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Do I need a certificate, permit or license before I can purchase pesticide for use on my own property?
Generally, if you purchase pesticides labeled for “home use” you would not need a certificate, permit or license. However, if you own your own business and are spraying pesticides or weed killer in a customer’s yard you will need a license. If you are growing an agricultural crop or commodity (including pasture and rangeland) then you will be required to obtain an Operator Identification Number or Restricted Materials Permit from our office before you purchase and use pesticides. If you are purchasing and applying a California restricted material, you will also need to obtain a Private Applicators Certificate (PAC). A PAC is obtained by taking and passing an examination at our office. Please contact our office for more information on licensing, certification and permitting. The examination is free. You need to make an appointment for the exam. You should plan on getting to the office before 2 PM because the exam may take 2 to 2 ½ hours to take. 

Do I need to submit a Pesticide Use Report?
Yes, if any pesticide or chemical with an EPA registration number is applied to an agricultural crop or commodity (including pasture and range land) it must be reported to the Agricultural Department for the county in which the property is located. Use reports can be obtained at any County Agricultural Department.

How do you calculate annual device registration fees?
Please contact the Agriculture department for this request.

How long will it take you to perform the disease diagnosis on my plant/tree?
The average time for return of the diagnosis is 1-2 weeks. Some specialized tests require additional time, such as: Nematode Extraction - 4 Days Minimum Cultures - 3 to 4 Weeks Viruses - 6 to 8 Weeks. These are averages. Individual samples may take more or less time, depending upon the pathogens involved. Also some cases may require fees.

How long will the insect trap stay in place?
The insect trap will remain in place for approximately 6 to 10 to 12 weeks depending on the type of trap. It won’t kill or harm your tree.

I do not want this insect trap on my property. What can you do to remove it!
You can contact the Agriculture Department and ask for it to be removed.

I have a dead tree which is hanging over in my yard and is on city property. I want it removed. What should I do?
Most cities will have services to remove or trim trees. On the SolanoCounty.com homepage there are links to the cities websites under the Quick Clicks section.

I have an insect trap in my front yard. Is it safe?
Yes the insect trap is safe and will cause you no harm. When we placed the insect trap on your property you should have received a note that we did this. We put the note on your front door or porch.

I have some bugs in my yard that are eating my shrubs. What should I do?
Please bring a sample of the bug and plant to: County of Solano, Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures, 501 Texas St., 2nd floor, Fairfield, CA 94533, Monday through Friday – 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can also go online to learn more about this pest at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/. If it could be a serious pest it would be best to bring in a sample to the Agriculture Department. Also, you can go to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for more information go to http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/PHPPS/

I have wasps (or yellow jackets) in my yard. How do I get rid of them?
If they're on private property you should contact a pest control service, there are many listed in the yellow pages. Yellow jacket traps will catch some of them but will not abate the infestation. You can also call the Plant Pest Hotline at 1.800.491.1899.

I have what appears to be an insect trap in my yard. What’s it doing here? What is it for?
From time to time the agriculture department places traps around the county just to make sure that certain bugs aren’t showing up. You can view what kind of insect trap it is by going to www.solanocounty.com Agriculture Department/Agriculture/Pest Prevention/Detection/Detection and Trapping.

Generally, the Agriculture dept will leave a note of what the trap is and why it is there. If you would like more information, please contact the Agriculture department.

I just bought an item from the store and believe I was over charged. Will you please investigate this?
Please contact Agriculture/ Weights and Measures (WAM). Please save your store receipt.

I just gassed up my car and believe that there’s water in the gas. My car’s engine is sputtering. Will you investigate?
We encourage you to save gas receipts. You will then need to contact Agriculture Weights and Measures division for this request.

I just gassed up my car and I don’t think that I got what I paid for. Will your department investigate to see if the pump is correct?
All gas stations are checked annually and on a customer complaint basis to ensure that they are dispensing the correct amount of gas.

Please contact Agriculure/ Weights and Measures (WAM) department. Please save gas receipts.

I just received my annual device registration fees and noticed that the fee has gone up in price. Can you explain why the fee went up in price?
Your fee is determined by a schedule of fees posted on the Agriculture/Weights and Measures Website; it is located here:
Fee Schedule.

I live in Dixon, is there a med fly infestation in my area?
Please contact the Agriculture Department.

I need to have my nursery inspected. How do I go about doing this?
Please send a service request with your information and be advised that someone will be contacted within 24hours or the next business day.

Please feel free to call the Agriculture main phone number at 707.784.1310.

If it is after hours someone from the Agriculture Department will get back to you within 24 hours or the next business day to schedule an inspection.

I think we paid our annual device registration fees. Did you receive our device fee payment?
Please contact the Agriculture department for this request.

I want to report a dead bird that might have died from the West Nile Virus. Who should I notify?
Please call 1.877.968.2473 to report the dead bird.

I work the Farmers’ Market. Can I bring my scale in so it can be checked for accuracy?
You will need to make an appointment with the Agriculture Department.

I’m an employee of a scale company (or service entity) and want to meet someone from the Weights and Measures department out in the field. How do I make an appointment?
 Make an appointment with the Agriculture department.

The farmer next door pesticide spray just drifted into my yard. What should I do?
You will need to provide the when, where and the date and time that the spraying occurred. Please contact the Agriculture Department.

There’s a strange odor coming from the farmer’s property next door. Can you do something about this?
You will need to provide your name and phone number and when the odor started to occur. Please contact the Agriculture Department.

When are Pesticide Use Reports due in your office?
Completed use reports are due in our office on the 10th of the month following application. They can be faxed, mailed or submitted online. Please go to www.solanocounty.com and go to the Department of Agriculture/ Weights and Measures website for additional information.

Where is the Agriculture Office located?
The Agriculture Commissioners’ Office is located at 501 Texas St - 2nd Floor, Fairfield, CA 94533. Their phone number is 707.784.1310 and they are open for business Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Why can't the District Attorney's Office take all the non-complying check writers to court?
Checks are a legal document. As such, they must be complete and the various elements such as signature, address, and other identification must be verifiable. If one or another part of a check is missing or cannot be verified, it becomes difficult or impossible to successfully prosecute the case. That's why it is so important that merchants follow the Guidelines for Handling Checks when they accept any check.

Will you remove bees from my property?
The County of Solano DOES NOT remove bees from private property. Removal of bees from private property is the homeowner's responsibility. We recommend calling a beekeeper which you may find in your local phone book.