Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
CORE exam 2024
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and
secondary pests - Correct Answers ✅Key pests are nearly always
present and require regular control. occasional pests are migratory or
cyclical and require intermittent control. secondary pests require
control only under certain conditions, such as the elimination of a key
pest or the absence of a natural host.
what should you do first if you see damage to a plant, animal, or
valuable product/ - Correct Answers ✅identify the cause
what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be
controlled? - Correct Answers ✅make sure the pest is actually
responsible for the damage. then accurately identify the pest
how can pest identification help you develop a good pest control
strategy? - Correct Answers ✅it allows you to determine basic
information about the pest, including its life-cycle and when it is most
susceptible to control measures.
name the 5 basic pest groups - Correct Answers ✅weeds, parasites
and diseases, mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates.
why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? - Correct
Answers ✅weeds are often hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh
,Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
CORE exam 2024
conditions. many produce large numbers of seeds which can spread
over a wide area and remain dormant for a long time.
how can you tell a monocot from a dicot? - Correct Answers
✅monocots (sedges and grasses) have one cotyledon, parallel leaf
veins, flower parts in multiples of 3 and fibrous roots. Dicots have 2
cotyledons, broad leaves with netted veination, and flower parts in
multiples of 4 and 5 and usually have taproots.
name the pathogens that cause most plant and animal diseases -
Correct Answers ✅fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases - Correct Answers
✅stunting, yellow rings on leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? - Correct Answers
✅by attacking the roots, stems and leaves. nematode root feeding
interferes with a plants ability to take up water and nutrients. infected
plants wilt and seem to be suffering from a lack of water or nutrients.
how do mollusks harm plants? - Correct Answers ✅by feeding on
foliage and fruit. mollusks reduce the value of commercial produce if
they feed on harvested plants and fruit.
, Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
CORE exam 2024
what are arthropods? how do they differ from vertebrates? - Correct
Answers ✅arthropods are animals with segmented bodies and
jointed appendages. Arthropods have an external skeleton and may
have specialized appendages such as sucking tubes, chewing mouth
parts, antennae, and pincers. they have no backbones like vertebrates
what is the difference between gradual and complete metamorphosis?
why is it important to know the life cycle stage of an insect? - Correct
Answers ✅gradual metamorphosis includes 3 stages: egg, nymph
and adult. there is no pupa stage. complete metamorphosis includes 4
stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. insects that develop via complete
metamorphosis change body form. larvae may not look at all like adults
within the same species.it is very important to recognize the damaging
stage for best treatment results. many insect are pests in one stage but
not another. especially larval form.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture?
- Correct Answers ✅insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies)
or pest predators (ladybeetles and lacewings). with out pollinators
many types of plants could not reproduce and beneficial predators feed
on harmful insects, mites, and weeds.
how do mites harm plants? - Correct Answers ✅They suck the plant
juices, eat the underside of leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed
on.
CORE exam 2024
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and
secondary pests - Correct Answers ✅Key pests are nearly always
present and require regular control. occasional pests are migratory or
cyclical and require intermittent control. secondary pests require
control only under certain conditions, such as the elimination of a key
pest or the absence of a natural host.
what should you do first if you see damage to a plant, animal, or
valuable product/ - Correct Answers ✅identify the cause
what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be
controlled? - Correct Answers ✅make sure the pest is actually
responsible for the damage. then accurately identify the pest
how can pest identification help you develop a good pest control
strategy? - Correct Answers ✅it allows you to determine basic
information about the pest, including its life-cycle and when it is most
susceptible to control measures.
name the 5 basic pest groups - Correct Answers ✅weeds, parasites
and diseases, mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates.
why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? - Correct
Answers ✅weeds are often hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh
,Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
CORE exam 2024
conditions. many produce large numbers of seeds which can spread
over a wide area and remain dormant for a long time.
how can you tell a monocot from a dicot? - Correct Answers
✅monocots (sedges and grasses) have one cotyledon, parallel leaf
veins, flower parts in multiples of 3 and fibrous roots. Dicots have 2
cotyledons, broad leaves with netted veination, and flower parts in
multiples of 4 and 5 and usually have taproots.
name the pathogens that cause most plant and animal diseases -
Correct Answers ✅fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases - Correct Answers
✅stunting, yellow rings on leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? - Correct Answers
✅by attacking the roots, stems and leaves. nematode root feeding
interferes with a plants ability to take up water and nutrients. infected
plants wilt and seem to be suffering from a lack of water or nutrients.
how do mollusks harm plants? - Correct Answers ✅by feeding on
foliage and fruit. mollusks reduce the value of commercial produce if
they feed on harvested plants and fruit.
, Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
CORE exam 2024
what are arthropods? how do they differ from vertebrates? - Correct
Answers ✅arthropods are animals with segmented bodies and
jointed appendages. Arthropods have an external skeleton and may
have specialized appendages such as sucking tubes, chewing mouth
parts, antennae, and pincers. they have no backbones like vertebrates
what is the difference between gradual and complete metamorphosis?
why is it important to know the life cycle stage of an insect? - Correct
Answers ✅gradual metamorphosis includes 3 stages: egg, nymph
and adult. there is no pupa stage. complete metamorphosis includes 4
stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. insects that develop via complete
metamorphosis change body form. larvae may not look at all like adults
within the same species.it is very important to recognize the damaging
stage for best treatment results. many insect are pests in one stage but
not another. especially larval form.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture?
- Correct Answers ✅insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies)
or pest predators (ladybeetles and lacewings). with out pollinators
many types of plants could not reproduce and beneficial predators feed
on harmful insects, mites, and weeds.
how do mites harm plants? - Correct Answers ✅They suck the plant
juices, eat the underside of leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed
on.
