Structural Pest Control Technician Exam
Questions And Correct Answers (Verified
Answers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A |
Instant Download Pdf
1. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires that
all pesticide products be registered with which federal agency?
A) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
B) Food and Drug Administration
C) Environmental Protection Agency
D) Department of Agriculture
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FIFRA gives EPA the authority to register, classify, and regulate
pesticide products in the United States to ensure they do not pose
unreasonable risks.
2. Which section of a pesticide label describes the maximum amount of
product that can be applied per acre or per year?
A) Precautionary statements
B) Directions for use
C) Storage and disposal
D) Signal word
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The directions for use section includes legally enforceable
application rates, re-entry intervals, and use limitations, including maximum
seasonal rates.
3. A pesticide label bears the signal word “WARNING.” According to EPA toxicity
categories, this indicates the product is in which category?
A) Category I (highly toxic)
, B) Category II (moderately toxic)
C) Category III (slightly toxic)
D) Category IV (relatively nontoxic)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: “WARNING” corresponds to Category II, moderate toxicity.
Category I uses “DANGER-POISON,” Category III “CAUTION,” and Category IV
requires no signal word.
4. What is the primary purpose of a pre-construction soil termiticide
treatment?
A) To eliminate existing termite colonies in the structure
B) To create a continuous chemical barrier in the soil to prevent termites
from entering the structure
C) To kill termites already inside wood
D) To repel all soil-dwelling insects
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pre-construction treatments establish a treated zone under and
around the foundation that termites cannot penetrate without contacting a
lethal dose.
5. Which cockroach species is most commonly associated with infestations in
high-moisture areas such as sewers and basements?
A) German cockroach
B) Brown-banded cockroach
C) American cockroach
D) Oriental cockroach
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Oriental cockroaches prefer cool, damp environments like
basements, crawlspaces, and floor drains. American cockroaches also like
moisture but prefer warmer areas.
6. When using a backpack sprayer to apply an insecticide, what is the first step
to ensure accurate application rate?
A) Use the highest pressure setting
, B) Calibrate the sprayer to determine output per unit area
C) Fill the tank completely with water
D) Use only wettable powder formulations
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Calibration determines how much spray mix is delivered per
minute or per area, allowing the technician to calculate proper walking speed
and nozzle output for the label rate.
7. The term “biomagnification” refers to:
A) The breakdown of pesticides by soil microorganisms
B) The accumulation of pesticide residues in fatty tissues of organisms as
they move up the food chain
C) The rapid degradation of pesticides in water
D) The dilution of a pesticide after application
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Biomagnification is the process where persistent chemicals
increase in concentration in organisms at higher trophic levels due to
repeated consumption of contaminated prey.
8. Which component of a pesticide formulation helps the active ingredient
spread evenly on a treated surface?
A) Solvent
B) Surfactant
C) Propellant
D) Synergist
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Surfactants reduce surface tension, allowing spray droplets to
spread and wet surfaces more uniformly, improving coverage and efficacy.
9. A technician finds small piles of wings near a window and hollow-sounding
wood in a structure. Which pest is most likely present?
A) Carpenter ant
B) Subterranean termite
C) Powderpost beetle
, D) Drywood termite
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Drywood termite swarmers shed their wings in piles near infested
wood; the hollowed galleries are clean and smooth. Subterranean termite
wings are often found near light sources, but colonies live in soil.
10.What is the main advantage of a gel bait formulation for cockroach control?
A) Provides a fast-acting, contact kill
B) Can be precisely placed into cracks and crevices with minimal exposure
risk
C) Repels cockroaches from treated areas
D) Eliminates the need for any other IPM practices
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Gel baits are applied in tiny spots or beads directly into harborage
areas, reducing human and pet exposure while delivering a palatable,
transferable toxicant.
11.Under FIFRA, which of the following is a violation?
A) Using a pesticide at the labeled rate for a listed pest on a listed site
B) Applying a pesticide in a way that allows drift onto a neighboring property
causing damage
C) Following the restricted-entry interval on the label
D) Mixing pesticides exactly as directed in the label’s tank-mix instructions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: FIFRA prohibits any application that results in off-target
movement causing harm. The label is the law, and drift that causes damage
is a misuse.
12.The life stage of the flea that is resistant to most insecticides and emerges
from a protective cocoon is the:
A) Egg
B) Larva
C) Pupa
D) Adult
Questions And Correct Answers (Verified
Answers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A |
Instant Download Pdf
1. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires that
all pesticide products be registered with which federal agency?
A) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
B) Food and Drug Administration
C) Environmental Protection Agency
D) Department of Agriculture
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FIFRA gives EPA the authority to register, classify, and regulate
pesticide products in the United States to ensure they do not pose
unreasonable risks.
2. Which section of a pesticide label describes the maximum amount of
product that can be applied per acre or per year?
A) Precautionary statements
B) Directions for use
C) Storage and disposal
D) Signal word
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The directions for use section includes legally enforceable
application rates, re-entry intervals, and use limitations, including maximum
seasonal rates.
3. A pesticide label bears the signal word “WARNING.” According to EPA toxicity
categories, this indicates the product is in which category?
A) Category I (highly toxic)
, B) Category II (moderately toxic)
C) Category III (slightly toxic)
D) Category IV (relatively nontoxic)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: “WARNING” corresponds to Category II, moderate toxicity.
Category I uses “DANGER-POISON,” Category III “CAUTION,” and Category IV
requires no signal word.
4. What is the primary purpose of a pre-construction soil termiticide
treatment?
A) To eliminate existing termite colonies in the structure
B) To create a continuous chemical barrier in the soil to prevent termites
from entering the structure
C) To kill termites already inside wood
D) To repel all soil-dwelling insects
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pre-construction treatments establish a treated zone under and
around the foundation that termites cannot penetrate without contacting a
lethal dose.
5. Which cockroach species is most commonly associated with infestations in
high-moisture areas such as sewers and basements?
A) German cockroach
B) Brown-banded cockroach
C) American cockroach
D) Oriental cockroach
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Oriental cockroaches prefer cool, damp environments like
basements, crawlspaces, and floor drains. American cockroaches also like
moisture but prefer warmer areas.
6. When using a backpack sprayer to apply an insecticide, what is the first step
to ensure accurate application rate?
A) Use the highest pressure setting
, B) Calibrate the sprayer to determine output per unit area
C) Fill the tank completely with water
D) Use only wettable powder formulations
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Calibration determines how much spray mix is delivered per
minute or per area, allowing the technician to calculate proper walking speed
and nozzle output for the label rate.
7. The term “biomagnification” refers to:
A) The breakdown of pesticides by soil microorganisms
B) The accumulation of pesticide residues in fatty tissues of organisms as
they move up the food chain
C) The rapid degradation of pesticides in water
D) The dilution of a pesticide after application
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Biomagnification is the process where persistent chemicals
increase in concentration in organisms at higher trophic levels due to
repeated consumption of contaminated prey.
8. Which component of a pesticide formulation helps the active ingredient
spread evenly on a treated surface?
A) Solvent
B) Surfactant
C) Propellant
D) Synergist
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Surfactants reduce surface tension, allowing spray droplets to
spread and wet surfaces more uniformly, improving coverage and efficacy.
9. A technician finds small piles of wings near a window and hollow-sounding
wood in a structure. Which pest is most likely present?
A) Carpenter ant
B) Subterranean termite
C) Powderpost beetle
, D) Drywood termite
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Drywood termite swarmers shed their wings in piles near infested
wood; the hollowed galleries are clean and smooth. Subterranean termite
wings are often found near light sources, but colonies live in soil.
10.What is the main advantage of a gel bait formulation for cockroach control?
A) Provides a fast-acting, contact kill
B) Can be precisely placed into cracks and crevices with minimal exposure
risk
C) Repels cockroaches from treated areas
D) Eliminates the need for any other IPM practices
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Gel baits are applied in tiny spots or beads directly into harborage
areas, reducing human and pet exposure while delivering a palatable,
transferable toxicant.
11.Under FIFRA, which of the following is a violation?
A) Using a pesticide at the labeled rate for a listed pest on a listed site
B) Applying a pesticide in a way that allows drift onto a neighboring property
causing damage
C) Following the restricted-entry interval on the label
D) Mixing pesticides exactly as directed in the label’s tank-mix instructions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: FIFRA prohibits any application that results in off-target
movement causing harm. The label is the law, and drift that causes damage
is a misuse.
12.The life stage of the flea that is resistant to most insecticides and emerges
from a protective cocoon is the:
A) Egg
B) Larva
C) Pupa
D) Adult
