Download Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators CORE exam 2025/2026 with 100% correct answers and more Exams Pest Management in PDF only on Docsity!
Virginia Commercial Pesticide
Applicators CORE exam 202 5/2026 with
100% correct answers
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests - correct answer Key pests are nearly always present and require regular control. occasional pests are migratory or cyclical and require intermittent control. secondary pests require control only under certain conditions, such as the elimination of a key pest or the absence of a natural host. what should you do first if you see damage to a plant, animal, or valuable product/ - correct answer identify the cause what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? - correct answer make sure the pest is actually responsible for the damage. then accurately identify the pest how can pest identification help you develop a good pest control strategy? - correct answer it allows you to determine basic information about the pest, including its life-cycle and when it is most susceptible to control measures. name the 5 basic pest groups - correct answer weeds, parasites and diseases, mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates. why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? - correct answer weeds are often hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh conditions. many produce large numbers of seeds which can spread over a wide area and remain dormant for a long time. how can you tell a monocot from a dicot? - correct answer monocots (sedges and grasses) have one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, flower parts in multiples of 3 and fibrous roots. Dicots have 2 cotyledons, broad leaves with netted veination, and flower parts in multiples of 4 and 5 and usually have taproots. name the pathogens that cause most plant and animal diseases - correct answer fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases - correct answer stunting, yellow rings on leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? - correct answer by attacking the roots, stems and leaves. nematode root feeding interferes with a plants ability to take up water and nutrients. infected plants wilt and seem to be suffering from a lack of water or nutrients. how do mollusks harm plants? - correct answer by feeding on foliage and fruit. mollusks reduce the value of commercial produce if they feed on harvested plants and fruit. what are arthropods? how do they differ from vertebrates? - correct answer arthropods are animals with segmented bodies and jointed appendages. Arthropods have an external skeleton and may have specialized appendages such as sucking tubes, chewing mouth parts, antennae, and pincers. they have no backbones like vertebrates what is the difference between gradual and complete metamorphosis? why is it important to know the life cycle stage of an insect? - correct answer gradual metamorphosis includes 3 stages: egg, nymph and adult. there is no pupa stage. complete metamorphosis includes 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. insects that develop via complete metamorphosis change body form. larvae may not look at all like adults within the same species.it is very important to recognize the damaging stage for best treatment results. many insect are pests in one stage but not another. especially larval form. what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture? - correct answer insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies) or pest predators (ladybeetles and lacewings). with out pollinators many types of plants could not reproduce and beneficial predators feed on harmful insects, mites, and weeds. how do mites harm plants? - correct answer They suck the plant juices, eat the underside of leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed on. what is an economic threshold? - correct answer the level at which economic losses caused by pest damage, if the pest population continued to grow, would be greater than the cost of controlling the pests. reaching an economic threshold usually prompts some kind of pest control action.
- monitor the pest
- decide whether control is justified
- determine a pest control goal
- know what control tactics are available
- evaluate the benefits and risks of each tactic
- choose the most effective strategies that will cause the least harm to people and environment
- use each tactic correctly
- observe all applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
- record and evaluate results name 5 IPM elements - correct answer host resistance biological control cultural control mechanical and physical control and chemical control what is host resistance? - correct answer the ability of a plant to withstand pests what is biological control? - correct answer the use of living organisms to control pests. these may be natural enemies or biologically altering the pest (releasing sterile males into pest population) what is cultural control? - correct answer changing the habitat where the pest flourishes. ex. cultural practices and sanitation name at least 6 cultural practices used to manage pests - correct answer pruning, thinning and fertilization rotating crops tillage mulching varying time of planting or harvest
trap crops adjusting row width what is sanitation? - correct answer use of hygiene practices to manage pests. what type of mechanical methods could you use to control weeds? - correct answer weed eaters, shovels, scythes, plows, disks, and mowers what is physical control and how can it be used to manage certain pests? - correct answer changing certain environmental conditions such as water, air movement, temperature, light and humidity. such changes can control or even eradicate pests. name 5 important qualities to consider when choosing a pesticide. - correct answer efficacy, persistence, mobility, toxicity, and mode of action what is the difference between selective and non selective herbicides? - correct answer a selective herbicide controls some plants and not others (ex. sethoxydim only controls grasses and not broadleaf) non selective controls all types of plants. what is the difference between residual and non residual pesticides? - correct answer nonresidual pesticides break down quickly into nontoxic by-products. a residual pesticide may remain active for weeks, months, or even years define pesticide resistance - correct answer the ability of a pest population that is repeatedly exposed to a given pesticide to resist and survive its effects. an insect population, for example, often has "abnormal" members that can tolerate exposure to insecticide doses that kill "normal" members. Each time the same MOA is used, the susceptible members die, and the resistant members survive and breed. in time most of the members will be resistant to the insecticide. how can you slow down or limit pesticide resistance? - correct answer 1. rotate MOAs
- use pesticides that target multiple sites in a pest
- use new or altered pesticides
- treat alternate generations of pests
are minimum risk products exempt from Virginia's state registration requirements? - correct answer no. all pesticides that are sold or used in the Commonwealth of Virginia must be registered with VDACS office of pesticide services. what are emergency (section 18) exemptions> - correct answer responses to pest problems for which no pesticides are registered. section 18 exemptions allow the sale and use of a certain pesticide for a specific nonregistered purpose for a specified period. the four types of emergency exemptions are: specific, quarantine, public health, and crisis. what is a restricted use pesticide? - correct answer RUPs are pesticides that require special care and handling. the restricted use designation limits the use of a pesticide product. RUPs are for sale only to properly certified applicators. only trained persons, or people under their direct supervision, may handle and apply RUPs. EPA classifies pesticides RUPs for different reasons. Some are highly toxic to humans. others may cause long-term health effects. still others are restricted because of an environmental effect such as ground water pollution. what is the difference between the chemical name, common name, and trade name? which is the most accurate identify the active ingredient? - correct answer chemical name is a complex term that identifies the chemical components and structure of a pesticide. common name is a shorter name that EPA recognizes as a substitute for the chemical name. best identifier.--ex. glyphosate a tradename is used by a chemical company to identify the product--- ex. round up name and explain the signal words you see on a pesticide label - correct answer DANGER-POISON: skull and cross bones- appears on highly toxic pesticides. acute illness DANGER: highly toxic ex. skin irritant WARNING: moderately toxic
CAUTION: slightly toxic explain the meaning of the statement: " it is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling." - correct answer it is illegal to use the pesticide in any way not permitted by the labeling. you must follow ALL directions for use, including safety, mixing, diluting, storage, and disposal. you may not use higher doses or more frequently than the label allows. also, you must wear the required PPE. if you transfer a pesticide (concentrate or diluted) into another container, do you have to label the secondary container? - correct answer YES! what is FIFRA - correct answer Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1947. FIFRA regulates the registration, manufacture, sale, transportation, and use of pesticides. it specifies how they must be registered and used, the required training and certification of applicators, and the classification of RUPs when and why might you use a MSDS for a pesticide product? - correct answer to get technical information about the environmental and human health effects of a pesticide product. you could also consult an msds to find out how to respond to an accident or incident what is a pesticide formulation? - correct answer the mixture of active ingredient and inert ingredients that forms an end-use pesticide product. a formulated pesticide will contain both an active ingredient to control the target pest and a carrier or diluent. many also contain adjuvants and other ingredients such as stabilizers or dyes. what is the difference between active and inert ingredients? - correct answer active ingredients are the chemicals that control the pests what is the term used to describe a mixture formed by dispersing solid particles in a liquid? - correct answer suspension. suspensions contain fine solid particles, which do not dissolve in the liquid carrier. these must be agitated to maintain even particle distribution. what is the term used for a mixture made by suspending droplets of one liquid in another? - correct answer Emulsion: each ingredient retains its unique properties and identity. emulsions have a milky appearance. (E or EC)
dis: high cost/unit of ai name at least one advantage and one disadvantage of concentrate solution (C, LC, or WSC/WSL) formulations. - correct answer adv: do not clog hoses or nozzles dis: easily absorbed through skin which dry formulation consists of particles that are more or less uniform in size, shape, and weight - correct answer pellet wettable powders are widely used pesticide formulations. why? - correct answer many advantages:
- effective for most pest problems and in most types of spray equipment
- excellent residual activity
- easy to store, transport, and handle
- less likely than ECs to harm treated plants/animals
- usually not phytotoxic
- pose less risk of skin and eye absorption name at least 2 disadvantages of WPs - correct answer 1. not easy to measure
- inhalation hazard to applicator while mixing and measuring what is the term for a wettable powder formulation that has been compressed into granule-sized particles? - correct answer Dry flowable (DF) or water-dispersible granule (WDG) what is the general term for a pesticide AI formulated with food or another attractive substance? - correct answer bait` what are fumigants? why are they dangerous? - correct answer pesticides that form poisonous gasses when applied. they are toxic to a wide range of pests and can be used at many different sites. they are highly toxic to humans and all other organisms. high inhalation exposure risk
why must pesticides be compatible if they are tank mixed? - correct answer because a mixture that is not compatible may be unusable, unsafe, or ineffective. incompatibility occurs when one component within a tank mix reacts with or adversely affects another. how do you know if 2 pesticides can be safely tank mixed? - correct answer read the label. if not in the label, mix a small amount in a jar and look for incompatibility signs what concentration of active ingredient would you expect to find in the label : Alpha 40 WP - correct answer 40% ai what is the difference between a surfactant and an adjuvant? - correct answer an adjuvant is a chemical that affects how a pesticide works. it can be any substance added to modify properties of a pesticide formulation. a surfactant is a specific kind of adjuvant. it affects the dispersing, spreading, or wetting properties of spray droplets. what are sensitive areas that need extra protection from pesticides? - correct answer sites or living things within an environment that re vulnerable to pesticide injury. ex..
- places where pesticide might get into ground or surface water
- near homes, schools, playgrounds, hospitals, and other public areas
- animals- endangered species, bees, wildlife, livestock and pets.
- food or feed is stored what is the difference between 'point source' and a 'nonpoint source' pesticide pollution? - correct answer Point source pollution comes from a specific identifiable place or point. ex. a pesticide spill that moves into a storm drain. Nonpoint source pollution comes from a wider area. ex. the movement of pesticides into streams after a broadcast application. List three ways in which pesticides can move off site. - correct answer 1. in air- wind or air currents
- water- runoff or leaching
- persistence- some pesticides break down slowly and remain in the environment for a long time. what is groundwater and why is it important? - correct answer water located beneath the earths surface, usually in rock and soil. this water is used in wells and household irrigation how can you help to prevent pesticides from reaching groundwater? - correct answer - do not use more than the labeling directions
- avoid application methods that present special risks
- keep pesticides from back siphoning
- correctly dispose of unused pesticides,containers, and rinse water
