VA PESTICIDE EXAM COMPLETE QUESTION AND
ANSWER UPDATED (2025/2026)
Private Applicator - Certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of any
restricted use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity
Renewal of Certification Commercial Applicator - Certification Expires June 30th
Second yr after issue. OPS will send a renewal notice. Continuing education credits
required.
Certified Commercial Applicator - uses pesticide for any use other than as
described for private applicator
Certified Registered Technician - individual who performs services similar to
commercial applicator. May use general use pesticides on the job without
supervision and may use RUPs only under direct supervision. 20 hours job training
and 20 hours manual study
Type of Applicators - For Hire, Not for hire- only on property owned or leased by the
applicator or by his or her employer, Government Employees, Inactive
Responsibilities - - Adherence to Pesticide Label
-Supervision of Registered Tech and Person in Training
-Recordkeeping
-Licensing
-Reporting Accidents
Adherence to Label - Label is legal agreement between EPA, Manufacturer and
User
Supervision of Registered Technicians and Uncertified Persons in Training - -
uncertified must have direct onsite supervision for any pesticide. Tech must have
onsite supervision for restricted use.
Recordkeeping - - must keep records of all applications for minimum of 2 years.
Reporting Incidents - Report all accidents that pose a threat to any person, public
health, or the environment via telephone within 48 hours to VDACS-OPS. Written
report also required within 10 days. Additional reports may need to be made
depending on severity.
Pesticide Business License - -$50 annual and a separate license is needed for
each location.
,-$100,000 insurance property damage, $100,000 for personal injury and $300,00 per
occurrence
- license expires March 31st each year
Pesticide Business Responsibilities - -If RUP are sold or distributed a certified
commercial applicator must be present at each location during business hours
-Commercial Applicator must be employee of business applying or recommending
pesticide use.
-Sales of all RUP and all applications must be recorded for 2 years
-Comply with state regulations
Pests - -Competes with humans or desirable plants for food or water
-Injures humans, animals, structures, desirable plants, or possessions
-Spreads disease
-Annoys humans
Pest Categories - Key Pests
Occasional Pests
Secondary Pests
Key pests - Nearly always present, cause major damage and require regular control
Occasional Pests - Migratory or cyclical and require intermittent control
Secondary Pests - Control only under certain circumstances required
Identification - Required to address a situation including:
-Physical Features
-Characteristics of damage
-Development and Biology
-Key, Secondary, or Occasional
-Control Goal
Basic Pest Groups - -Weeds
-Parasites and Diseases
-Mollusks
-Arthropods
-Vertebrates
Weeds - -Hardy and Aggressive
-Large seed production efficiently spread
-Spreading by runners or underground stems
-Weed seeds can remain dormant for extended duration
-Can tolerate harsh conditions
-Can compete for soil moisture, light, and nutrients better than cultivated plants
Monocot - -One leaf seed
-Parallel Leaf Veins
-Fibrous Routs
-Grasses and Lillies
, -Crabgrass, Johnsongrass
Dicott (broadleaves - -Two seed leafs
-Broad or narrow leaves with netlike veins
-Flower parts in multiples of 4 or 5
-Taproots penetrate deep into soil
-Some have wppdy stems
-Trees and Shrubs
-Poison ivy, dandelions
Annuals - -Live 1 yr or less
-Germinate from seed, grow, flower, set seed and die within 12 months
-Summer annuals germinate in spring or summer and flower in later summer or early
fall
-Crabgrass, Russian thistle
-Winter annuals germinate in late summer, fall, or winter and flower in the spring
Biennials - - 2 yr life cycle
- Germinate and grow foliage during first yr with the first yr growth often as wide low
growing cluster of leaves called rosette
-Second yr biennials flower, set seed and die
Perennials - - Live more than 2 yrs and some live for many yrs
- Store food in underground parts and sue this energy to produce new growth early
in each growing season
-Harder to control
-Flower and set seeds repeatedly 1 or more times a year
-Have special structures for spreading
-Poison Ivy, Locust Trees
Pathogens causing most plant and animal diseases - Fungi, Bacteria, Mycoplasms,
Viruses
Parasites - Tick, Lice, Fleas, Bedbugs, Mosquitoes, Nematodes, Mollusks. Plants
have leaf spots
Arthropods Insects - Animals with segmented bodies and jointed APPENDAGES.
-external skeleton of light but strong material chitin
- Jointed legs for walking and other specialized appendages such as antennas,
pinchers, sucking tubes, etc.
Insects - -Produce large offspring numbers
-Can be difficult to identify because body changes as they develop called
Metamorphosis
Gradual Metamorphosis - -Insects Develop from egg to wingless nymphs then
mature adults with no pupa stage
-Nymphs look similar to adults as they feed and grow they molt(shed) multiple times
growing larger
-grasshopper, cockroaches
ANSWER UPDATED (2025/2026)
Private Applicator - Certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of any
restricted use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity
Renewal of Certification Commercial Applicator - Certification Expires June 30th
Second yr after issue. OPS will send a renewal notice. Continuing education credits
required.
Certified Commercial Applicator - uses pesticide for any use other than as
described for private applicator
Certified Registered Technician - individual who performs services similar to
commercial applicator. May use general use pesticides on the job without
supervision and may use RUPs only under direct supervision. 20 hours job training
and 20 hours manual study
Type of Applicators - For Hire, Not for hire- only on property owned or leased by the
applicator or by his or her employer, Government Employees, Inactive
Responsibilities - - Adherence to Pesticide Label
-Supervision of Registered Tech and Person in Training
-Recordkeeping
-Licensing
-Reporting Accidents
Adherence to Label - Label is legal agreement between EPA, Manufacturer and
User
Supervision of Registered Technicians and Uncertified Persons in Training - -
uncertified must have direct onsite supervision for any pesticide. Tech must have
onsite supervision for restricted use.
Recordkeeping - - must keep records of all applications for minimum of 2 years.
Reporting Incidents - Report all accidents that pose a threat to any person, public
health, or the environment via telephone within 48 hours to VDACS-OPS. Written
report also required within 10 days. Additional reports may need to be made
depending on severity.
Pesticide Business License - -$50 annual and a separate license is needed for
each location.
,-$100,000 insurance property damage, $100,000 for personal injury and $300,00 per
occurrence
- license expires March 31st each year
Pesticide Business Responsibilities - -If RUP are sold or distributed a certified
commercial applicator must be present at each location during business hours
-Commercial Applicator must be employee of business applying or recommending
pesticide use.
-Sales of all RUP and all applications must be recorded for 2 years
-Comply with state regulations
Pests - -Competes with humans or desirable plants for food or water
-Injures humans, animals, structures, desirable plants, or possessions
-Spreads disease
-Annoys humans
Pest Categories - Key Pests
Occasional Pests
Secondary Pests
Key pests - Nearly always present, cause major damage and require regular control
Occasional Pests - Migratory or cyclical and require intermittent control
Secondary Pests - Control only under certain circumstances required
Identification - Required to address a situation including:
-Physical Features
-Characteristics of damage
-Development and Biology
-Key, Secondary, or Occasional
-Control Goal
Basic Pest Groups - -Weeds
-Parasites and Diseases
-Mollusks
-Arthropods
-Vertebrates
Weeds - -Hardy and Aggressive
-Large seed production efficiently spread
-Spreading by runners or underground stems
-Weed seeds can remain dormant for extended duration
-Can tolerate harsh conditions
-Can compete for soil moisture, light, and nutrients better than cultivated plants
Monocot - -One leaf seed
-Parallel Leaf Veins
-Fibrous Routs
-Grasses and Lillies
, -Crabgrass, Johnsongrass
Dicott (broadleaves - -Two seed leafs
-Broad or narrow leaves with netlike veins
-Flower parts in multiples of 4 or 5
-Taproots penetrate deep into soil
-Some have wppdy stems
-Trees and Shrubs
-Poison ivy, dandelions
Annuals - -Live 1 yr or less
-Germinate from seed, grow, flower, set seed and die within 12 months
-Summer annuals germinate in spring or summer and flower in later summer or early
fall
-Crabgrass, Russian thistle
-Winter annuals germinate in late summer, fall, or winter and flower in the spring
Biennials - - 2 yr life cycle
- Germinate and grow foliage during first yr with the first yr growth often as wide low
growing cluster of leaves called rosette
-Second yr biennials flower, set seed and die
Perennials - - Live more than 2 yrs and some live for many yrs
- Store food in underground parts and sue this energy to produce new growth early
in each growing season
-Harder to control
-Flower and set seeds repeatedly 1 or more times a year
-Have special structures for spreading
-Poison Ivy, Locust Trees
Pathogens causing most plant and animal diseases - Fungi, Bacteria, Mycoplasms,
Viruses
Parasites - Tick, Lice, Fleas, Bedbugs, Mosquitoes, Nematodes, Mollusks. Plants
have leaf spots
Arthropods Insects - Animals with segmented bodies and jointed APPENDAGES.
-external skeleton of light but strong material chitin
- Jointed legs for walking and other specialized appendages such as antennas,
pinchers, sucking tubes, etc.
Insects - -Produce large offspring numbers
-Can be difficult to identify because body changes as they develop called
Metamorphosis
Gradual Metamorphosis - -Insects Develop from egg to wingless nymphs then
mature adults with no pupa stage
-Nymphs look similar to adults as they feed and grow they molt(shed) multiple times
growing larger
-grasshopper, cockroaches
