ILLINOIS PESTICIDE APPLICATOR TEST COMPREHENSIVE
TEST PREP | UPDATED FOR 2025–2026
Federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act (FIFRA) - correct answer -Approved in 1947.
It provides a framework for pesticide registrations an is the pesticide users assurance that the
product, if used correctly will provide some helpful service without endangering the user, other
persons, or the environment
Economic Injury Level - correct answer -break- even point at which the cost of pest control
equals the revenue loss caused by a pest.
Aesthetic Injury Level - correct answer -number of pests that might cause enough damage to
the appearance of a plant to warrant the cost of control
Scouting - correct answer -Regularly monitoring pest populations and plant or crop conditions.
Could be the owner, maintenance technician, or grower.
What is the Goal of IPM? - correct answer -To optimize, NOT maximize pest control
Pest - correct answer -any insect, mite, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, or other organism
that is injurious to humans or their structures, or to plants, or animals of interest to humans.
5 Control Methods - correct answer -Cultural Control, Mechanical Control, Biological Control,
Preventative Control, Chemical control
Cultural control - correct answer -improves plant health so that they plants are able to compete
better against pests. EX: soil preparation, fertility, proper planting, plant selection, crop rotation,
mulching, mowing
, Mechanical control - correct answer -Physically eliminates the pest. EX: Cultivating, pruning,
hoeing, weed pulling, mowing, hand picking
Biological control - correct answer -Uses living organisms to reduce pest populations to
economically acceptable levels. EX: predators, parasites, pest diseases
preventative control - correct answer -Helps prevent the entry and spread of pests. EX:
quarantines, inspections, certified seed
chemical control - correct answer -Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, repellents, fumigants
Pesticide - correct answer -any chemical used to destroy, prevent, or control any form of like
declared to be a pest
Two general types of ingredients - correct answer -Active, Inert
Active ingredient - correct answer -part of the formulation that is effective against the targeted
pest
Inert ingredient - correct answer -does not have a direct effect on the pest
Adjuvants - correct answer -chemical that modifies a pesticide's physical properties and/ or
enhances its performance
emulsions - correct answer -mixtures in which one liquid is suspended as tiny drops in another
liquid.
TEST PREP | UPDATED FOR 2025–2026
Federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act (FIFRA) - correct answer -Approved in 1947.
It provides a framework for pesticide registrations an is the pesticide users assurance that the
product, if used correctly will provide some helpful service without endangering the user, other
persons, or the environment
Economic Injury Level - correct answer -break- even point at which the cost of pest control
equals the revenue loss caused by a pest.
Aesthetic Injury Level - correct answer -number of pests that might cause enough damage to
the appearance of a plant to warrant the cost of control
Scouting - correct answer -Regularly monitoring pest populations and plant or crop conditions.
Could be the owner, maintenance technician, or grower.
What is the Goal of IPM? - correct answer -To optimize, NOT maximize pest control
Pest - correct answer -any insect, mite, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, or other organism
that is injurious to humans or their structures, or to plants, or animals of interest to humans.
5 Control Methods - correct answer -Cultural Control, Mechanical Control, Biological Control,
Preventative Control, Chemical control
Cultural control - correct answer -improves plant health so that they plants are able to compete
better against pests. EX: soil preparation, fertility, proper planting, plant selection, crop rotation,
mulching, mowing
, Mechanical control - correct answer -Physically eliminates the pest. EX: Cultivating, pruning,
hoeing, weed pulling, mowing, hand picking
Biological control - correct answer -Uses living organisms to reduce pest populations to
economically acceptable levels. EX: predators, parasites, pest diseases
preventative control - correct answer -Helps prevent the entry and spread of pests. EX:
quarantines, inspections, certified seed
chemical control - correct answer -Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, repellents, fumigants
Pesticide - correct answer -any chemical used to destroy, prevent, or control any form of like
declared to be a pest
Two general types of ingredients - correct answer -Active, Inert
Active ingredient - correct answer -part of the formulation that is effective against the targeted
pest
Inert ingredient - correct answer -does not have a direct effect on the pest
Adjuvants - correct answer -chemical that modifies a pesticide's physical properties and/ or
enhances its performance
emulsions - correct answer -mixtures in which one liquid is suspended as tiny drops in another
liquid.
