An exterior bait station for rodents is needed at the rear of a California food facility. Under California Retail Food Code §114259.5 and California's Structural Pest Control Act, who is legally permitted to install and service such bait stations on the premises of a food facility?
Explanation
California Retail Food Code HSC §114259.5 (and the Structural Pest Control Act, B&P §8500 et seq.) reserves the application of pesticides — including rodenticide in bait stations — in and around food facilities to LICENSED Pest Control Operators (PCOs) registered with the California Structural Pest Control Board (Branch 2 for rodents). The station itself must be (1) tamper-resistant (locked or keyed) so children, pets, and non-target wildlife cannot reach the bait, (2) securely anchored to a wall or paver so it cannot be carried off, (3) mapped on a site plan that shows the location of each station, and (4) serviced on a documented schedule with bait replenishment, dead-rodent removal, and an inspection log retained on site for the local enforcement agency. Option A is non-compliant because food workers may not apply pesticide. Option B is wrong because owner status does not confer a pesticide license. Option C is wrong because 'maintenance contractor' is not equivalent to a PCO license. INTERIOR bait stations are generally not permitted in food zones — interior rodent control is done by exclusion plus snap traps in non-food zones.
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