NORTH CAROLINA PESTICIDE APPLICATOR END OF
COURSE TEST QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS 2025/2026
GRADED A+
✔✔Billbug - ✔✔most common in cool-season grasses. Bore into turf grasses u until
they are too big to do so.
✔✔Chinch Bug - ✔✔associated with cool-season turf grasses especially fine fescues
and perennial ryegrass.
✔✔Japanese Beetle - ✔✔feeds on roots and organic matter at the soil- thatch junction.
Heavily infested turf turns brown in dry weather and may die out in patches.
✔✔Green June Beetle - ✔✔does not eat grass roots, the larvae emerge from a central
burrow at night to feed on thatch or manure.
✔✔Masked Chafer - ✔✔shows drought stress and dead patches that do not recover
after irrigation.
✔✔Mole Cricket - ✔✔most damaging insect pests of warm-season grasses in the
souther states.
✔✔Fire Ant - ✔✔build mounds in open areas, often near stumps and other objects.
✔✔Castes - ✔✔groups with well-defined roles for colony survival.
✔✔Soap and Water Flush - ✔✔detect mole crickets, army worms and other caterpillars
mix 2 ounces of dishwashing liquid 4 gallons of water and pour it over a square yard of
turf in the area of the suspected infestation.
✔✔Flotation - ✔✔cut the top and bottom off a large coffee can and push it down into an
area of yellowed and declining turf. Fill the can with water and wait 5 minutes.
✔✔Which of these methods will NOT help monitor cutworms? - ✔✔pitfall traps
✔✔Apply an insecticide? - ✔✔when the insect is at its most vulnerable stage.
✔✔Bacillus Thuringiensis - ✔✔controls caterpillars
✔✔The milky spore disease bacterium - ✔✔is only effective against Japanese beetle
grubs.
, ✔✔To control fire ants? - ✔✔use a combination of broadcast bait and mound
treatments.
✔✔An insecticide applied to control white grubs? - ✔✔should be watered in to reach the
soil.
✔✔Mole crickets - ✔✔are found by monitoring pheromone traps.
✔✔Light traps - ✔✔generally use a uv bulb that attracts most night flying insects.
✔✔Pheromone Traps - ✔✔let you monitor a single species.
✔✔Pitfall traps - ✔✔fall into the trap and be counted by the monitoring of the activity
spring.
✔✔Grasses - ✔✔have jointed, hollow stems, parallel leaf veins and a fibrous root
system.
✔✔Broadleaf - ✔✔weeds have net-like veins in their leaves and usually have colorful
flowers.
✔✔sedges - ✔✔have a solid triangular stem, and may spread by tubers and rhizomes
as well as by seed.
✔✔Describe a situation where a broad spectrum, non-selective herbicide could be used
on turf? - ✔✔When there is an abundance of perennial weeds and there is a need to do
a complete turf renovation.
✔✔Explain when weather conditions might cause herbicide failure? - ✔✔weather can
be to hot, to cold, to wet or to dry. All of these factors can cause the application to not
be absorbed into the ground properly.
✔✔Explain how to use herbicides to slow the development of resistant weeds? -
✔✔make fewer herbicide applications, use herbicides that have different modes of
action, mow to remove flowers before seeds form.
✔✔Identify the best time to control biennial weeds? - ✔✔post-emergence and pre-
emergence help the control of biennial weeds. Another key to controlling these weeds is
to Cath them early in year one before they seed out.
✔✔herbicides are - ✔✔one tool for managing weeds
✔✔Annual weeds - ✔✔grow, flower, go to seed and die within 12 months.
COURSE TEST QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS 2025/2026
GRADED A+
✔✔Billbug - ✔✔most common in cool-season grasses. Bore into turf grasses u until
they are too big to do so.
✔✔Chinch Bug - ✔✔associated with cool-season turf grasses especially fine fescues
and perennial ryegrass.
✔✔Japanese Beetle - ✔✔feeds on roots and organic matter at the soil- thatch junction.
Heavily infested turf turns brown in dry weather and may die out in patches.
✔✔Green June Beetle - ✔✔does not eat grass roots, the larvae emerge from a central
burrow at night to feed on thatch or manure.
✔✔Masked Chafer - ✔✔shows drought stress and dead patches that do not recover
after irrigation.
✔✔Mole Cricket - ✔✔most damaging insect pests of warm-season grasses in the
souther states.
✔✔Fire Ant - ✔✔build mounds in open areas, often near stumps and other objects.
✔✔Castes - ✔✔groups with well-defined roles for colony survival.
✔✔Soap and Water Flush - ✔✔detect mole crickets, army worms and other caterpillars
mix 2 ounces of dishwashing liquid 4 gallons of water and pour it over a square yard of
turf in the area of the suspected infestation.
✔✔Flotation - ✔✔cut the top and bottom off a large coffee can and push it down into an
area of yellowed and declining turf. Fill the can with water and wait 5 minutes.
✔✔Which of these methods will NOT help monitor cutworms? - ✔✔pitfall traps
✔✔Apply an insecticide? - ✔✔when the insect is at its most vulnerable stage.
✔✔Bacillus Thuringiensis - ✔✔controls caterpillars
✔✔The milky spore disease bacterium - ✔✔is only effective against Japanese beetle
grubs.
, ✔✔To control fire ants? - ✔✔use a combination of broadcast bait and mound
treatments.
✔✔An insecticide applied to control white grubs? - ✔✔should be watered in to reach the
soil.
✔✔Mole crickets - ✔✔are found by monitoring pheromone traps.
✔✔Light traps - ✔✔generally use a uv bulb that attracts most night flying insects.
✔✔Pheromone Traps - ✔✔let you monitor a single species.
✔✔Pitfall traps - ✔✔fall into the trap and be counted by the monitoring of the activity
spring.
✔✔Grasses - ✔✔have jointed, hollow stems, parallel leaf veins and a fibrous root
system.
✔✔Broadleaf - ✔✔weeds have net-like veins in their leaves and usually have colorful
flowers.
✔✔sedges - ✔✔have a solid triangular stem, and may spread by tubers and rhizomes
as well as by seed.
✔✔Describe a situation where a broad spectrum, non-selective herbicide could be used
on turf? - ✔✔When there is an abundance of perennial weeds and there is a need to do
a complete turf renovation.
✔✔Explain when weather conditions might cause herbicide failure? - ✔✔weather can
be to hot, to cold, to wet or to dry. All of these factors can cause the application to not
be absorbed into the ground properly.
✔✔Explain how to use herbicides to slow the development of resistant weeds? -
✔✔make fewer herbicide applications, use herbicides that have different modes of
action, mow to remove flowers before seeds form.
✔✔Identify the best time to control biennial weeds? - ✔✔post-emergence and pre-
emergence help the control of biennial weeds. Another key to controlling these weeds is
to Cath them early in year one before they seed out.
✔✔herbicides are - ✔✔one tool for managing weeds
✔✔Annual weeds - ✔✔grow, flower, go to seed and die within 12 months.
