Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
Core Exam Questions & Answers
1. Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary
pests
Answer 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.
2. what should you do first if you see damage to a plant, animal, or valuable
product/
Answer identify the cause
3. what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be con-
trolled?
Answer make sure the pest is actually responsible for the damage. then accurately
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identify the pest
4. how can pest identification help you develop a good pest control strategy?-
Answer it allows you to determine basic information about the pest, including its
life-cycleand when it is most susceptible to control measures.
5. name the 5 basic pest groups
Answer weeds, parasites and diseases, mollusks, arthro-pods, and vertebrates.
6. why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers?
Answer weeds are oftenhardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh conditions. many
produce large numbers ofseeds which can spread over a wide area and remain
dormant for a long time.
7. how can you tell a monocot from a dicot?
Answer 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 partsin multiples of 4 and 5 and usually have
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taproots.
8. name the pathogens that cause most plant and animal diseases
Answer fungi,bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
9. what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases
Answer stunting, yellow rings onleaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
10. how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants?
Answer 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 wateror nutrients.
11. how do mollusks harm plants?
Answer by feeding on foliage and fruit. mollusks reduce the value of commercial
produce if they feed on harvested plants and fruit.
12. what are arthropods? how do they differ from vertebrates?
Answer arthropods areanimals with segmented bodies and jointed appendages.
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