CA BRANCH 3 Structural Pest Control
EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS
<NEWEST VERSION>
1. How can you tell the difference between wood suffering from brown rot and
wood suffering from white rot? - ANSWER ✔ Wood infested with brown
rot typically:
• appears dark brown,
• shows excessive shrinkage,
• develops cross-grain cracking, and
• can be crushed easily to form a brownish powder.
Wood infested with white rot on the other hand, often:
• appears whiter than normal,
, • shows normal shrinkage,
• does not crack across the grain,
• is spongy to the touch.
2. What is the difference between the stains caused by stain (sapstain) fungi vs.
mold fungi? - ANSWER ✔ Sapstain fungi live on the starch in wood cells.
These fungi may discolor the sapwood entirely or in patches. This stain is
deep within the wood and cannot be removed by brushing or planing.
3. On the other hand, discoloration caused by mold fungi is superficial. This
means that you can usually remove the discoloration by brushing or planing.
However, on hardwoods with open pores (very large and visible vessels)
such as the oaks, the surface molds may cause stains that are too deep to
remove easily.
4. What is the minimum number of minutes that you must water test a stall
shower with no dam? - ANSWER ✔ 5 minutes
5. Are you required to water test a second floor stall shower? - ANSWER ✔
No. However, if water stains are evident on the ceiling below the shower,
the recommendation should be made for further inspection and testing.
6. What is the recommendation for cellulose debris? - ANSWER ✔ Remove.
7. What Family of beetles do the roundheaded borers belong too? - ANSWER
✔ Cerambycidae
,8. What Family of beetles do the flatheaded borers belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Buprestidae
9. What Family of beetles do the wharf borers belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Oedemeridae
10.What Family of beetles do the wood weevils belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Curculionidae
11.What Family of beetles do the bark beetles belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Scolytidae
12.How many days do you have to file a termite report? - ANSWER ✔ 10
business days a report has to be filed.
13.What type of life cycle or metamorphosis does a termite go through? -
ANSWER ✔ Incomplete or gradual metamorphosis for a termite
14.When should a pesticide applicator read a pesticide label? - ANSWER ✔
Before each application
15.How long does the board have to file a action against a company or a
licensee after an act or omission concerning fraud is committed? - ANSWER
✔ 2 years. In the case of Fraud, a complaint must be filed within 4 years.
However the board then has 2 years to file an accusation.
16.Death Watch Beetles are what type of Beelte? - ANSWER ✔ Anobiid
, 17.How much water is needed for a stall shower test? - ANSWER ✔ Fill within
1" of the top of the dam.
18.What does the adult stage of the Carpenter Bee eat? - ANSWER ✔ Pollen
and nectar
19.Chemical storage areas shall be posted with warning signs that are readable
from? - ANSWER ✔ From 25 feet.
20.IPM programs consist of what four basic tasks? - ANSWER ✔ Inspection,
eliminating conducive conditions, treatment, and monitoring
21.Completion tags must be posted in what location? - ANSWER ✔ Next to the
inspection tag
22.What size should the Inspection tags be? - ANSWER ✔ 3 x 5 card
must contain:
1) the companies name
2) date of inspection
3) and the following statement. "Do Not Remove-Structural Pest
Board Regulation 1996.1
23.What size should the Completions tags be? - ANSWER ✔ 3 x 5 card
must contain:
1) the companies name
2) date of completion
3) and the following statement. "Do Not Remove-Structural Pest
Board Regulation 1996.1
EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS
<NEWEST VERSION>
1. How can you tell the difference between wood suffering from brown rot and
wood suffering from white rot? - ANSWER ✔ Wood infested with brown
rot typically:
• appears dark brown,
• shows excessive shrinkage,
• develops cross-grain cracking, and
• can be crushed easily to form a brownish powder.
Wood infested with white rot on the other hand, often:
• appears whiter than normal,
, • shows normal shrinkage,
• does not crack across the grain,
• is spongy to the touch.
2. What is the difference between the stains caused by stain (sapstain) fungi vs.
mold fungi? - ANSWER ✔ Sapstain fungi live on the starch in wood cells.
These fungi may discolor the sapwood entirely or in patches. This stain is
deep within the wood and cannot be removed by brushing or planing.
3. On the other hand, discoloration caused by mold fungi is superficial. This
means that you can usually remove the discoloration by brushing or planing.
However, on hardwoods with open pores (very large and visible vessels)
such as the oaks, the surface molds may cause stains that are too deep to
remove easily.
4. What is the minimum number of minutes that you must water test a stall
shower with no dam? - ANSWER ✔ 5 minutes
5. Are you required to water test a second floor stall shower? - ANSWER ✔
No. However, if water stains are evident on the ceiling below the shower,
the recommendation should be made for further inspection and testing.
6. What is the recommendation for cellulose debris? - ANSWER ✔ Remove.
7. What Family of beetles do the roundheaded borers belong too? - ANSWER
✔ Cerambycidae
,8. What Family of beetles do the flatheaded borers belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Buprestidae
9. What Family of beetles do the wharf borers belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Oedemeridae
10.What Family of beetles do the wood weevils belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Curculionidae
11.What Family of beetles do the bark beetles belong too? - ANSWER ✔
Scolytidae
12.How many days do you have to file a termite report? - ANSWER ✔ 10
business days a report has to be filed.
13.What type of life cycle or metamorphosis does a termite go through? -
ANSWER ✔ Incomplete or gradual metamorphosis for a termite
14.When should a pesticide applicator read a pesticide label? - ANSWER ✔
Before each application
15.How long does the board have to file a action against a company or a
licensee after an act or omission concerning fraud is committed? - ANSWER
✔ 2 years. In the case of Fraud, a complaint must be filed within 4 years.
However the board then has 2 years to file an accusation.
16.Death Watch Beetles are what type of Beelte? - ANSWER ✔ Anobiid
, 17.How much water is needed for a stall shower test? - ANSWER ✔ Fill within
1" of the top of the dam.
18.What does the adult stage of the Carpenter Bee eat? - ANSWER ✔ Pollen
and nectar
19.Chemical storage areas shall be posted with warning signs that are readable
from? - ANSWER ✔ From 25 feet.
20.IPM programs consist of what four basic tasks? - ANSWER ✔ Inspection,
eliminating conducive conditions, treatment, and monitoring
21.Completion tags must be posted in what location? - ANSWER ✔ Next to the
inspection tag
22.What size should the Inspection tags be? - ANSWER ✔ 3 x 5 card
must contain:
1) the companies name
2) date of inspection
3) and the following statement. "Do Not Remove-Structural Pest
Board Regulation 1996.1
23.What size should the Completions tags be? - ANSWER ✔ 3 x 5 card
must contain:
1) the companies name
2) date of completion
3) and the following statement. "Do Not Remove-Structural Pest
Board Regulation 1996.1
