As used in this chapter:
(1) “Agent” means any person registered with the State Plant Board by a licensed operator to solicit or sell pest control service which the operator is licensed to perform, including the signing of contracts, making inspections for the purpose of servicing or continuing contracts, and supervising workers and working crews in carrying out pest control service, when so designated by the licensed operator, or except as may be limited by the board in its rules made under authority of this chapter. This is not to be construed as relieving the licensed operator in any way of being responsible for personal and direct supervision of all work performed under his or her license;
(2) “Applicant” means any person making application for a license to engage in pest control service work;
(3) “Board” means the State Plant Board;
(4) “Commercial applicator” means a person who has demonstrated by written examination his or her knowledge of the nature and effect of pesticides and how to use, supervise the use, or demonstrate the use of restricted-use pesticides, as defined by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, safely and properly. Qualification as a commercial applicator shall be integral to qualification as a licensed operator or qualified operator and vice versa;
(5) “Director” means the Director of the State Plant Board;
(6) “FIFRA” means the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended, which classifies, regulates, and provides for the certification of all users of restricted-use pesticides, as defined in that act, including all persons who engage in commercial and noncommercial pest control service work;
(7) “Fungi or rot control responsibility” means that the license holder or licensed operator shall be held responsible for fungi or rot control only on substructure timbers such as sills, subsills, piers, floor joists, subfloors, and floors;
(8) “Household pest and rodent” means any mammal, bird, arthropod, or reptile that may infest or invade a home or other buildings or the immediate area around or under a home or buildings, other than wood-damaging or wood-destroying insects, fungi, or organisms;
(9) “License holder” means the person, firm, or corporation to which a license is issued, the person being himself or herself a licensed operator or there being one (1) or more licensed operators in the employ of the person, firm, or corporation;
(10) “Licensed operator” means a person who has fully qualified and has passed the board's written examination and has in force a valid license from the board to engage in the work indicated in the license. The person shall also have met the requirements of and be eligible for certification under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and state law as a commercial applicator;
(11) “Noncommercial applicator” means any person who uses, supervises the use of, or demonstrates the use of a restricted-use pesticide in any classification on his or her own or his or her employer's property who does not hold himself or herself out as being engaged for compensation in pest control service work;
(12) “Person” means an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, organization, association, or any combination thereof, whether or not incorporated;
(13) “Pest control service” means any person who for compensation gives advice or engages in work to prevent, control, or repel arthropods, mammals, birds, reptiles, or wood-damaging or wood-destroying organisms that may invade or infest homes, other buildings, or similar structures and shall include arthropods, mammals, birds, reptiles, weeds, and plant diseases that may invade, infest, or infect shade trees, shrubs, lawns, turf, and pecan groves. This term shall also include any person who issues letters of clearance, or who shall solicit such work in any manner, but the term shall not be construed to include agricultural crops from planting to harvest other than those mentioned in this subdivision (13);
(14) “Qualified operator” means a person who has fully qualified and has passed the board's written examination working under the bond and insurance of a license holder or licensed operator instead of his or her own. The person shall also have met the requirements of and be eligible for certification under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and state law as a commercial applicator;
(15) “Soil pretreatment” means chemical treatment of the soil before or during construction of any building for the purpose of preventing or controlling subterranean termites;
(16) “Solicitor” means any person registered with the board by a licensed operator to solicit or sell pest control service work, which the operator is licensed to perform, but the solicitor may not perform any pest control service work nor be placed in charge of workers or working crews;
(17) “Supervise” or “under the direct supervision of” means the act or process whereby the application of a pesticide is made by a competent and registered person acting under the instructions and control of a licensed operator or qualified operator who is responsible for the actions of that person and who is available if and when needed, even though the operator is not physically present at the time and place the pesticide is applied;
(18) “Termite and other structural pests” means any wood-damaging or wood-destroying insect, fungus, or organism;
(19) “Termite infestation” means any active termites found in or on a building, its foundation or attached appurtenances, or under the building, in or on debris, or in or on stumps under the building; and
(20) “Weed control” means the prevention, destruction, or removal of any plant from where it is not wanted by the use of herbicides.