ILLINOIS TURF PESTICIDE CORE EXAMS SET 2025/2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔What are some characteristics of Azalea lace bugs? - ✔✔1.) They cause a blotched
or spotted appearance of the upper leaf surface
✔✔Horticultural oils are especially useful for control of which pests? - ✔✔Mites, aphids,
and armored scales
✔✔When is the best time to use insecticides against soft scale insect? - ✔✔During the
crawler stage
✔✔Which is a piercing-sucking insect? - ✔✔Aphid
✔✔What is the difference between the webs of eastern tent caterpillars and fall
webworms? - ✔✔The eastern tent caterpillar makes webs in a tree crotch while the fall
webworm makes webs over leaves at the ends of branches
✔✔Which is a winter annual? - ✔✔Carolina geranium
✔✔Which is a Broadleaf biennial? - ✔✔Bull thistle
✔✔Which is a Broadleaf perennial? - ✔✔1.) Woodsorrel
2.) Florida betony
3.) Dock
4.) Poison ivy
✔✔Mulches... - ✔✔Smother new weed seedlings by keeping out light
✔✔Pre-emergence herbicides... - ✔✔Persist in the soil for 2 months or more
✔✔Post-emergence herbicides ... - ✔✔1.) Control most plants after they emerge
2.) Can damage plants when spray contacts green bark
✔✔Which weed will spray from rhizomes? - ✔✔Bermudagrass
✔✔Which is a summer annual? - ✔✔Sandspur
✔✔Stunting, small leaves, and nutritional deficiency symptoms are all associated with
what type of disease? - ✔✔1.) Root rot
2.) Root parasitic nematodes
✔✔Leaf spot diseases... - ✔✔Are usually worse in wet or humid weather
, ✔✔Root parasitic nematodes... - ✔✔Cause a general decline or stunting
✔✔Powdery mildew on crapemyrtles can be managed by several methods EXCEPT... -
✔✔Using a soil sterilant to kill the spores
✔✔What about root rot is true? - ✔✔Most root rots can be avoided with clean plant and
good drainage
✔✔ How can tiny mites on junipers and evergreens be found? - ✔✔They can be found
by tapping the leaves against a white index card several times
✔✔What is Phytotoxicity? - ✔✔Plant damage caused by pesticides
✔✔Resistance from pesticides comes from... - ✔✔Using the same pesticide over and
over again
✔✔Pesticides in the soil... - ✔✔Are eventually broken down by bacteria and fungi
✔✔When should you apply a pesticide? - ✔✔When pests are abundant enough to
cause unacceptable damage
✔✔In an IPM program you should... - ✔✔Produce healthy plants that can resist pests
✔✔Which is true? - ✔✔Different diseases and insects can cause the same symptoms
✔✔Which is false? - ✔✔Record keeping takes more time than it is worth
✔✔What is Thatch? - ✔✔The layer of living and dead plant stems, leaves, and roots
that develops between the soil surface and green vegetation
✔✔What does proper mowing mean? - ✔✔Using sharp blades to make a clean cut
✔✔To promote healthy turf and reduce disease... - ✔✔Water thoroughly when you first
see wilting
✔✔When fertilizing... - ✔✔Determine fertilizer need through results of a soil test
✔✔Which is false? - ✔✔Thatch should be a least 2 inches thick to keep soil cool
✔✔Cool-season cultivars... - ✔✔Can be mixed to minimize disease
✔✔Good soil drainage... - ✔✔Promotes healthy turfgrass
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔What are some characteristics of Azalea lace bugs? - ✔✔1.) They cause a blotched
or spotted appearance of the upper leaf surface
✔✔Horticultural oils are especially useful for control of which pests? - ✔✔Mites, aphids,
and armored scales
✔✔When is the best time to use insecticides against soft scale insect? - ✔✔During the
crawler stage
✔✔Which is a piercing-sucking insect? - ✔✔Aphid
✔✔What is the difference between the webs of eastern tent caterpillars and fall
webworms? - ✔✔The eastern tent caterpillar makes webs in a tree crotch while the fall
webworm makes webs over leaves at the ends of branches
✔✔Which is a winter annual? - ✔✔Carolina geranium
✔✔Which is a Broadleaf biennial? - ✔✔Bull thistle
✔✔Which is a Broadleaf perennial? - ✔✔1.) Woodsorrel
2.) Florida betony
3.) Dock
4.) Poison ivy
✔✔Mulches... - ✔✔Smother new weed seedlings by keeping out light
✔✔Pre-emergence herbicides... - ✔✔Persist in the soil for 2 months or more
✔✔Post-emergence herbicides ... - ✔✔1.) Control most plants after they emerge
2.) Can damage plants when spray contacts green bark
✔✔Which weed will spray from rhizomes? - ✔✔Bermudagrass
✔✔Which is a summer annual? - ✔✔Sandspur
✔✔Stunting, small leaves, and nutritional deficiency symptoms are all associated with
what type of disease? - ✔✔1.) Root rot
2.) Root parasitic nematodes
✔✔Leaf spot diseases... - ✔✔Are usually worse in wet or humid weather
, ✔✔Root parasitic nematodes... - ✔✔Cause a general decline or stunting
✔✔Powdery mildew on crapemyrtles can be managed by several methods EXCEPT... -
✔✔Using a soil sterilant to kill the spores
✔✔What about root rot is true? - ✔✔Most root rots can be avoided with clean plant and
good drainage
✔✔ How can tiny mites on junipers and evergreens be found? - ✔✔They can be found
by tapping the leaves against a white index card several times
✔✔What is Phytotoxicity? - ✔✔Plant damage caused by pesticides
✔✔Resistance from pesticides comes from... - ✔✔Using the same pesticide over and
over again
✔✔Pesticides in the soil... - ✔✔Are eventually broken down by bacteria and fungi
✔✔When should you apply a pesticide? - ✔✔When pests are abundant enough to
cause unacceptable damage
✔✔In an IPM program you should... - ✔✔Produce healthy plants that can resist pests
✔✔Which is true? - ✔✔Different diseases and insects can cause the same symptoms
✔✔Which is false? - ✔✔Record keeping takes more time than it is worth
✔✔What is Thatch? - ✔✔The layer of living and dead plant stems, leaves, and roots
that develops between the soil surface and green vegetation
✔✔What does proper mowing mean? - ✔✔Using sharp blades to make a clean cut
✔✔To promote healthy turf and reduce disease... - ✔✔Water thoroughly when you first
see wilting
✔✔When fertilizing... - ✔✔Determine fertilizer need through results of a soil test
✔✔Which is false? - ✔✔Thatch should be a least 2 inches thick to keep soil cool
✔✔Cool-season cultivars... - ✔✔Can be mixed to minimize disease
✔✔Good soil drainage... - ✔✔Promotes healthy turfgrass
