Associate Certified Entomologist Study Guide | Questions and Answers

Associate Certified Entomologist Study Guide | Questions and Answers What does IPM stand for? Integrated Pest Management What are multiple control tactics (of IPM)? 1) Pest populations are managed at acceptable levels. 2) Risks to people, other non-target organisms, and the environment are minimized. 3) Pest control is practical and economical. Essential ingredients for IPM include: 1) Identifying the pests. 2) Establishing thresholds to determine appropriate actions. 3) Conducting thorough inspections over time. 4) Good record keeping. 5) Using multiple pest control tactics. 6) Gaining the trust and cooperation of the customer or client. What is the pest triangle concept? Pests need at least 3 essentials to thrive: food, water, and harborage (habitat). Conducive conditions When the 3 essentials are found together (food, water, harborage) What is the most important tool for an IPM inspector? Flashlight What are some functions of a flashlight? Illuminating tree holes, dark corners of buildings, and shadowy areas along rooflines. Moisture meters are good for: determining moisture levels of wooded structures and walls (ex: carpenter ants or termites). Black lights can be used to: detect urine, rodent hairs, or night-active scorpions. While humans can detect an electromagnetic spectrum range of 390-700 nanometers, insects can detect: 300-650 nm (includes ultraviolet, or UV) This item can be useful for finding termite tubes or other insects nesting in walls or ceilings, and can help identify suspicious areas that can be further explored with a moisture meter or borescope. Infrared Camera (IR) What are flushing agents? Chemical agents that cause pests to evacuate harborages. Special care should be taken when flushing out cockroaches - especially when using compressed air and aerosol sprays - because: allergens in their feces and their molted exoskeletons may become airborne. Stethoscopes can be used for: listening inside wall cavities for rodent activities and for noises made by bees, ants, and other social insects. Cameras/borescopes allow: visual inspections inside walls and other places that otherwise cannot be seen. Magnifying glasses and microscopes are essential for: identifying tiny pests, such as mites. A narrow bladed spatula can be useful for: digging out pests, their droppings, nesting materials, shed wings, molted skins or exoskeletons, and other clues during an inspection. They are also helpful for removing old bait applications that have dried and are no longer palatable to pests. List examples of collecting vials and their purpose Petri dishes, plastic vials, and other containers. They are used for safe storage and transportation. When trained, dogs can be used to detect: bed bugs, termites, and other insects. List the most common harborage site for the following cockroach: German Indoors in warm, moist areas, like kitchens and bathrooms. List the most common harborage site for the following cockroach: Asian Outdoors, in leaf litter List the most common harborage site for the following cockroach: Brownbanded Indoors, throughout the home, especially in warmer locations List the most common harborage site for the following cockroach: Oriental Cool places, close to the ground, like basements, sewers, and crawl spaces. List the most common harborage site for the following cockroach: American Sewers, basements, wall voids, attics. List the most common harborage site for the following cockroach: Smokybrown Mostly outdoors in wood piles and tree holes, but also in attics and soffits. Examples of pest signs include: frass/scat, mud tubes or nests, exit holes, eggs and egg cases (oothecae), silk, and nests. Differentiate between frass and scat. Frass consists of plant or wood fragments, usually mixed with insect excrement (powderpost beetles, drywood termites). Scat refers to any type of feces or excrement. This insect is the most common builder of tube-like mud structures. Subterranean Termites Subterranean termites attach to: sides of foundations, walls, and trees Name arthropod groups that can produce silk. spiders, caterpillars, booklice (Psocoptera), lacewings (Neuroptera), some beetle larvae (Coleoptera), and fleas (Siphonaptera). This group is recognized for their relatively large mounds that lack a noticeable entry and exit hole. fire ants This group builds distinctive paper carton nests out of chewed up wood. Social wasps in the family Vespidae (paper wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets). Doorway thresholds and seals should be inspected for: crawling insects, rodents, snakes, ants, and spiders. Air curtains should be inspected for: flying insects and flies. Window caulking and screens should be inspected for: flying insects, rodents, ants, and spiders. Utility penetrations should be inspected for: Rodents, snakes, bees, other insects, and spiders. Roof lines and soffits should be inspected for: rats, bats, bees, wasps, and other insects. Roof surfaces should be inspected for: rot, mold, wood-destroying insects, and birds. Garbage removal and storage should be inspected for: rodents, bees, wasps, and flies. Exterior lights should be inspected for: nocturnal flying insects and spiders. Grounds should be inspected for: tree hazards, landscape pests, fire ants, rodents, and mosquitoes. Walls should be inspected for: cockroaches, ants, and rodents. Flooring should be inspected for: Flies, cockroaches, and ants. Utility areas should be inspected for: flies, cockroaches, rodents, and silverfish Ceiling tiles should be inspected for: mold, flies, and wood-destroying insects. Floor drains should be inspected for: cockroaches and various flies Kitchen furniture, equipment, and food-storage areas should be inspected for: cockroaches, flies, stored product pests, and rodents A sample of the pest population in an account does not count ALL of the pests in the account. Monitoring a pest population occurs when samples are recorded over a period of time. What are the 4 basic components of a monitoring program? 1) Visual inspection of the account. 2) The use of traps and other devices to obtain samples of pest and pest damage. 3) Interviews or work orders from the people who live or work at the account. 4) Record keeping and reports. A useful way to detect the presence of some pests is through trapping Cryptic pests Pests that hide during the day, when inspections are usually conducted. Passive traps collect insects without a lure (ex: sticky trap for cockroaches) Active traps actively attract pests (ex: CO2 traps for bed bugs/mosquitoes and phermone traps) Sticky traps are sheets of paper, plastic or cardboard with one or more surfaces covered in glue or adhesive Where is the optimal placement of sticky trap for cockroaches? Within a few feet of food and water sources, since that is where harborages will be located, and they don't travel far from their harborages. Where is the optimal placement of a sticky trap for ants? In a variety of locations along their foraging routes (since they may travel hundreds of feet from their colonies). When placing sticky traps for crawling insects, a PMP should: Place traps in corners and along the edges of walls or cabinets, since insects often travel there. Also, less tampered with by children or pets. Place traps near potential entry points (holes in a wall or near doors) until the entry points can be sealed. Thigmotaxis Navigate via touch For cockroaches, place sticky traps: under sinks, stoves, refrigerators, ovens, dish washers, and other appliances; inside drawers and cabinets; on the floor behind toilets and trash cans; and on kitchen counter tops. When possible, place them against walls, especially in places where cockroaches have been observed. When placing sticky traps for flying insects, a PMP should: place sticky traps evenly throughout a building in order to determine the most concentrated areas of pest infestation Pheromone traps Insect produced hormones used to communicate or influence the behavior of other insects of the same species. Sex pheromones Used to find mates Aggregation pheromones Signal insects to form groups in communal harborages Trail pheromones Used to lead others (especially ants and termites) to food sources Pheromone traps are especially effective for monitoring stored product pests like: Indian meal moths and clothes moths For small areas, one pheromone trap should be used for every _______________ square feet 250-500 For larger areas, such as warehouses, one pheromone trap should be used for every _________________ square feet 1,000-2,000 Pitfall traps (aka Interceptor traps) Devices that capture insects with the assistance of gravity and a catch basin from which insects cannot escape Light Traps Use of ultraviolet or black lights to attract insects (moths and flies) why should light traps only be used indoors? They may attract and kill non-targets, and are not effective for managing insects outdoors. Keep them away from building entrances and windows to prevent attracting insects from outside. Use light traps with low-voltage shocks or glue boards (instead of high voltage) to prevent from insect parts shattering and contaminating areas near food processing. Jar Traps Useful for wasps and flies. Work the same way as a light trap. Snap traps, live traps, and glue boards: can be used to monitor and control rodents, birds, and other vertebrates. Place traps on known rodent paths. Trigger side should be placed next to the wall. DNA Tests: Swab samples to pick up pest DNA (fleas, lice, bed bugs, and certain mites). Useful in investigating "mystery bug" cases. Tracking powders Non-toxic powders (talcum or baby powder) can provide visual evidence (tracks) of pests. The use of cultural control methods ensure that habitats (especially outdoors) are less susceptible or attractive to pests. Habitat modification. Physical controls involve manipulating physical factors such as electricity, heat, cold, humidity, light, or sound. Mechanical controls involve barriers, traps, vacuums, or other devices (involves the use of machines or devices to trap, restrain, or kill pests). Biological controls pit other living organisms against pests. Chemical controls insecticides, repellents, and attractants; commonly known as pesticides. The IPM pyramid from top to bottom: chemical controls, biological controls, mechanical/physical controls, and sanitation, quarantine, and exclusion. Which US agency developed a quarantine program for fire ants in the 1950s to prevent them from being established in uninfested parts of the country? United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). This department restricted soil movement or anything with soil contact (fire ants). Under the Plant Protection Act and the Animal Health Protection Act, this US agency inspects baggage for agricultural items that may harbor insects or diseases. Agricultural specialists from the US Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They inspect US ports, airports, and border crossings. Give examples of sanitation practices. -Removing food crumbs from the table -Putting a tight lid on a trash can -Keeping food in airtight containers -Keeping wood mulch at least 6 inches away from exterior walls (less attractive to termites) Give examples of cultural control. -Removing backyard objects that contain standing water -Cleaning gutters and aligning them so water doesn't collect -Removing old tree stumps and other rotting materials -Cleaning up animal waste -Pruning shrubs that may harbor pests -Eliminating hiding spots where rodents may build nests -Moving piles of firewood away from a structure -Keeping tight lids on trash cans -Moving light sources or changing them to ones less desirable to insects (also physical control) -Removing clutter in a bedroom -Removing a bird's nest from a window sill -Installing gutter covers (also considered exclusion) Exclusion is an important part of cultural control efforts. List some examples. -Sealing or repairing holes to deny entrance to insects, rodents, bats, and other pests. Caulk for anything smaller than 0.5 inches, otherwise use cement, concrete or other material for larger holes -Replacing a wooden shed (that rats can chew through) for a metal one -Using screens on porch perimeters to keep out mosquitoes and flies -Use wire mesh on exhaust holes for clothes dryers or range hoods to keep out rodents -Tree trimming to keep branches from buildings (deny insects and rodents) -Bird netting or bird spikes -Metal guards around pipes (deny rodents) -Airtight containers to seal food (also considered sanitation) List examples of mechanical control. -Snap trap to kill mice -Vacuum cleaners (flea eggs from carpets; stink bugs, lady birds -fans (push away mosquitoes) -fly swatters List examples of biological control. -Lacewings to attack and kill garden pests -cats and dogs to manage rats and mice -nematodes, bacteria, fungi, viruses, other insects -parasitic wasps -phorid flies controlling for fire ants List different pesticide formulations. liquids, dusts, gases, powders, granules, and baits. Each chemical class has a different ________________. Mode of Action (MOA) Mode of Action (MOA) How the chemical class affects physiology of pests (how a pesticide works). According to the US EPA, the following are included as pesticides: chemical pheromones and insect repellents. Who published "A Treatise of Buggs"? When? What did this book entail? John Southall in 1730. It discussed chemical control of bed bugs using "Nonpareil Liquor". When was DDT discovered? By who? 1940, by Paul Hermann Muller. Name the derivative chemicals of DDT. Chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin DDT was used during this time period to control for mosquitoes and lice (preventing Malaria and Typhus). Used by allied troops during WWII Winston Churchill called DDT __________________. "the excellent powder" Which book led to the massive overhaul of the US pesticide laws (FIFRA) and the establishment of the US EPA? Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson in 1962. DDT was banned from the US in __________. The concept of _____________ was born shortly after. 1972; IPM For resistance to develop in a population, these things are required: -Genetic diversity must be high enough for one or more individuals in the population to have genes that confer resistance to the insecticide. -The insect population must have a high reproductive potential and short generation time. -A large proportion of the population must be exposed to the insecticide. ex: cockroaches, house flies, bed bugs, fleas Which insect has never developed resistance to malathion? The boll weevil Which social insects are least likely to develop resistance? Why? Ants, termites, and bees. The reproductive unit is the colony, not the individual, which takes time. The genetic diversity within a colony is low (daughters of the same parent). Rarely do we treat a small portion of the interbreeding population with pesticides. Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) The authoritative guide to pesticide modes of action (consists of experts from agrochemical and public health companies). Insecticide Rotation When rotation is made among insecticides with different modes of action. Cross resistance Resistance to the selection agent and all insecticides that have the same mode of action. Using low rates of insecticides allow: slightly resistant individuals to survive and develop resistance. Pesticides should always be applied: at the label rate to avoid development of resistance. Name the MOA for organochlorines (chlorinated hydrocarbons). Affect the sodium channels or the chloride channels (cyclodienes) in nerve cells by keeping the channels open, causing hyperexcitation. A broad spectrum insecticide Broad-spectrum Toxic to a wide variety of athropods, and are very persistent in the environment. List examples of organochlorines (chlorinated hydrocarbons). DDT, chlordane, lindane, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor. dicofol, and endosulfan. Name the MOA for Borates. Ingested borates are thought to be cellular toxins that inhibit energy production within the cells. List examples of borates. Borax, boric acid, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. Name the MOA for organophosphosphates. Inhibits acetylcholinesterase, making the nerve continually signal, resulting in continuous muscle contraction; in humans, this produces symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, and pin point eye pupils. Not persistent in the environment and breaks down quickly. Neurotransmitter The chemicals sent from one nerve cell to another. Is received by a receptor. Receptor The second nerve cell that receives the neurotransmitters. Acetylcholine (ACh) The key synaptic neurotransmitter for both humans and insects. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) The enzyme that clears out the ACh after it floods the synapse (stops the signal). List examples of organophosphates. -dichlorvos, malathion, acephate, naled (continued) -chlorpyrifos, diazinon, propetamphos (discontinued) Name the MOA for carbamates. Identical to organophosphates, but considered reversible AChE inhibitors with weaker bonds to AChE that break down over time. List examples of carbamates. Carbaryl and propoxur Physical toxicants Harm insects physically, instead of biochemically. Ex: scratching, cutting, drying, suffocating, or drowning Diatomaceous earth (DE) Abrades the way waterproofing on the insect's exoskeleton, resulting in water loss and desiccation in a dry environment. Made of tiny, sharp fossilized shells. Horticultural Oils Seep into pores of eggs or spiracles of arthropod bodies, causing suffocation. Derived from rosemary, mint, geraniums, lemongrass, linseed, and other plants. Botanicals Many different MOA's. Any pesticide that is derived from a plant. Pyrethrins Most widely used botanical insecticide in the world. Derived from pyrethrum from these two species: Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium and Chrysanthemum coccineum. What are the 6 active compounds in pyrethrins? Pyrethrin I, pyrethrin II, cinerin I, cinerin II, jasmolin I, and jasmolin II. Some botcanicals - and others that aren't botanicals, such as dried blood, putrescent whole egg solids, and zinc metal strips - are considered to be: 25(b), or "minimum risk pesticides" by the US EPA. They are exempt from most federal registration and labeling requirements because they are "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS). Name the MOA for pyrethrins. Affect sodium channels in nerve axons. Class 3 Pyrethrin Synergist Another chemical mixed with pyrethrins to prevent insects from metabolizing pyrethrins. Ex: Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and MGK-264 Pyrethroids Synthetic forms of pyrethrins Name the MOA for pyrethroids Affect sodium channels in nerve axons. Class 3 Name examples of pyrethroids bifenthrin, permethrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, sumethrin, prallelthrin, and lamda-cyhalothrin. Neonicotinoids Produced by tobacco and related plants. Today, more neonicotinoids are used worldwide as insecticides than any other class of insecticide. Broad spectrum; water soluble; systemic in plants (taken up via plant roots or foliage). Low toxicity to mammals and humans, but very toxic to bees at low doses. Name the MOA of neonicotinoids Binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in insect nerve cells, which prevents the transmission of information from one cell to another. Class 4. List examples of neonicotinoids Imidacloprid, thiamexotham, acetamiprid, dinotefuran, and clothianidin. Spinosyns Derived from soil bacterium called Saccharopolyspora spinosa. Name the MOA for spinosyns. Binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in insect nerve cells, plus block GABA-gated chloride channels (GABA is an insect neurotransmitter), causing hyperexcitation of the nervous system. Name the best known example of a spinosyn. Spinosad Phenylpyrazoles Often used as baits for ants, termites, and cockroaches because they are slow acting and do not repel these insects. Name the MOA for phenylpyrazoles. Inhibit energy production in the cell, and disrupt the insect nervous system by blocking the GABA-gated chloride cell channel (GABA is an insect neurotransmitter), which causes hyperexcitation and convulsions. List an example of phenylpyrazoles. Fipronil, which is the active ingredient in some termicides and flea-and-tick products. Pyrroles Have very low mammalian toxicity and do not have repellent qualities, so are often used in baits for ants, termites, and cockroaches. Name the MOA for Pyrroles. Inhibit energy production within the cells. List an example of pyrrole. Chlorfenapyr Macrocyclic lactones, aka avermectins Derived from soil bacterium called Streptomyces avermitilus. Have very low mammalian toxicity levels and are often used in heartworm pills for pets. Name the MOA for macrocyclic lactones, aka avermectins. Nerve agents that disrupt the GABA-activated chloride channels, which blocks transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. List examples of macrocyclic lactones, aka avermectins. Abamectin, emamectin, benzoate, and ivermectin. Anthranilic Diamides (Diamides) Human toxicity to chlorantraniliprole (a diamide) is extremely low. They are systemic, so can be taken up by plants via roots or foliage. Name the MOA for Anthranilic diamides (diamides). Disrupt insect ryanodine receptors, intracellular calcium channels that play a central role in muscle and nerve function. List the example of an anthranilic diamide (diamides). Chlorantraniliprole. Microbials Living organisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, and others) that are used to control pests. Also called "entomopathogens" List examples of microbials. Bacillus thuringiensis (bacteria), effective againts flies, moths, and mosquitoes. Beauveria bassiana (fungus), controls a wide range of insects. Ezymes and bacteria in drain gels to control drain flies and other pests. Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) Hinder the ability of immature insects to develop into healthy adults. Name the two types of IGRs Juvenoids, aka juvenile hormone analogs and chitin synthesis inhibitors Name the MOA for Juvenile Hormone Analogs (juvenoids) Mimic natural insect hormones that regulate growth, maturation, and reproduction. ex: eggs don't develop or hatch, deformed body parts, prevention of molting, adults become sterile or stop producing eggs Only affective against immature insects. Very low toxicity levels for mammals and other vertebrates. List examples of Juvenile Hormone Analogs (juvenoids). Methoprene, hydroprene, and pyriproxyfen Name the MOA for Chitin Synthesis Inhibitors. Disrupts chitin production, hindering the insect's ability to molt successfully. List examples of Chitin Synthesis Inhibitors Diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, noviflumuron, and lufenuron. Oxadiazines Used in certain bait products and in some residual insecticides, and also used to protect pets from fleas and ticks. Name the MOA for oxadiazines. Block sodium channels, which inhibits the flow of sodium ions into nerve cells, leading to paralysis and then death.