Employee Registration Manual: GA Pest Control
Exam
Why was the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) created? - Answer- to
regulate the registration and labeling of pesticides.
What government agency oversees the implementation of the FIFRA? - Answer- The EPA-
Environmental Protection Agency
What does the Endangered Species Act (1973) have to do with pest control? - Answer- ensure
that using registered pesticides would not harm Endangered Species
Tolerance levels were created for what 3 types of exposure? - Answer- food levels
drinking water, and
residential exposure.
Does the label just include the sticker on the bottle? - Answer- No! Any other PRINTED or
ELECTRONICALLY available information from the manufacturer, such as guidance documents,
installation instructions or technical bulletins.
"Labeling" carries the same enforcement weight as the actual label provided on the pesticide
container. True or False? - Answer- TRUE
The pesticide manufacturers are required to provide prescribed, detailed information to EPA
including: - Answer- • Toxicity of the pesticide • Hazard to the applicator • Effect on the
environment
Definition of General Use Pesticide? - Answer- Pesticides that are less likely to cause damage to
the environment.
Definition of Restricted Use Pesticides? - Answer- may cause human injury or damage to the
environment .
Who can apply a restricted use pesticide? - Answer- certified operator or someone operating
under his or her direct supervision
What are the potential civil and criminal penalties for FIFRA violations? - Answer- If an Operator
violates FIFRA they are subject to civil penalties up to $5,000 and violations of the law may also
result in criminal penalties up to $25,000 and/or one year in prison. Any Operator accused of a
violation has the right to ask for a hearing in their city or county of residence.
What two agencies administer the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act? - Answer- The Georgia
Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission
What is the GA law that governs most pest control issues? - Answer- Structural Pest Control Act
(SPCA).
,How often must you Re-register - Answer- every two years
All registrations, certifications, and licenses expire on June 30th of each odd numbered year.
Post construction subterranean termite control warranty-only contracts are limited to: - Answer-
one and two family dwellings and townhomes.
How long does a pest control company need to maintain records of WDO contracts for service? -
Answer- for a period of two years after expiration of the contract.
What are the three life-support requirements a pest needs to survive? - Answer- food, water, and
harborage (a place to hide)
What are the 3 major groups of pests? - Answer- Insects and other arthropods (mites, ticks, and
spiders) Vertebrates (birds, squirrels, rats and mice)
Wood decay fungi
The professional's first task is to_______ while recognizing and properly identifying the pest
involved in an infestation. - Answer- identify the cause (or causes)
What is an action plan based on? - Answer- An action plan based on the biology of a pest and the
conditions found at the customer's location.
_________ is the most critical first step of an action plan because the action plans are very
different from species to species. - Answer- Identification
Arthropods include - Answer- insects
spiders
mites and
ticks
____ are a diverse group of animals that make up about 85% of all known and described life on
earth. - Answer- Insects
Why are insects considered pests? - Answer- - disease(s) that result in illness or death to man and
animals.
- damage structures, food items, clothing and items used or constructed by humans.
- because they take up residence in our homes, build large populations in the surrounding
landscape or simply cross paths with us on their way to some other place.
Roaches undergo_____and the immature and adult stages live in the same area and feed on the
same things. Roaches are active at _____ and they eat most any kind of _____. - Answer- -
Incomplete metamorphosis/ (Paurometabolous)
-night (nocturnal)
-food (omnivore).
What is a roach egg case called and how many eggs can an egg case contain? - Answer- Adult
females lay eggs in a case called an ootheca that can contain from 10-50 eggs (depending on the
species of roach).
,What are ideal roach harborage sites? - Answer- in cracks, crevices, or voids that provide
darkness, moisture and no air movement
German Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1/2 inch long; tan to light brown with two dark strips
running lengthwise on the area behind the head (pronotum)
• Short life cycle; egg to adult in 6-12 weeks; adults live for 6-9 months
• Females carry the ootheca until it is ready to hatch
• Adults have wings but cannot fly
• Most common small roach infesting buildings in GA
American Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults about 1 1/2 inches long, dark to light reddish brown with
two light spots on the area behind the head (pronotum)
• Long life cycle; egg to adult 4-15 months; adults live for 1 to 1.5 years
• Prefer moist dark areas associated with sewers/storm drains and plumbing chases
• Adults have wings and can glide but are not good at powered flight
Smokybrown Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1 1/4 inches long and are a uniform dark brown color
• Long life cycle; from egg to adult about 4-12 months; adults live for 1 year
• Live outdoors in tree-hole and migrate in spring and fall into homes
• Adults have fully developed wings in both sexes and are excellent flyers
Brownbanded Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1/2 inch long and are a light brown color with two
lighter bands across the base of the wings and top of the abdomen
• Prefer dryer conditions than the German roach and are not common in Georgia
• Have a short life cycle; egg to adult in 3-4 months; adults live for about one year
• Adults have wings, but wings of the female don't cover the tip of the abdomen while the males'
wings are longer and males are good flyers
Oriental Cockroach
, What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1 inch long and are a uniform dark brown to black color
• Have a long life cycle; egg to adult 6 to 12 months; adults live for 1 to 1.5 years
• Adult female has short non-functional wings, males have wings that cover ¾ of the abdomen,
neither sex can fly
• Prefers cool temperatures and does not do well in warm conditions
• Found in damp places such as basements and sewer lines
The Brown roach, the Australian roach, and the Asian roach can carry ____ ______, _________,
and _______. - Answer- food poisoning
allergies
asthma
Where are flea eggs laid? Where do they hatch? What is the larvae's favorite food? Where do
fleas develop near? - Answer- The adult female flea lays eggs on the host animal but those eggs
drop off when the host moves.
Flea eggs hatch on the ground and immature fleas feed on a variety of foods that they can
scavenge.
The larvae prefer to eat on the frass, the fecal material, of the adult flea (often called "flea dirt")
and therefore
most fleas develop near where their host nests, rests or spends most of their time.
What makes the cat flea different from most fleas? - Answer- Most fleas are very host specific and
can be found on only one type of animal. The cat flea is different because it will feed on cats,
dogs, opossums, raccoons, foxes and humans. Most flea infestations encountered by the
professional are the result of the cat flea.
Cat fleas
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, dark brown, flattened side to side,
and wingless • Adults feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. The larvae feed on organic
debris but prefer the dried blood found in the frass of the adult flea • Eggs are laid on the host and
fall off on to the ground • Can transmit diseases and parasites such as plague and tapeworms
Ticks are ______ not insects. - Answer- arthropods
How many body segments do ticks have? - Answer- body divided into two sections - the head and
the abdomen.
Ticks feed off - Answer- Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that must take a blood meal in each life
stage to develop through their immature stages to become an adult.
Exam
Why was the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) created? - Answer- to
regulate the registration and labeling of pesticides.
What government agency oversees the implementation of the FIFRA? - Answer- The EPA-
Environmental Protection Agency
What does the Endangered Species Act (1973) have to do with pest control? - Answer- ensure
that using registered pesticides would not harm Endangered Species
Tolerance levels were created for what 3 types of exposure? - Answer- food levels
drinking water, and
residential exposure.
Does the label just include the sticker on the bottle? - Answer- No! Any other PRINTED or
ELECTRONICALLY available information from the manufacturer, such as guidance documents,
installation instructions or technical bulletins.
"Labeling" carries the same enforcement weight as the actual label provided on the pesticide
container. True or False? - Answer- TRUE
The pesticide manufacturers are required to provide prescribed, detailed information to EPA
including: - Answer- • Toxicity of the pesticide • Hazard to the applicator • Effect on the
environment
Definition of General Use Pesticide? - Answer- Pesticides that are less likely to cause damage to
the environment.
Definition of Restricted Use Pesticides? - Answer- may cause human injury or damage to the
environment .
Who can apply a restricted use pesticide? - Answer- certified operator or someone operating
under his or her direct supervision
What are the potential civil and criminal penalties for FIFRA violations? - Answer- If an Operator
violates FIFRA they are subject to civil penalties up to $5,000 and violations of the law may also
result in criminal penalties up to $25,000 and/or one year in prison. Any Operator accused of a
violation has the right to ask for a hearing in their city or county of residence.
What two agencies administer the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act? - Answer- The Georgia
Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission
What is the GA law that governs most pest control issues? - Answer- Structural Pest Control Act
(SPCA).
,How often must you Re-register - Answer- every two years
All registrations, certifications, and licenses expire on June 30th of each odd numbered year.
Post construction subterranean termite control warranty-only contracts are limited to: - Answer-
one and two family dwellings and townhomes.
How long does a pest control company need to maintain records of WDO contracts for service? -
Answer- for a period of two years after expiration of the contract.
What are the three life-support requirements a pest needs to survive? - Answer- food, water, and
harborage (a place to hide)
What are the 3 major groups of pests? - Answer- Insects and other arthropods (mites, ticks, and
spiders) Vertebrates (birds, squirrels, rats and mice)
Wood decay fungi
The professional's first task is to_______ while recognizing and properly identifying the pest
involved in an infestation. - Answer- identify the cause (or causes)
What is an action plan based on? - Answer- An action plan based on the biology of a pest and the
conditions found at the customer's location.
_________ is the most critical first step of an action plan because the action plans are very
different from species to species. - Answer- Identification
Arthropods include - Answer- insects
spiders
mites and
ticks
____ are a diverse group of animals that make up about 85% of all known and described life on
earth. - Answer- Insects
Why are insects considered pests? - Answer- - disease(s) that result in illness or death to man and
animals.
- damage structures, food items, clothing and items used or constructed by humans.
- because they take up residence in our homes, build large populations in the surrounding
landscape or simply cross paths with us on their way to some other place.
Roaches undergo_____and the immature and adult stages live in the same area and feed on the
same things. Roaches are active at _____ and they eat most any kind of _____. - Answer- -
Incomplete metamorphosis/ (Paurometabolous)
-night (nocturnal)
-food (omnivore).
What is a roach egg case called and how many eggs can an egg case contain? - Answer- Adult
females lay eggs in a case called an ootheca that can contain from 10-50 eggs (depending on the
species of roach).
,What are ideal roach harborage sites? - Answer- in cracks, crevices, or voids that provide
darkness, moisture and no air movement
German Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1/2 inch long; tan to light brown with two dark strips
running lengthwise on the area behind the head (pronotum)
• Short life cycle; egg to adult in 6-12 weeks; adults live for 6-9 months
• Females carry the ootheca until it is ready to hatch
• Adults have wings but cannot fly
• Most common small roach infesting buildings in GA
American Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults about 1 1/2 inches long, dark to light reddish brown with
two light spots on the area behind the head (pronotum)
• Long life cycle; egg to adult 4-15 months; adults live for 1 to 1.5 years
• Prefer moist dark areas associated with sewers/storm drains and plumbing chases
• Adults have wings and can glide but are not good at powered flight
Smokybrown Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1 1/4 inches long and are a uniform dark brown color
• Long life cycle; from egg to adult about 4-12 months; adults live for 1 year
• Live outdoors in tree-hole and migrate in spring and fall into homes
• Adults have fully developed wings in both sexes and are excellent flyers
Brownbanded Cockroach
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1/2 inch long and are a light brown color with two
lighter bands across the base of the wings and top of the abdomen
• Prefer dryer conditions than the German roach and are not common in Georgia
• Have a short life cycle; egg to adult in 3-4 months; adults live for about one year
• Adults have wings, but wings of the female don't cover the tip of the abdomen while the males'
wings are longer and males are good flyers
Oriental Cockroach
, What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1 inch long and are a uniform dark brown to black color
• Have a long life cycle; egg to adult 6 to 12 months; adults live for 1 to 1.5 years
• Adult female has short non-functional wings, males have wings that cover ¾ of the abdomen,
neither sex can fly
• Prefers cool temperatures and does not do well in warm conditions
• Found in damp places such as basements and sewer lines
The Brown roach, the Australian roach, and the Asian roach can carry ____ ______, _________,
and _______. - Answer- food poisoning
allergies
asthma
Where are flea eggs laid? Where do they hatch? What is the larvae's favorite food? Where do
fleas develop near? - Answer- The adult female flea lays eggs on the host animal but those eggs
drop off when the host moves.
Flea eggs hatch on the ground and immature fleas feed on a variety of foods that they can
scavenge.
The larvae prefer to eat on the frass, the fecal material, of the adult flea (often called "flea dirt")
and therefore
most fleas develop near where their host nests, rests or spends most of their time.
What makes the cat flea different from most fleas? - Answer- Most fleas are very host specific and
can be found on only one type of animal. The cat flea is different because it will feed on cats,
dogs, opossums, raccoons, foxes and humans. Most flea infestations encountered by the
professional are the result of the cat flea.
Cat fleas
What do they look like?
Describe life cycle?
Special characteristics?
Where do they live? - Answer- • Adults are 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, dark brown, flattened side to side,
and wingless • Adults feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. The larvae feed on organic
debris but prefer the dried blood found in the frass of the adult flea • Eggs are laid on the host and
fall off on to the ground • Can transmit diseases and parasites such as plague and tapeworms
Ticks are ______ not insects. - Answer- arthropods
How many body segments do ticks have? - Answer- body divided into two sections - the head and
the abdomen.
Ticks feed off - Answer- Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that must take a blood meal in each life
stage to develop through their immature stages to become an adult.
