Pesticide Applicator Exam- Nova Scotia | 100+ Questions and
Answers {100% correct answers}
Question 1
An Agriculture VIII Certificate authorizes the use of a pesticide by ground application for all of
the following purposes EXCEPT:
A) Protection of an agricultural crop or livestock.
B) Control of noxious weeds in a field.
C) Pest control in a commercial greenhouse.
D) Rodent control around farm buildings.
Correct Answer: C) Pest control in a commercial greenhouse.
Rationale: The Agriculture VIII Certificate specifically excludes use in a greenhouse.
Greenhouse pesticide application requires a separate, specialized certification due to the
enclosed environment and different risk factors.
Question 2
When a pest is able to survive rates of pesticide application that were effective in the past, this
phenomenon is known as:
A) Leaching
B) Drift
C) Resistance
D) Persistence
Correct Answer: C) Resistance
Rationale: Pesticide resistance is the inherited ability of a pest to survive and reproduce
following exposure to a dose of pesticide that would normally be lethal to the wild type. It is
a significant challenge in pest management that builds up over time.
Question 3
If a pest population develops resistance to one pesticide, it will often show resistance to other
pesticides in:
A) A completely different chemical family.
B) The same chemical family.
C) Pesticides that are applied in the same manner.
D) Only pesticides made by the same manufacturer.
Correct Answer: B) The same chemical family.
Rationale: Pesticides within the same chemical family often have the same mode of action
(they affect the pest in the same way). If a pest develops a mechanism to overcome this
mode of action, that resistance will often apply to other chemicals in the same family, a
phenomenon known as cross-resistance.
Question 4
What is the primary goal of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
,[Type here]
A) To completely eradicate all pests from an area.
B) To exclusively use chemical pest control methods.
C) To minimize the buildup of pest resistance by using a variety of control methods.
D) To use only non-chemical pest control methods.
Correct Answer: C) To minimize the buildup of pest resistance by using a variety of control
methods.
Rationale: IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests that combines biological,
cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and
environmental risks. A key objective of IPM is to slow down the development of pesticide
resistance by reducing reliance on a single chemical tactic.
Question 5
What environmental condition is typically required to wash soil-applied pesticides into the root
zone where they can be effective?
A) Strong wind
B) High humidity
C) Rain or irrigation
D) Freezing temperatures
Correct Answer: C) Rain or irrigation
Rationale: Soil-applied pesticides need to be moved from the soil surface into the upper
layers of the soil to be absorbed by plant roots or to reach soil-dwelling pests. Rain or
overhead irrigation provides the water needed to carry, or "wash," the pesticide into the
soil profile.
Question 6
The movement of pesticide particles through the air away from the target site during application
is called:
A) Leaching
B) Run-off
C) Drift
D) Volatilization
Correct Answer: C) Drift
Rationale: Pesticide drift is the physical movement of pesticide droplets or particles
through the air at the time of application or soon thereafter, to any site other than the one
intended. It is a major cause of non-target damage and environmental contamination.
Question 7
The downward movement of pesticides through the layers of soil with water is known as:
A) Erosion
B) Adsorption
,[Type here]
C) Leaching
D) Degradation
Correct Answer: C) Leaching
Rationale: Leaching is the process by which pesticides are carried down through the soil
profile by water. Pesticides that are highly soluble and do not bind tightly to soil are more
prone to leaching, which can lead to groundwater contamination.
Question 8
Rotating crops and rotating the chemical families of pesticides used are primary strategies to:
A) Increase the speed of application.
B) Reduce and slow the development of pest resistance.
C) Guarantee a higher crop yield.
D) Comply with federal transportation laws.
Correct Answer: B) Reduce and slow the development of pest resistance.
Rationale: Continuously using the same pesticide or pesticides with the same mode of
action selects for resistant individuals in the pest population. By rotating to different
chemical families, you change the mode of action, which makes it much more difficult for a
pest population to develop resistance. Crop rotation disrupts the life cycles of pests specific
to one crop.
Question 9
Federal pesticide laws, such as the Pest Control Products (PCP) Act, are primarily concerned
with:
A) Controlling the sale and use of pesticides within a specific province.
B) Regulating the manufacturing, registration, and labeling of pesticides.
C) Setting wind speed limits for pesticide application.
D) Issuing applicator certificates.
Correct Answer: B) Regulating the manufacturing, registration, and labeling of pesticides.
Rationale: Federal legislation governs pesticides at a national level. This includes the entire
process of evaluating a pesticide for safety and effectiveness, registering it for use in
Canada, and dictating exactly what must appear on the product label.
Question 10
Provincial pesticide laws are primarily concerned with:
A) The import and export of pesticides.
B) Approving the active ingredients used in pesticides.
C) Controlling the sale, transport, storage, and application of pesticides within the province.
D) The manufacturing process of pesticides.
Correct Answer: C) Controlling the sale, transport,storage, and application of pesticides
within the province.
, [Type here]
Rationale: While the federal government registers the products, the provincial
governments regulate how those products are used within their borders. This includes
licensing applicators, setting rules for storage and transportation, and defining specific
application requirements like buffer zones.
Question 11
What does a Pest Control Products (PCP) number on a pesticide label indicate?
A) The pesticide has been approved for sale and use in Canada.
B) The pesticide is classified as a restricted-use product.
C) The pesticide is intended for agricultural use only.
D) The product is exempt from provincial regulations.
Correct Answer: A) The pesticide has been approved for sale and use in Canada.
Rationale: The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) issues a unique PCP
registration number to every pesticide product that has successfully completed the rigorous
scientific review process. The presence of this number on the label signifies that the product
is legal to be sold and used in Canada.
Question 12
Which federal agency is responsible for regulating pesticides in Canada?
A) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
B) Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
C) The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada
D) Transport Canada
Correct Answer: C) The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada
Rationale: The PMRA is the branch of the federal government responsible for the
regulation of pest control products in Canada under the authority of the Pest Control
Products Act.
Question 13
Municipal legislation regarding pesticides may set additional guidelines on:
A) The registration of active ingredients.
B) The import of pesticides from other countries.
C) The location and construction of pesticide storage facilities through building codes.
D) The manufacturing process of pesticides.
Correct Answer: C) The location and construction of pesticide storage facilities through
building codes.
Rationale: Municipalities (like towns and counties) can enact their own bylaws that may be
more restrictive than provincial or federal laws. These can include rules about the cosmetic
use of pesticides or, through building and fire codes, specific restrictions on where and how
pesticide storage buildings can be constructed.
Answers {100% correct answers}
Question 1
An Agriculture VIII Certificate authorizes the use of a pesticide by ground application for all of
the following purposes EXCEPT:
A) Protection of an agricultural crop or livestock.
B) Control of noxious weeds in a field.
C) Pest control in a commercial greenhouse.
D) Rodent control around farm buildings.
Correct Answer: C) Pest control in a commercial greenhouse.
Rationale: The Agriculture VIII Certificate specifically excludes use in a greenhouse.
Greenhouse pesticide application requires a separate, specialized certification due to the
enclosed environment and different risk factors.
Question 2
When a pest is able to survive rates of pesticide application that were effective in the past, this
phenomenon is known as:
A) Leaching
B) Drift
C) Resistance
D) Persistence
Correct Answer: C) Resistance
Rationale: Pesticide resistance is the inherited ability of a pest to survive and reproduce
following exposure to a dose of pesticide that would normally be lethal to the wild type. It is
a significant challenge in pest management that builds up over time.
Question 3
If a pest population develops resistance to one pesticide, it will often show resistance to other
pesticides in:
A) A completely different chemical family.
B) The same chemical family.
C) Pesticides that are applied in the same manner.
D) Only pesticides made by the same manufacturer.
Correct Answer: B) The same chemical family.
Rationale: Pesticides within the same chemical family often have the same mode of action
(they affect the pest in the same way). If a pest develops a mechanism to overcome this
mode of action, that resistance will often apply to other chemicals in the same family, a
phenomenon known as cross-resistance.
Question 4
What is the primary goal of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
,[Type here]
A) To completely eradicate all pests from an area.
B) To exclusively use chemical pest control methods.
C) To minimize the buildup of pest resistance by using a variety of control methods.
D) To use only non-chemical pest control methods.
Correct Answer: C) To minimize the buildup of pest resistance by using a variety of control
methods.
Rationale: IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests that combines biological,
cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and
environmental risks. A key objective of IPM is to slow down the development of pesticide
resistance by reducing reliance on a single chemical tactic.
Question 5
What environmental condition is typically required to wash soil-applied pesticides into the root
zone where they can be effective?
A) Strong wind
B) High humidity
C) Rain or irrigation
D) Freezing temperatures
Correct Answer: C) Rain or irrigation
Rationale: Soil-applied pesticides need to be moved from the soil surface into the upper
layers of the soil to be absorbed by plant roots or to reach soil-dwelling pests. Rain or
overhead irrigation provides the water needed to carry, or "wash," the pesticide into the
soil profile.
Question 6
The movement of pesticide particles through the air away from the target site during application
is called:
A) Leaching
B) Run-off
C) Drift
D) Volatilization
Correct Answer: C) Drift
Rationale: Pesticide drift is the physical movement of pesticide droplets or particles
through the air at the time of application or soon thereafter, to any site other than the one
intended. It is a major cause of non-target damage and environmental contamination.
Question 7
The downward movement of pesticides through the layers of soil with water is known as:
A) Erosion
B) Adsorption
,[Type here]
C) Leaching
D) Degradation
Correct Answer: C) Leaching
Rationale: Leaching is the process by which pesticides are carried down through the soil
profile by water. Pesticides that are highly soluble and do not bind tightly to soil are more
prone to leaching, which can lead to groundwater contamination.
Question 8
Rotating crops and rotating the chemical families of pesticides used are primary strategies to:
A) Increase the speed of application.
B) Reduce and slow the development of pest resistance.
C) Guarantee a higher crop yield.
D) Comply with federal transportation laws.
Correct Answer: B) Reduce and slow the development of pest resistance.
Rationale: Continuously using the same pesticide or pesticides with the same mode of
action selects for resistant individuals in the pest population. By rotating to different
chemical families, you change the mode of action, which makes it much more difficult for a
pest population to develop resistance. Crop rotation disrupts the life cycles of pests specific
to one crop.
Question 9
Federal pesticide laws, such as the Pest Control Products (PCP) Act, are primarily concerned
with:
A) Controlling the sale and use of pesticides within a specific province.
B) Regulating the manufacturing, registration, and labeling of pesticides.
C) Setting wind speed limits for pesticide application.
D) Issuing applicator certificates.
Correct Answer: B) Regulating the manufacturing, registration, and labeling of pesticides.
Rationale: Federal legislation governs pesticides at a national level. This includes the entire
process of evaluating a pesticide for safety and effectiveness, registering it for use in
Canada, and dictating exactly what must appear on the product label.
Question 10
Provincial pesticide laws are primarily concerned with:
A) The import and export of pesticides.
B) Approving the active ingredients used in pesticides.
C) Controlling the sale, transport, storage, and application of pesticides within the province.
D) The manufacturing process of pesticides.
Correct Answer: C) Controlling the sale, transport,storage, and application of pesticides
within the province.
, [Type here]
Rationale: While the federal government registers the products, the provincial
governments regulate how those products are used within their borders. This includes
licensing applicators, setting rules for storage and transportation, and defining specific
application requirements like buffer zones.
Question 11
What does a Pest Control Products (PCP) number on a pesticide label indicate?
A) The pesticide has been approved for sale and use in Canada.
B) The pesticide is classified as a restricted-use product.
C) The pesticide is intended for agricultural use only.
D) The product is exempt from provincial regulations.
Correct Answer: A) The pesticide has been approved for sale and use in Canada.
Rationale: The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) issues a unique PCP
registration number to every pesticide product that has successfully completed the rigorous
scientific review process. The presence of this number on the label signifies that the product
is legal to be sold and used in Canada.
Question 12
Which federal agency is responsible for regulating pesticides in Canada?
A) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
B) Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
C) The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada
D) Transport Canada
Correct Answer: C) The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada
Rationale: The PMRA is the branch of the federal government responsible for the
regulation of pest control products in Canada under the authority of the Pest Control
Products Act.
Question 13
Municipal legislation regarding pesticides may set additional guidelines on:
A) The registration of active ingredients.
B) The import of pesticides from other countries.
C) The location and construction of pesticide storage facilities through building codes.
D) The manufacturing process of pesticides.
Correct Answer: C) The location and construction of pesticide storage facilities through
building codes.
Rationale: Municipalities (like towns and counties) can enact their own bylaws that may be
more restrictive than provincial or federal laws. These can include rules about the cosmetic
use of pesticides or, through building and fire codes, specific restrictions on where and how
pesticide storage buildings can be constructed.
