Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators CORE exam Test Questions
with Answers Graded A+
Explain the difference between key pests, ANSWER -monocots (sedges and grasses)
occasional pests and secondary pests - have one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, flower
ANSWER -Key pests are nearly always parts in multiples of 3 and fibrous roots. Dicots
present and require regular control. occasional have 2 cotyledons, broad leaves with netted
pests are migratory or cyclical and require veination, and flower parts in multiples of 4 and 5
intermittent control. secondary pests require and usually have taproots.
control only under certain conditions, such as the
elimination of a key pest or the absence of a
natural host. name the pathogens that cause most plant and
animal diseases - ANSWER -fungi,
bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what should you do first if you see damage to a
plant, animal, or valuable product/ -
ANSWER -identify the cause what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases -
ANSWER -stunting, yellow rings on leaves,
wilting, and mosaic patterns
what should you do first if you discover a pest
that may need to be controlled? -
ANSWER -make sure the pest is actually how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? -
responsible for the damage. then accurately ANSWER -by attacking the roots, stems
identify the pest 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
how can pest identification help you develop a a lack of water or nutrients.
good pest control strategy? - ANSWER -it
allows you to determine basic information about
the pest, including its life-cycle and when it is how do mollusks harm plants? - ANSWER -
most susceptible to control measures. by feeding on foliage and fruit. mollusks reduce
the value of commercial produce if they feed on
harvested plants and fruit.
name the 5 basic pest groups - ANSWER -
weeds, parasites and diseases, mollusks,
arthropods, and vertebrates. what are arthropods? how do they differ from
vertebrates? - ANSWER -arthropods are
animals with segmented bodies and jointed
why do weeds present such a challenge to pest appendages. Arthropods have an external
managers? - ANSWER -weeds are often skeleton and may have specialized appendages
hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh such as sucking tubes, chewing mouth parts,
conditions. many produce large numbers of antennae, and pincers. they have no backbones
seeds which can spread over a wide area and like vertebrates
remain dormant for a long time.
what is the difference between gradual and
how can you tell a monocot from a dicot? - complete metamorphosis? why is it important to
1/9
, Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators CORE exam Test Questions
with Answers Graded A+
know the life cycle stage of an insect? -
ANSWER -gradual metamorphosis
includes 3 stages: egg, nymph and adult. there is what is monitoring and how is it important to a
no pupa stage. complete metamorphosis sound pest control strategy? - ANSWER -
includes 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. regular checking or scouting for pests in a
insects that develop via complete metamorphosis designated area. Monitoring will tell you what
change body form. larvae may not look at all like pests are in an area, how many are in the area,
adults within the same species.it is very and how much damage they are causing. it will
important to recognize the damaging stage for help determine if the pest population has reached
best treatment results. many insect are pests in the treatment threshold and whether control
one stage but not another. especially larval form. measures have worked.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they what is the difference between prevention,
important to agriculture? - ANSWER - suppression and eradication of a pest? -
insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies) ANSWER -prevention means reducing the
or pest predators (ladybeetles and lacewings). chances that a pest will become a problem.
with out pollinators many types of plants could suppression means reducing pest numbers or
not reproduce and beneficial predators feed on damage to an acceptable level. Eradication
harmful insects, mites, and weeds. means destroying an entire pest population.
how do mites harm plants? - ANSWER - how could you prevent a pest infestation? -
They suck the plant juices, eat the underside of ANSWER -plant weed- and disease- free
leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed on. seed, choose plants resistant to diseases and
insects, and practice good sanitation. other
preventative techniques include excluding pests
what is an economic threshold? - from the target area and using pre-emergent
ANSWER -the level at which economic herbicides to kill weed seeds.
losses caused by pest damage, if the pest
population continued to grow, would be greater
than the cost of controlling the pests. reaching an briefly define IPM - ANSWER -Integrated
economic threshold usually prompts some kind Pest Management is an ecological approach to
of pest control action. pest control. it is based on the habitat and life-
cycle of the pest. IPM combines chemical and
nonchemical methods into a single plan or
how are thresholds important to a sound pest strategy. the goal of an IPM program is to reduce
control strategy? - ANSWER -setting a pest populations to an acceptable level in a way
treatment or action threshold is essential to that is practical, cost-effective, and safe for the
prevent the pests in an area from causing environment as well as human health.
unacceptable injury or harm. action thresholds
vary: sometimes one pest is too many (like a rat
in a food processing facility). Thresholds help Give several reasons to use IPM rather than
producers and applicators weigh the cost of pest using only a pesticide. - ANSWER -IPM
control against the cost of a pest infestation programs:
2/9
with Answers Graded A+
Explain the difference between key pests, ANSWER -monocots (sedges and grasses)
occasional pests and secondary pests - have one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, flower
ANSWER -Key pests are nearly always parts in multiples of 3 and fibrous roots. Dicots
present and require regular control. occasional have 2 cotyledons, broad leaves with netted
pests are migratory or cyclical and require veination, and flower parts in multiples of 4 and 5
intermittent control. secondary pests require and usually have taproots.
control only under certain conditions, such as the
elimination of a key pest or the absence of a
natural host. name the pathogens that cause most plant and
animal diseases - ANSWER -fungi,
bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what should you do first if you see damage to a
plant, animal, or valuable product/ -
ANSWER -identify the cause what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases -
ANSWER -stunting, yellow rings on leaves,
wilting, and mosaic patterns
what should you do first if you discover a pest
that may need to be controlled? -
ANSWER -make sure the pest is actually how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? -
responsible for the damage. then accurately ANSWER -by attacking the roots, stems
identify the pest 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
how can pest identification help you develop a a lack of water or nutrients.
good pest control strategy? - ANSWER -it
allows you to determine basic information about
the pest, including its life-cycle and when it is how do mollusks harm plants? - ANSWER -
most susceptible to control measures. by feeding on foliage and fruit. mollusks reduce
the value of commercial produce if they feed on
harvested plants and fruit.
name the 5 basic pest groups - ANSWER -
weeds, parasites and diseases, mollusks,
arthropods, and vertebrates. what are arthropods? how do they differ from
vertebrates? - ANSWER -arthropods are
animals with segmented bodies and jointed
why do weeds present such a challenge to pest appendages. Arthropods have an external
managers? - ANSWER -weeds are often skeleton and may have specialized appendages
hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh such as sucking tubes, chewing mouth parts,
conditions. many produce large numbers of antennae, and pincers. they have no backbones
seeds which can spread over a wide area and like vertebrates
remain dormant for a long time.
what is the difference between gradual and
how can you tell a monocot from a dicot? - complete metamorphosis? why is it important to
1/9
, Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators CORE exam Test Questions
with Answers Graded A+
know the life cycle stage of an insect? -
ANSWER -gradual metamorphosis
includes 3 stages: egg, nymph and adult. there is what is monitoring and how is it important to a
no pupa stage. complete metamorphosis sound pest control strategy? - ANSWER -
includes 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. regular checking or scouting for pests in a
insects that develop via complete metamorphosis designated area. Monitoring will tell you what
change body form. larvae may not look at all like pests are in an area, how many are in the area,
adults within the same species.it is very and how much damage they are causing. it will
important to recognize the damaging stage for help determine if the pest population has reached
best treatment results. many insect are pests in the treatment threshold and whether control
one stage but not another. especially larval form. measures have worked.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they what is the difference between prevention,
important to agriculture? - ANSWER - suppression and eradication of a pest? -
insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies) ANSWER -prevention means reducing the
or pest predators (ladybeetles and lacewings). chances that a pest will become a problem.
with out pollinators many types of plants could suppression means reducing pest numbers or
not reproduce and beneficial predators feed on damage to an acceptable level. Eradication
harmful insects, mites, and weeds. means destroying an entire pest population.
how do mites harm plants? - ANSWER - how could you prevent a pest infestation? -
They suck the plant juices, eat the underside of ANSWER -plant weed- and disease- free
leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed on. seed, choose plants resistant to diseases and
insects, and practice good sanitation. other
preventative techniques include excluding pests
what is an economic threshold? - from the target area and using pre-emergent
ANSWER -the level at which economic herbicides to kill weed seeds.
losses caused by pest damage, if the pest
population continued to grow, would be greater
than the cost of controlling the pests. reaching an briefly define IPM - ANSWER -Integrated
economic threshold usually prompts some kind Pest Management is an ecological approach to
of pest control action. pest control. it is based on the habitat and life-
cycle of the pest. IPM combines chemical and
nonchemical methods into a single plan or
how are thresholds important to a sound pest strategy. the goal of an IPM program is to reduce
control strategy? - ANSWER -setting a pest populations to an acceptable level in a way
treatment or action threshold is essential to that is practical, cost-effective, and safe for the
prevent the pests in an area from causing environment as well as human health.
unacceptable injury or harm. action thresholds
vary: sometimes one pest is too many (like a rat
in a food processing facility). Thresholds help Give several reasons to use IPM rather than
producers and applicators weigh the cost of pest using only a pesticide. - ANSWER -IPM
control against the cost of a pest infestation programs:
2/9
