What Do Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops. Usually requires specific training and State or Federal certification. They also mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.

Other tasks include:

• Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
• Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
• Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
• Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
• Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.
• Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.

We asked Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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47% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 56% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools. They connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.

A typical day for a Vegetation Pesticide Handler, Sprayer and Applicator will also include:

• Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
• Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
• Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
• Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
• Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.

We asked some Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	42% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	17% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	56% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	36% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	4% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	74% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers also plant grass with seed spreaders and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw. They may also clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals. They might also Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.

In addition, they Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.

To some Pesticide Handlers and Sprayers, it is also their responsibility to Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Vegetation Pesticide Handler, Sprayer and Applicator, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/building-and-grounds-cleaning/grounds-maintenance-workers.htm

http://www.isa-arbor.com/

http://www.tcia.org/

https://www.landscapeprofessionals.org/