pesticide Regulation

Link to Original Article (courtesy of Morning Ag Clips)

Photo by Geri Mis on Unsplash

Wonder where Pesticide Regulations are headed in California?

Start by reading the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap and DPR Strategic Plan.  And make sure you renew your CAPCA membership because CAPCA is working tirelessly to make sure that the PCA is at the center of the discussion and solution to keep your career pathway moving forward. 

Statewide Notification

Rats in the Valley

Rat Infestation Impact & Resources – Protecting Crops and Infrastructure with Strategic Solutions

Key Resources (on this page):

• CDFA OPCA updated economic assessment for impacted almond and pistachio acres
• New video resources by CDFA and UC – follow the links below
• Revised CDFA Label for Zinc Phosphide Treated Grain (2.0%)
• CDFA OPCA Infographic: Chemical Rat Management in Agricultural Settings
• Memo: Crop insurance reporting and eligibility guidance
• Rat Infestation Management: A Checklist
• Owl Box Maintenance and Installation Tips (courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt)

Rat Infestation Management: A Checklist

Essential Steps for Detection, Monitoring, and Control

CAPCA has been compiling resources and developing baseline monitoring for rat infestations. As these initiatives wrap up, the responsibility is moving to grower groups to tackle the challenge of abandoned acres.

With the recent spike in hot weather and early irrigation, we’ve heard about an increase in rat activity. It is crucial that Pest Control Advisers and growers—both those new to the issue and those continuing to manage high populations—have access to the latest information and effective strategies.

This checklist is designed by Advisers like you to help quickly identify signs of rat problems and implement proven management strategies, keeping your acres productive and protected.

DOWNLOAD THE CHECKLIST HERE

Claim Your Free Bait Stations:

Check out the industry-funded bait stations on topic 11 of the new CDFA and UC video resources!  If you haven’t already, request your two free bait stations by scanning the QR Code. You can add to your order and purchase additional stations on the same form.  Free bait stations are available while supplies last.

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New video resources by CDFA and UC:

Blog post with video links:

Video Series on Roof Rat Damage in Orchards: What Growers Need to Know – CDFA’s Planting Seeds BlogCDFA’s Planting Seeds Blog

Video Playlist link: 

Rat Management Training – YouTube

Program webpage with video links:

CDFA – Plant Health – Rat Management Resources

The California Department of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with the University of California Cooperative Extension and CAPCA has created the attached flyer consolidating several rat management resources into one user-friendly document. Feel free to distribute, reprint, and display this document. Click on the flyer to the right to download it.

 

Rat infestations have caused significant damage to irrigation systems, trees, field equipment, wiring, and critical infrastructure across agricultural operations. In response, since the fall of 2024, CAPCA has been actively engaged in working to identify solutions and support for the rat infestations scattered across the Central Valley. 

The Vertebrate Pest Control Research Program has revised the CDFA label, Zinc Phosphide Treated Grain (2.0%). Refer to the updated label below on this page.

Additionally, the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis has created an infographic to show which chemical options are allowed for rat control in various orchard and agricultural settings. See that infographic below.

For guidance on reporting procedures and insurance coverage eligibility, refer to the memo from Jack Roudebush, Advisor – Captive Strategist at HUB International Limited, available on this page.

CAPCA remains committed to bridging the gap between growers and industry leaders by disseminating vital knowledge and fostering collaborative solutions.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Given that this infestation has reached a level beyond maintenance and requires an area wide coordinated approach to address the issue, we have worked with UC along with various commodity groups to provide the most up-to-date information for PCAs to access. 

• See multiple CAPCA Adviser Articles, including the resources on this page, starting on p. 51
• See additional CAPCA Adviser Article on p. 66 

• CAPCA worked with growers to provide OPCA vital details to deliver an economic impact memo on this evolving issue: CDFA Memo: Rat Damage in Almond Orchards 
• Fresh Bait Available in key Counties – Visit CAC Fresh Bait summary

• Prior guidance from UC: Managing Roof Rats and Deer Mice in Nut and Fruit Orchards can be found here.
  

Do you want to sign up to be part of the solution and be on a list of applicators available for Counties to reference when growers are in need of application services? Click here to join the list.