Ornamental/Turf pesticide Applicator's License Exam Questions and Answers, Latest Updated 2024/2025 (GRADED)

What are some of the basic principles of Integrated pest management? - 1.) PREVENTION: Produce healthy plants that resist plants: (Selecting healthy plants, using certified seed, providing good growing conditions, and making a good match between the plant and the site) 2.) MONITOR AND IDENTIFY THE PEST: Identify the problem: (Finding out whether the damage to a particular plant is caused by a pest or by an environmental condition such as freezing or drought and always determine the exact pest that you are dealing with) 3.) SET ACTION THRESHOLDS: Expect some pests and tolerate some damage: (Deciding how many pests and how much damage to tolerate) 4.) CONTROL: Use pesticides as a last choice-Not a first choice What are 4 tools or techniques that you could use to study a plant problem as you look for pests? - 1.) Keep records 2.) Use a hand lens 3.) Learn about symptoms 4.) Carry an index card What are 2 kinds of drift? - 1.) Particle drift: (The movement of fine particles (droplets or dust) through the air while the pesticide is being applied) 2.) Vapor drift: (The movement of the pesticide in the form of a gas or vapor during or after application) What is a Buffer? - This is the non treated zone between the area to be treated and sensitive areas such as ponds, streams, wells, and drains What is a Re-entry period? - The length of time that must pass before anyone can enter a treated area Ornamental/Turf pesticide Applicator's License Exam Study Guide Questions and Answers 2024/2025 Rated A+ Resistance to pesticides come from... - Using the same pesticides over and over again What will happen to Pesticides in the soil over time? - They are eventually broken down by bacteria and fungi When should you apply a pesticide? - When pests are abundant enough cause unacceptable damage What hand lens magnification is recommended for insect identification? - 5 power to 10 power What should you do in an IPM program? - Produce healthy plants that can resist pests Why should pesticide application be the last choice in pest management? - Because they are labeled for use only on specific pests and types of plants and because it is safer to use other controls What is Integrated pest management (IPM) ? - It is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment What is Phytotoxicity? - A toxic effect by a compound on plant growth What is Pesticide breakdown? - The breakdown of pesticides into non-toxic substances from bacteria and fungi in the soil What is a Threshold? - A point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken What are the strategies that delay the development of pesticide resistance? - Using a pesticide only when needed and choosing alternative pesticides from different chemical classes What is an Indicator plant? - Plants that can indicate the onset of a pest infestation What does proper mowing mean? - Using sharp mower blades to make a clean cut What do you need to do to promote healthy turf and reduce disease? - Water thoroughly when you first see wilting What should you do when fertilizing? - Determine fertilizer need through results of a soil test Cool-season cultivars... - Can be mixed to minimize disease What does good soil drainage do? - Promotes healthy turfgrass What are the 3 major geographical regions in the southeastern U.S.? - 1.) Mountains: (Cool-season grasses) 2.) Piedmont: (The transitional zone where both warm and cool-season grasses are used) *Cool-season gasses do better in the upper-piedmont region *Warm-season grasses do better in the lower-piedmont region 3.) Coastal plain: (Warm-season grasses) What are 4 mistakes in turf plant management that could contribute to poor turf stands and pest problems? - 1.) Not enough water 2.) Not aerating 3.) A lot of thatch 4.) No regular mowing What are 3 site problems that could contribute to poor turf stands and pest problems? - 1.) Poor drainage 2.) Shade 3.) Humidity What are Cultivars? - The different plant groups within a species What is Compaction? - This is when the ground gets hard from foot traffic, machine traffic, etc.. What are 4 of the major cool-season grasses? - 1.) Creeping bentgrass 2.) Tall fescue 3.) Kentucky bluegrass 4.) Perennial ryegrass What are 4 of the major warm-season grasses? - 1.) Bermudagrass 2.) Centipede grass 3.) Bahia grass 4.) Zoysia grass What is Certified seed? - The appropriate turf grass seed that meets the standards for that specific condition that you are using it for What does it mean when a grass goes dormant? - The grass has died off (turned brown) because of too cold or too hot of conditions and will green up when when the conditions are right again What is Thatch? - A layer of living and dead plant stems, leaves, and roots that develop between the soil surface and green vegetation What is Dethatching? - The process of reducing or removing thatch What is Aeration? - Practice that removes plugs from the soil and lets in air flow and nutrients Which method will NOT help monitor cutworms? - Pitfall traps What is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) ? - A common bacterium that kills many types of caterpillars When should you apply an insecticide? - When the insect is at its most vulnerable stage What is the Milky spore disease? - A bacterial disease that is caused by the bacterium, Bacillus popilliae, and kills Japanese beetles What do you do to control fire ants? - Use a combination of broadcast bait and mound treatments Sod webworms... - Spin silk webbing near the soil in turf An insecticide applied to control white grubs... - Should be watered in to reach the soil Mole crickets... - Have only one generation per year What are the 2 different kinds of metamorphosis that insect pests undergo? - 1.) Gradual metamorphosis: Nymphs (young stages) of insects that undergo this look like small versions of the adult 2.) Complete metamorphosis (most common type of development among turf grass pests): The young stages of insects that undergo this look very different from the adults before before they become pupae and change into adults How do Chinch bugs damage turf? - They feed in clusters and damage first appears as circular patches of yellowing turf that resemble drought injury and large infestations of the southern chinch bug may completely kill St. Augustine lawns. What are 4 pests that might cause root damage to turf? - 1.) Japanese beetle 2.) Mole cricket 3.) Masked chafer 4.) Green june beetle How does frequent mowing impact fire ants? - Frequent mowing is a control method that golf course managers use to force red imported fire ant colonies to less disturbed areas. The more times areas are mowed, the less time fire ants have to establish colonies What are 3 ways to find turf insects in the soil? - 1.) Scouting 2.) Sampling 3.) Monitoring There are 3 different kinds of traps that are used to monitor insects. What is the role of each trap in monitoring turf insects? - 1.) Light traps: Uses an ultraviolet (UV) bulb that attracts most night flying insects to trap insects so you can count the number of adult insects that will produce turf-damaging caterpillars, grubs, or cutworms and predict when turf damage could occur 2.) Pheromone traps: Traps that are developed for the Japanese beetle adult, cutworm moth, and the larger sod webworm moth to let you monitor a single species 3.) Pitfall traps: Traps that are developed to catch and monitor Billbugs by using a 16-ounce cup buried up to the rim in, or next to the turf. Billbug adults fall into the trap and can be counted to monitor the beginning of activity in the spring (petroleum jelly applied in a band near the top of the cup will prevent bill bugs from crawling out What are 4 pest-control problems that are caused by a thick layer of thatch? - 1.) It reduces winter shelter for many pests 2.) Thick thatch creates a more uniform humidity zone for sod webworms, cutworms, and chinch bugs. Thinner thatch allows the soil surface to dry out 3.) Billbug larvae and (sometimes) white grubs feed on thatch 4.) Thatch hinders the movement of biological controls or pesticides. Thatch may bind a pesticide so tightly that it does not get through the soil to come into contact with the target pest What are 3 types of organisms that are used in biological control of turf insects? - 1.) Predators 2.) Parasites 3.) Pathogens Why should some insecticide formulations be watered in? - Most soil insecticides for control of white grubs or bill bugs need to be watered in because when the soil is dry, insects like what grubs and mole crickets burrow deeper into the soil and are hard to control. Also, irrigating before the pesticide is applied helps move these insects closer to the soil surface where they are more likely to encounter the insecticide Why would a granular formulation be used on a site without irrigation? - Because granules last longer than liquid formulations while waiting for rain What is the developmental stage of an insect defined as? - The beginning stages of an insect where some can cause problems and some are vulnerable to various treatment choices What are Larvae? - The young, worm-like stage of beetles and moths