IL Pesticide Applicator License: Questions and answers, Verified/[LATEST EXAM UPDATES]

IL Pesticide Applicator License: Questions and answers, Verified/ what is a pest? - any organism that is injurous to humans or to their structures, or to plants or animals of interest to humans What is IPM? - Integrated Pest Management. an efficient pest management approach that minimized environmental impact. Elimination of pests is not necessarily the goal of IPM. What are the goals of IPM? - 1) to keep pest populations below the economic injury level in production crops and below the aesthetic injury level in noncrop or ornamental plantings. 2) to avoid adverse effects on humans, wildlife, and the environment IPM optimizes, NOT maximizes pest control. What is the economic injury level? - the breakeven point at which the cost of pest control equals the revenue loss caused by a pest. Defines how much damage can be tolerated. What is the aesthetic injury level? - the number of pests that might cause enough damage to the appearance of a plant to warrant the cost of control. This is a subjective level, that depends on owner/management, and their standards. What is the key to successful IPM? - scouting- monitoring the amount of pests present. What are the types of nonchemical control? - cultural control, mechanical control, biological control, and preventative control What is cultural control? - management that improves plant health so that plants are able to compete better against pests. What are examples of cultural control? - soil preparation, fertility, proper planting, plant selection, crop rotation, mulching, and mowing What is mechanical control? - management that physically eliminates the pest What are examples of mechanical control? - cultivating, pruning, hoeing, weed pulling, mowing, and hand picking What is biological control? - management using living organisms to reduce pest populations to economically acceptable levels. These organisms are beneficial for valued plants, and act as natural enemies to pests. What are examples of biological control? - predators, parasites, pest diseases examples***: parasitic wasps on weevils, mealybugs, and scales. Bacillus species (some bacteria) for caterpillars and mosquitoes. Carp for aquatic weeds. weevils for musk thistle What is preventative control? - management that helps prevent the entry and spread of pests. This can include using weed-free seed and transplants, cleaning equipment used for tillage, mowing, pruning, harvesting, and transport, and controlling patches of weeds before they produce seeds. What are examples of preventative control? - quarantines, inspections, and certified seed What should be considered before using chemical control? - are there other, nonchemical control methods that are effective? Has scouting indicated that the pest population is large enough to warrant control? (economic and aesthetic injury levels) Is this the correct time to apply pesticides for optimal control? What are common reasons that a pesticide may fail to control a pest? - 1) applying the wrong type of pesticide 2) applying the pesticide when the pest is not in a susceptible stage 3) failing to apply to the infested part of the plant 4) applying to a resistant pest population Do insects in the US cause a net profit or loss to the economy? - Profit. Beneficial insects contribute ~$20 billion to the economy annually (mostly pollination), while harmful insects cause ~$8 billion in losses annually Describe the general attributes of insects - they have an exoskeleton that molts as they grow. They have 3 paired limbs (6 legs total). They have 3 distinct body regions, the head, thorax, and abdomen. What is the head of insects? - the head contains most of the sensory organs, including the eyes and antennae. The head may include mouthparts, which are elongated and fused to the head, like butterflies and bees' tube-like mouthparts. What is the thorax of insects? - the thorax provides locomotion, and can include both legs and wings. The shape of the legs and the wing vein patterns are used for identification. What is the abdomen of insects? - the abdomen contains most of the digestive, excretory, circulatory, respiratory, and reproductive organ