CA BRANCH 3 STRUCTURAL PEST
CONTROL (2026/2027) UPDATE|EXAM
200
QUESTIONS WITH MULTIPLE
CHOICES |VERIFIED & REVISED
ANSWERS (NEW)!!!
Howmcanmyoumtellmthemdifferencembetweenmwoodmsufferingmfrommbrownmrotmandmwoodmsuffering
mfrommwhitemrot?m-mCORRECTmANSWERWoodminfestedmwithmbrownmrotmtypically:
•mappearsmdarkmbrown,m
•mshowsmexcessivemshrinkage,
•mdevelopsmcross-grainmcracking,mand
•mcanmbemcrushedmeasilymtomformmambrownishmpowder.
Woodminfestedmwithmwhitemrotmonmthemothermhand,moften:
•mappearsmwhitermthanmnormal,
,•mshowsmnormalmshrinkage,
•mdoesmnotmcrackmacrossmthemgrain,
•mismspongymtomthemtouch.
Whatmismthemdifferencembetweenmthemstainsmcausedmbymstainm(sapstain)mfungimvs.mmoldmfungi?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERSapstainmfungimlivemonmthemstarchminmwoodmcells.mThesemfungimmaymdiscolormt
hemsapwoodmentirelymorminmpatches.mThismstainmismdeepmwithinmthemwoodmandmcannotmbemremov
edmbymbrushingmormplaning.
Onmthemothermhand,mdiscolorationmcausedmbymmoldmfungimismsuperficial.mThismmeansmthatmyoumca
nmusuallymremovemthemdiscolorationmbymbrushingmormplaning.mHowever,monmhardwoodsmwithmope
nmporesm(verymlargemandmvisiblemvessels)msuchmasmthemoaks,mthemsurfacemmoldsmmaymcausemstains
mthatmaremtoomdeepmtomremovemeasily.
Howmcanmyoumdistinguishmbetweenmwingedmtermitesmandmwingedmants?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERLookmatmtheirmantennae,mwaists,mandmwings.mWingedmtermitesmhavemstraight
mantennae,mthickmwaists,mandmwingsmthatmaremequalminmsizemandmshape.mWingedmantsmhavembentm
antennae,mnarrowmwaists,mandmforewingsmthatmaremlargermthanmthemhindmwings.
Namemthemfourmbasicmcastesmofmtermites.mDescribemthembasicmfunction(s)mofmeachmcaste.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERWorkersm-
mgathermfood,mmaintainmthemgalleries,mtendmthemyoung,mandmgroommthemothermtermites.
,Soldiersm-mguardmthemcolonymagainstmpredators.
Primarymreproductivesm-
m"swarmers"mthatmflymoutmofmtheirmcoloniesmtomstartmnewmcoloniesmofmtheirmown.mTheymaremthemfu
turemkindsmandmqueensmofmnewmcolonies.
Secondarymreproductivesm-
msupplementmeggmproductionminmthempresencemofmthemkingmandmqueenmandmcanmtakemovermtheme
ggmlayingmifmthemqueenmdiesmormbeginsmtomfail.
Domsubterraneanmtermitesmlivementirelymwithinmwood?mWhymormwhymnot?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERNo,mbecausemtheymrequiremamconstantmsourcemofmmoisturemtomsurvive.mHowe
ver,mtheymcanmliveminmwoodmwithmlessmthanm20%mmoisturembymgettingmtheirmmoisturemfrommthemgr
ound.mTheymtransportmthismmoisturemthroughmflattened,mearthenmsheltermtubesmthatmservemasmpa
ssagewaysmfrommthemsoilmtomtheminfestedmwood.
Howmdomsubterraneanmtermitesmmostmoftenminfestmwoodminmbuildings?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERTheymgainmentrymthroughmuntreatedmwoodmthatmtouchesmormismclosemtomthemg
round,mparticularlymatmporches,msteps,mandmterraces.mTheymcanmalsominfestmbuildingsmthroughmcra
cksmormvoidsminmfoundationsmormconcretemfloorsmthatmmakemitmeasymformtermitesmtomreachmwoodmt
hatmismnotmclosemtomthemsoil.
Describemthemfrassmpelletsmofmdrywoodmtermites.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERTheymaremsmallmandmcylindricalmwithmsixmdepressionsmonmthemsides.mThesemp
elletsmaremuniquemtomdrywoodmtermitesmandmaremusedmformidentification.
Wheremdomdrywoodmtermitesmmostmoftenmoccur?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERInmsouthernmFlorida,msouthernmCalifornia,mandmalongmthemsouthernmgulfmcoas
tmofmthemUnitedmStates.
, Domdrywoodmtermitesmlivementirelymwithinmwood?mWhymormwhymnot?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERYes,mbecausemtheymrequiremlittlemmoisturem(woodmMCsmasmlowmasm5%).mUnlik
emsubterraneanmtermites,mdrywoodmtermitesmhavemnomconnectionmwithmthemsoil.
Listmseveralmwaysmyoumcanmprotectmwoodmfrommtermites.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERTomprotectmwoodmfrommsubterraneanmtermites,myoumcan:
•mapplyminsecticidesmtomthemsoilmaroundmbuildings,mand
•mavoidmusingmwoodmmulchesmnextmtombuildings.
Tomprotectmwoodmfrommsubterraneanmandmdrywoodmtermites,myoumcan:
•musemphysicalmbarriersmonmfoundations,mand
•musemproperlympreservedmwood,mwhichmmakesmitmundesirablemasmamfoodmsource.
Describemthemfrassmofmpowderpostmbeetles.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERPowderpostmbeetlemfrassmappearsmasmamfinemwoodmdustmormpowder.mSlightmja
rringmofminfestedmwoodmcanmcausemthemfrassmtomsiftmfrommholes.mThismismamsuremsignmofmampowder
postmbeetleminfestation.mInmaddition,mthemfrassmofmanobiidmbeetlesmhasmamdistinctivemhotdogmbunm
shape.
CONTROL (2026/2027) UPDATE|EXAM
200
QUESTIONS WITH MULTIPLE
CHOICES |VERIFIED & REVISED
ANSWERS (NEW)!!!
Howmcanmyoumtellmthemdifferencembetweenmwoodmsufferingmfrommbrownmrotmandmwoodmsuffering
mfrommwhitemrot?m-mCORRECTmANSWERWoodminfestedmwithmbrownmrotmtypically:
•mappearsmdarkmbrown,m
•mshowsmexcessivemshrinkage,
•mdevelopsmcross-grainmcracking,mand
•mcanmbemcrushedmeasilymtomformmambrownishmpowder.
Woodminfestedmwithmwhitemrotmonmthemothermhand,moften:
•mappearsmwhitermthanmnormal,
,•mshowsmnormalmshrinkage,
•mdoesmnotmcrackmacrossmthemgrain,
•mismspongymtomthemtouch.
Whatmismthemdifferencembetweenmthemstainsmcausedmbymstainm(sapstain)mfungimvs.mmoldmfungi?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERSapstainmfungimlivemonmthemstarchminmwoodmcells.mThesemfungimmaymdiscolormt
hemsapwoodmentirelymorminmpatches.mThismstainmismdeepmwithinmthemwoodmandmcannotmbemremov
edmbymbrushingmormplaning.
Onmthemothermhand,mdiscolorationmcausedmbymmoldmfungimismsuperficial.mThismmeansmthatmyoumca
nmusuallymremovemthemdiscolorationmbymbrushingmormplaning.mHowever,monmhardwoodsmwithmope
nmporesm(verymlargemandmvisiblemvessels)msuchmasmthemoaks,mthemsurfacemmoldsmmaymcausemstains
mthatmaremtoomdeepmtomremovemeasily.
Howmcanmyoumdistinguishmbetweenmwingedmtermitesmandmwingedmants?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERLookmatmtheirmantennae,mwaists,mandmwings.mWingedmtermitesmhavemstraight
mantennae,mthickmwaists,mandmwingsmthatmaremequalminmsizemandmshape.mWingedmantsmhavembentm
antennae,mnarrowmwaists,mandmforewingsmthatmaremlargermthanmthemhindmwings.
Namemthemfourmbasicmcastesmofmtermites.mDescribemthembasicmfunction(s)mofmeachmcaste.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERWorkersm-
mgathermfood,mmaintainmthemgalleries,mtendmthemyoung,mandmgroommthemothermtermites.
,Soldiersm-mguardmthemcolonymagainstmpredators.
Primarymreproductivesm-
m"swarmers"mthatmflymoutmofmtheirmcoloniesmtomstartmnewmcoloniesmofmtheirmown.mTheymaremthemfu
turemkindsmandmqueensmofmnewmcolonies.
Secondarymreproductivesm-
msupplementmeggmproductionminmthempresencemofmthemkingmandmqueenmandmcanmtakemovermtheme
ggmlayingmifmthemqueenmdiesmormbeginsmtomfail.
Domsubterraneanmtermitesmlivementirelymwithinmwood?mWhymormwhymnot?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERNo,mbecausemtheymrequiremamconstantmsourcemofmmoisturemtomsurvive.mHowe
ver,mtheymcanmliveminmwoodmwithmlessmthanm20%mmoisturembymgettingmtheirmmoisturemfrommthemgr
ound.mTheymtransportmthismmoisturemthroughmflattened,mearthenmsheltermtubesmthatmservemasmpa
ssagewaysmfrommthemsoilmtomtheminfestedmwood.
Howmdomsubterraneanmtermitesmmostmoftenminfestmwoodminmbuildings?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERTheymgainmentrymthroughmuntreatedmwoodmthatmtouchesmormismclosemtomthemg
round,mparticularlymatmporches,msteps,mandmterraces.mTheymcanmalsominfestmbuildingsmthroughmcra
cksmormvoidsminmfoundationsmormconcretemfloorsmthatmmakemitmeasymformtermitesmtomreachmwoodmt
hatmismnotmclosemtomthemsoil.
Describemthemfrassmpelletsmofmdrywoodmtermites.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERTheymaremsmallmandmcylindricalmwithmsixmdepressionsmonmthemsides.mThesemp
elletsmaremuniquemtomdrywoodmtermitesmandmaremusedmformidentification.
Wheremdomdrywoodmtermitesmmostmoftenmoccur?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERInmsouthernmFlorida,msouthernmCalifornia,mandmalongmthemsouthernmgulfmcoas
tmofmthemUnitedmStates.
, Domdrywoodmtermitesmlivementirelymwithinmwood?mWhymormwhymnot?m-
mCORRECTmANSWERYes,mbecausemtheymrequiremlittlemmoisturem(woodmMCsmasmlowmasm5%).mUnlik
emsubterraneanmtermites,mdrywoodmtermitesmhavemnomconnectionmwithmthemsoil.
Listmseveralmwaysmyoumcanmprotectmwoodmfrommtermites.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERTomprotectmwoodmfrommsubterraneanmtermites,myoumcan:
•mapplyminsecticidesmtomthemsoilmaroundmbuildings,mand
•mavoidmusingmwoodmmulchesmnextmtombuildings.
Tomprotectmwoodmfrommsubterraneanmandmdrywoodmtermites,myoumcan:
•musemphysicalmbarriersmonmfoundations,mand
•musemproperlympreservedmwood,mwhichmmakesmitmundesirablemasmamfoodmsource.
Describemthemfrassmofmpowderpostmbeetles.m-
mCORRECTmANSWERPowderpostmbeetlemfrassmappearsmasmamfinemwoodmdustmormpowder.mSlightmja
rringmofminfestedmwoodmcanmcausemthemfrassmtomsiftmfrommholes.mThismismamsuremsignmofmampowder
postmbeetleminfestation.mInmaddition,mthemfrassmofmanobiidmbeetlesmhasmamdistinctivemhotdogmbunm
shape.
