PESTICIDE APPLICATOR CORE EXAM
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
certified applicator - ANSWER-Any Commercial applicator, registered technician, and/or
private applicator who has met the certification requirements in Virginia.
commercial applicator - ANSWER-A certified applicator who uses or supervises the use
of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a private applicator
certification.
commercial applicator for hire - ANSWER-any commercial applicator who, in exchange
for compensation, uses or supervises the use of any pesticides for any purpose or on
any property than as provided in the definition of private applicator:
Commercial applicators for hire in VA MUST have a Pesticide Business License or work
for such a business.
commercial applicator government employee - ANSWER-any local, state, or federal
govt employee who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide for any purpose,
regardless of the site, in the performance of their official duties
commercial applicator inactive - ANSWER-any commercial applicator who is not
currently employed in a pesticide-related job and is thus not covered by the required
insurance. Holders of this type of certificate must adhere to renewal and re-certification
requirements
commercial applicator not for hire - ANSWER-Any commercial applicator who uses or
supervises the use for any pesticide as part of his/her job duties only on property owned
or leased by the applicator or his/her employer.
Direct Onsite Supervision - ANSWER-The act or process by which a competent person,
acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is responsible for
the actions of that person, applies a pesticide. The certified applicator must be present
at the application site and be able to see the person applying the pesticide at all times.
Direct supervision - ANSWER-the act or process by which a competent person, acting
under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is responsible for the
actions of that person, applies a pesticide. the certified applicator must be either near or
in close telephone or radio contact with the person applying the pesticide
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) - ANSWER-a law that
established the basis of U.S. pesticide regulation to protect the applicators, consumers,
and the environment.
,pesticide - ANSWER-any substance used to control a pest, or to reduce the unwanted
or harmful effects of a pest.
Pesticide Business License - ANSWER-a document required of persons in the business
of selling, storing, distributing, mixing, recommending the use of, or applying pesticides.
pesticide use - ANSWER-application or supervision of an application of pesticide. "use"
includes all the routine actives that are part of a pesticide application, such as mixing,
loading, cleanup, and disposal.
private applicator - ANSWER-A certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of
any restricted-use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity.
Recertification - ANSWER-Demonstration of competency by participation in appropriate,
approved education courses; or by re-examination.
registered technician - ANSWER-a certified applicator who renders services similar to
those of a certified commercial applicator. such a person has completed training and
demonstrated competency as required for registered technicians but has not met the
requirements for commercial certification.
restricted-use pesticide - ANSWER-any pesticide classified as restricted use by the
EPA.
spot treatment - ANSWER-an application of less than 1/10th of an acre occurring on the
same day as a larger treatment
federal worker protection standard (WPS) - ANSWER-requires growers who hire
agricultural labor to make, maintain, and post pesticide application records.
annual - ANSWER-A plant that completes its life cycle in one year
appendage - ANSWER-an animal body part or organ that projects from the main part of
the body
biennial - ANSWER-a plant that completes its life cycle in two years. the first year it
germinates and grows, the second year it continues to grow, produces fruit, and seeds,
and then dies.
control - ANSWER-to kill, prevent, or lessen the harmful effects of, to destroy, or to
repel an undesirable organism
dicot - ANSWER-a plant with two seed leaves and broad, net veined leaves. flower
parts are in multiples of fours or fives
, disease - ANSWER-any abnormal, unhealthy condition caused by an invading organism
such as a bacterium or virus.
gall - ANSWER-an abnormal plant growth caused by stimuli from an insect or other
organism
host - ANSWER-an organism infected by a parasite; a plant or animal in which the
parasite lives
integrated pest management - ANSWER-a system that uses all suitable pest control
measures together in a way that keeps pest populations below the levels that cause
economic injury
invertebrate - ANSWER-An animal without a backbone
juvenile hormones - ANSWER-Natural insect chemicals that keep the earlier stages of
an insect from changing into the normal adult form.
metamorphosis - ANSWER-change in body form during the life cycle of an organism.
there are two forms: complete, or gradual.
mode of action - ANSWER-how a pesticide works to control a pest
mollusk - ANSWER-a soft-bodied invertebrate typically protected by a hard shell
nematode - ANSWER-A microscopic, eel-like roundworm.
quarantine - ANSWER-control process meant to keep pests out of pest free regions
microbial pesticides - ANSWER-microorganisms or the toxins they produce that have
been formulated into pesticides
acaricides - ANSWER-Chemical compounds developed to kill mites and ticks
attractants - ANSWER-lure pests to a trap or bait, for example, attract an insect or
rodent into a trap. (However, food is not considered a pesticide when used as an
attractant.)
Avicides - ANSWER-Control pest birds
nontarget - ANSWER-Any site or organism other than the site or pest toward which the
control measures are being directed.
organism - ANSWER-Any living thing
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
certified applicator - ANSWER-Any Commercial applicator, registered technician, and/or
private applicator who has met the certification requirements in Virginia.
commercial applicator - ANSWER-A certified applicator who uses or supervises the use
of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a private applicator
certification.
commercial applicator for hire - ANSWER-any commercial applicator who, in exchange
for compensation, uses or supervises the use of any pesticides for any purpose or on
any property than as provided in the definition of private applicator:
Commercial applicators for hire in VA MUST have a Pesticide Business License or work
for such a business.
commercial applicator government employee - ANSWER-any local, state, or federal
govt employee who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide for any purpose,
regardless of the site, in the performance of their official duties
commercial applicator inactive - ANSWER-any commercial applicator who is not
currently employed in a pesticide-related job and is thus not covered by the required
insurance. Holders of this type of certificate must adhere to renewal and re-certification
requirements
commercial applicator not for hire - ANSWER-Any commercial applicator who uses or
supervises the use for any pesticide as part of his/her job duties only on property owned
or leased by the applicator or his/her employer.
Direct Onsite Supervision - ANSWER-The act or process by which a competent person,
acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is responsible for
the actions of that person, applies a pesticide. The certified applicator must be present
at the application site and be able to see the person applying the pesticide at all times.
Direct supervision - ANSWER-the act or process by which a competent person, acting
under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is responsible for the
actions of that person, applies a pesticide. the certified applicator must be either near or
in close telephone or radio contact with the person applying the pesticide
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) - ANSWER-a law that
established the basis of U.S. pesticide regulation to protect the applicators, consumers,
and the environment.
,pesticide - ANSWER-any substance used to control a pest, or to reduce the unwanted
or harmful effects of a pest.
Pesticide Business License - ANSWER-a document required of persons in the business
of selling, storing, distributing, mixing, recommending the use of, or applying pesticides.
pesticide use - ANSWER-application or supervision of an application of pesticide. "use"
includes all the routine actives that are part of a pesticide application, such as mixing,
loading, cleanup, and disposal.
private applicator - ANSWER-A certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of
any restricted-use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity.
Recertification - ANSWER-Demonstration of competency by participation in appropriate,
approved education courses; or by re-examination.
registered technician - ANSWER-a certified applicator who renders services similar to
those of a certified commercial applicator. such a person has completed training and
demonstrated competency as required for registered technicians but has not met the
requirements for commercial certification.
restricted-use pesticide - ANSWER-any pesticide classified as restricted use by the
EPA.
spot treatment - ANSWER-an application of less than 1/10th of an acre occurring on the
same day as a larger treatment
federal worker protection standard (WPS) - ANSWER-requires growers who hire
agricultural labor to make, maintain, and post pesticide application records.
annual - ANSWER-A plant that completes its life cycle in one year
appendage - ANSWER-an animal body part or organ that projects from the main part of
the body
biennial - ANSWER-a plant that completes its life cycle in two years. the first year it
germinates and grows, the second year it continues to grow, produces fruit, and seeds,
and then dies.
control - ANSWER-to kill, prevent, or lessen the harmful effects of, to destroy, or to
repel an undesirable organism
dicot - ANSWER-a plant with two seed leaves and broad, net veined leaves. flower
parts are in multiples of fours or fives
, disease - ANSWER-any abnormal, unhealthy condition caused by an invading organism
such as a bacterium or virus.
gall - ANSWER-an abnormal plant growth caused by stimuli from an insect or other
organism
host - ANSWER-an organism infected by a parasite; a plant or animal in which the
parasite lives
integrated pest management - ANSWER-a system that uses all suitable pest control
measures together in a way that keeps pest populations below the levels that cause
economic injury
invertebrate - ANSWER-An animal without a backbone
juvenile hormones - ANSWER-Natural insect chemicals that keep the earlier stages of
an insect from changing into the normal adult form.
metamorphosis - ANSWER-change in body form during the life cycle of an organism.
there are two forms: complete, or gradual.
mode of action - ANSWER-how a pesticide works to control a pest
mollusk - ANSWER-a soft-bodied invertebrate typically protected by a hard shell
nematode - ANSWER-A microscopic, eel-like roundworm.
quarantine - ANSWER-control process meant to keep pests out of pest free regions
microbial pesticides - ANSWER-microorganisms or the toxins they produce that have
been formulated into pesticides
acaricides - ANSWER-Chemical compounds developed to kill mites and ticks
attractants - ANSWER-lure pests to a trap or bait, for example, attract an insect or
rodent into a trap. (However, food is not considered a pesticide when used as an
attractant.)
Avicides - ANSWER-Control pest birds
nontarget - ANSWER-Any site or organism other than the site or pest toward which the
control measures are being directed.
organism - ANSWER-Any living thing
