IOWA GENERAL AND HOUSEHOLD PEST
MANAGEMENT CATEGORY 7A – EXAM IOWA STATE
UNIVERSITY, ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-2027.
COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION.
Define integrated pest management, threshold, harborage, bait.
A systematic approach to pest control that uses all reasonable pest control methods in an
environmentally compatible and economically feasible manner to reduce or eliminate pest
populations. Thresholds mark the highest acceptable point a pest population can reach without
risk of damage to people or the environment. Harborages are locations where pests seek shelter.
Bait is a food or other substance used to attract a pest to a pesticide or a trap.
Tell the difference between gradual and complete metamorphosis.
Gradual metamorphosis involves less extreme changes in an insect and usually involves a change
in size. It has three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Complete metamorphosis has four stages: egg,
larva, pupa, and adult.
Identify four places to inspect to look for pests or evidence of pest activity.
Cracks and crevices, behind/under appliances, in cluttered areas, and along utility lines.
List five tools needed during a facility inspection.
Flashlight, Black light, magnifying glass/hand lens, access tools such as screwdrivers, and a
clipboard with paper and pen.
List several monitoring techniques used in pest management.
Flushing agents, sticky traps, pheromone traps, mechanical traps, light traps, and product
inspection.
Give examples of food handling establishments requiring pest control.
Restaurants, cafeterias, bars, military mess halls, food trucks.
,Distinguish between the following treatment types: spot and crack and crevice; void and
space; barrier and bait.
Spot treatment the application to a small area no larger than two square feet. Crack and crevice
application occurs in cracks and crevices that pests may seek shelter in or enter the facility
through. Void treatment is applied in very small gaps and areas such as a small gap in a furniture
piece. Space treatments involves a larger scale of application and is delivered via aerosols.
Barrier applications are meant to stop insects from entering a building through the exterior
ground level. Bait treatment is designed to lure pests into traps.
State three types of application equipment that could be used in a perimeter treatment.
Backpack sprayers, compressed air sprayers, large capacity sprayers
Discuss where to use hand-held dusters versus power dusters inside a structure.
power dusters are more useful for dusting a large area such as an attic or pipe systems. Hand held
dusters are better for smaller target areas.
Explain the two types of ultra-low volume application devices.
Cold foggers use spinning rotors or discs to break liquid into small droplets which are then
forced out of the device. Thermal foggers use heat to vaporize insecticide concentrate. When the
heated vapors exit the equipment, they cool and condense into particles ranging from 1 to 10
microns in diameter.
Tell the importance of equipment maintenance in pest management programs.
Cleaning equipment maintains its efficiency and professional appearance. It also improves the
life of the machine.
Define, thigmotactic; oothecae; gregarious
The thigmotactic response of cockroaches means that they like to be where they can touch
surfaces both above and below them. Oothecae is the term for the bean-shaped egg cases they
lay. Gregarious means that they like to travel in groups.
Explain the health concerns associated with cockroach infestations.
, Cockroaches may carry bacteria to and from food sources which may cause food-born illnesses.
Identify four common, structure-infesting cockroach species.
German cockroach, brown-banded cockroach, american cockroach, oriental cockroach.
Identify the cockroach species that can be found accidentally in a structure.
Wood cockroaches
Recognize the signs of a cockroach infestation in a structure.
Live cockroaches, dead cockroaches, shed skins, oothecae, dry fecal material (looks like dark
grains of sand), fecal spotting in corners (tiny dark spots)
State the environmental conditions required by cockroaches to survive in a structure.
Most cockroaches need cool, damp, and dark areas to thrive.
Explain the relationship between conducive conditions and cockroach population levels.
The more conducive an environment, the easier it will be for cockroaches to live there.
Describe the nonchemical control tools that can be used against cockroaches.
Heat (120 degrees Fahrenheit) will kill cockroaches. A vacuum can be used to remove roaches
but a HEPA filter must be used. Sticky traps and glue boards can also be helpful
Categorize where chemical products are used against cockroaches.
Chemicals placed into or near harborages will have the best results. Pesticides should not be put
on greasy surfaces because their effects are decreased. Dry areas can be dusted and residual
pesticides can be used.
Explain how insecticide repellency will affect cockroach management.
Usually insecticides will need to be applied to the entire building in order to rid it of
cockroaches.
Discuss the primary reasons for bait failure.
poor sanitation, inadequate bait placement, immigration into the site, and bait aversion
MANAGEMENT CATEGORY 7A – EXAM IOWA STATE
UNIVERSITY, ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-2027.
COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION.
Define integrated pest management, threshold, harborage, bait.
A systematic approach to pest control that uses all reasonable pest control methods in an
environmentally compatible and economically feasible manner to reduce or eliminate pest
populations. Thresholds mark the highest acceptable point a pest population can reach without
risk of damage to people or the environment. Harborages are locations where pests seek shelter.
Bait is a food or other substance used to attract a pest to a pesticide or a trap.
Tell the difference between gradual and complete metamorphosis.
Gradual metamorphosis involves less extreme changes in an insect and usually involves a change
in size. It has three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Complete metamorphosis has four stages: egg,
larva, pupa, and adult.
Identify four places to inspect to look for pests or evidence of pest activity.
Cracks and crevices, behind/under appliances, in cluttered areas, and along utility lines.
List five tools needed during a facility inspection.
Flashlight, Black light, magnifying glass/hand lens, access tools such as screwdrivers, and a
clipboard with paper and pen.
List several monitoring techniques used in pest management.
Flushing agents, sticky traps, pheromone traps, mechanical traps, light traps, and product
inspection.
Give examples of food handling establishments requiring pest control.
Restaurants, cafeterias, bars, military mess halls, food trucks.
,Distinguish between the following treatment types: spot and crack and crevice; void and
space; barrier and bait.
Spot treatment the application to a small area no larger than two square feet. Crack and crevice
application occurs in cracks and crevices that pests may seek shelter in or enter the facility
through. Void treatment is applied in very small gaps and areas such as a small gap in a furniture
piece. Space treatments involves a larger scale of application and is delivered via aerosols.
Barrier applications are meant to stop insects from entering a building through the exterior
ground level. Bait treatment is designed to lure pests into traps.
State three types of application equipment that could be used in a perimeter treatment.
Backpack sprayers, compressed air sprayers, large capacity sprayers
Discuss where to use hand-held dusters versus power dusters inside a structure.
power dusters are more useful for dusting a large area such as an attic or pipe systems. Hand held
dusters are better for smaller target areas.
Explain the two types of ultra-low volume application devices.
Cold foggers use spinning rotors or discs to break liquid into small droplets which are then
forced out of the device. Thermal foggers use heat to vaporize insecticide concentrate. When the
heated vapors exit the equipment, they cool and condense into particles ranging from 1 to 10
microns in diameter.
Tell the importance of equipment maintenance in pest management programs.
Cleaning equipment maintains its efficiency and professional appearance. It also improves the
life of the machine.
Define, thigmotactic; oothecae; gregarious
The thigmotactic response of cockroaches means that they like to be where they can touch
surfaces both above and below them. Oothecae is the term for the bean-shaped egg cases they
lay. Gregarious means that they like to travel in groups.
Explain the health concerns associated with cockroach infestations.
, Cockroaches may carry bacteria to and from food sources which may cause food-born illnesses.
Identify four common, structure-infesting cockroach species.
German cockroach, brown-banded cockroach, american cockroach, oriental cockroach.
Identify the cockroach species that can be found accidentally in a structure.
Wood cockroaches
Recognize the signs of a cockroach infestation in a structure.
Live cockroaches, dead cockroaches, shed skins, oothecae, dry fecal material (looks like dark
grains of sand), fecal spotting in corners (tiny dark spots)
State the environmental conditions required by cockroaches to survive in a structure.
Most cockroaches need cool, damp, and dark areas to thrive.
Explain the relationship between conducive conditions and cockroach population levels.
The more conducive an environment, the easier it will be for cockroaches to live there.
Describe the nonchemical control tools that can be used against cockroaches.
Heat (120 degrees Fahrenheit) will kill cockroaches. A vacuum can be used to remove roaches
but a HEPA filter must be used. Sticky traps and glue boards can also be helpful
Categorize where chemical products are used against cockroaches.
Chemicals placed into or near harborages will have the best results. Pesticides should not be put
on greasy surfaces because their effects are decreased. Dry areas can be dusted and residual
pesticides can be used.
Explain how insecticide repellency will affect cockroach management.
Usually insecticides will need to be applied to the entire building in order to rid it of
cockroaches.
Discuss the primary reasons for bait failure.
poor sanitation, inadequate bait placement, immigration into the site, and bait aversion
