Final answer:
Licensed pest control operators are responsible for applying chemical pesticides in ways that minimize environmental disruption, such as using non-persistent products and targeted applications. They are also involved in public health mosquito control and maintaining infrastructure such as power lines and roads.
Step-by-step explanation:
Licensed pest control operators should be called for tasks involving the application of chemical pesticides, especially when ecologically based control measures are not adequately managing pest populations. This is often considered the last resort after trying other methods like the use of pest resistant cultivars, interplanting, and physical traps such as lamps and poplar twigs. When pesticides are necessary, it's crucial that licensed professionals select and apply them in a way that minimizes environmental disruption.
This includes using non-persistent products and targeted applications, such as applying pesticides to specific parts of the cotton plant's stem rather than indiscriminate spraying, which can protect the natural predators of pests like the bollworm.
In addition to managing agricultural pests, licensed pest control operators also handle the application of chemical pesticides for public health concerns, such as mosquito control to prevent malaria, and in maintaining essential services like power lines and roads clear of pest-related obstructions.