CA BRANCH 3 Structural Pest Control
2 Stored Product Pests - ANS-Beetles and Moths
\A registered company has how many days to perform an inspection after an inspection is
ordered? - ANS-10 business days
\A registered company shall not subcontract structural fumigation work without what? -
ANS-Written consent from the consumer
\A written inspection and report of wood destroying pests and organisms shall be delivered in
how many days from the date of inspection - ANS-10 Business Days
\after 4 months from original inspections - ANS-ALL re-inspections shall be ORIGINAL
\all REPORTS and WORKSHEETS - ANS-MUST be kept for 3 years
\Are carpenter ants exclusively found in only moist wood? - ANS-No. They will extend into
sound wood.
\Are you required to water test a second floor stall shower? - ANS-No. However, if water stains
are evident on the ceiling below the shower, the recommendation should be made for further
inspection and testing.
\Black Polycaon - ANS-Dark Brown to black; Will infest any wood; Prefer softwoods and new
construction materials; Will attack cabinets, furniture, dead or living trees, and especially
plywood; Will not reinfest.
\Brown rot attacks primarily... - ANS-Softwoods
\Brown Rot fungi does what - ANS-digest the hemicellulose and cellulose which causes the
wood to shrink and turn BROWN
\Carpenter Ant colonies are polymorphic. What does Polymorphic mean? - ANS-Those in the
same colony are of different sizes.
\Carpenter Ants - ANS-Do not eat the wood they just chew it out wet/ rotten wood to make a
nest area. Largest ants in GA
\cellulose debris - ANS-MUST be recommended to be removed if larger than rakeable size
\Complete Metamorphosis - ANS-insects include the egg, leveral larval instars, a pupa stage
and winged adult. These appearance of these insects changes drastically. (BUTTERFLIES,
BEETLES, FLEAS, ANTS, FLIES, AND WASPS,
\completion tag - ANS-posted next to inspection tag when work is completed
\Completion tags must be posted in what location? - ANS-Next to the inspection tag
\Death Watch Beetles are what type of Beelte? - ANS-Anobiid
\Deathwatch Beetle - ANS-Dark grayish brown; Make a tapping sound as a mating signal; Only
eat hardwood that has been attacked by fungi; Will attack furniture and book; Will reinfest
structures.
\Deathwatch Beetle feeds on - ANS-softwood and hardwood and pine commonly re-infest any
softwood
\Describe the appearance of an adult old house borer. - ANS-Adults are about 3/4 inch long and
grayish brown to black. They have two white patches on the wing covers.
\Describe the difference between the exit holes of powderpost beetles and the exit holes of old
house borers. - ANS-Powderpost beetle exit holes are generally small (about 1/32 to 5/16 inch
, wide) and perfectly round. Old house borer exit holes are larger (about 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide) and
irregularly shaped (often oval).
\Describe the differences in the frass produced by the three different groups of powderpost
beetles described in this manual. - ANS-Lyctids - very fine and powdery frass; also very
abundant.
Anobiids - coarse and powdery frass; also contains distinctive fecal pellets shaped like hotdog
buns.
Bostrichids - grainy or mealy frass tightly packed in galleries.
\Describe the frass of powderpost beetles. - ANS-Powderpost beetle frass appears as a fine
wood dust or powder. Slight jarring of infested wood can cause the frass to sift from holes. This
is a sure sign of a powderpost beetle infestation. In addition, the frass of anobiid beetles has a
distinctive hotdog bun shape.
\Describe the frass pellets of drywood termites. - ANS-They are small and cylindrical with six
depressions on the sides. These pellets are unique to drywood termites and are used for
identification.
\Describe the types of wood carpenter bees most often attack. - ANS-Carpenter bees bore into
seasoned woods, especially softwoods such as cedar, redwood, pine, and fir. Bees may
damage soft or weathered wood on porches, decks, shed ceilings, railings, overhead trim, porch
furniture, dead tree limbs, fence posts, wooden shingles, wood siding, windowsills, and wood
doors. They prefer unpainted surfaces but will attack painted wood as well. In most cases,
carpenter bees will seek out the wood from which they developed as larvae.
\Do all wood preservatives protect wood from carpenter ants and carpenter bees? -
ANS-Unfortunately, some preservatives may not completely protect wood against damage from
carpenter ants or carpenter bees. Suppliers of wood treated with these chemicals may exclude
carpenter ant and carpenter bee damage from warranties that they offer.
\Do Carpenter Ants eat wood? - ANS-No.
\Do carpenter ants use wood for shelter or food? Describe the type of wood they prefer for this
purpose? - ANS-Shelter. They generally seek soft, moist wood in which to establish their nests.
You can often find them in old stumps and other wood that has been softened by decay. They
also attack wood in service such as utility poles. In structures, they often nest in porch columns,
roofs, windowsills, hollow-core doors, wood scraps in dirt-filled porches, and wood in contact
with soil. Although carpenter ants can extend their tunnels into dry wood, they must have high
humidity in their nesting area.
\Do drywood termites live entirely within wood? Why or why not? - ANS-Yes, because they
require little moisture (wood MCs as low as 5%). Unlike subterranean termites, drywood
termites have no connection with the soil.
\Do Flatheaded borers reinfest wood in buildings? - ANS-No.
\Do molds cause structural damage? - ANS-No. They do no significant structural damage, but
do indicate the possibility of the presence of fungi decay.
2 Stored Product Pests - ANS-Beetles and Moths
\A registered company has how many days to perform an inspection after an inspection is
ordered? - ANS-10 business days
\A registered company shall not subcontract structural fumigation work without what? -
ANS-Written consent from the consumer
\A written inspection and report of wood destroying pests and organisms shall be delivered in
how many days from the date of inspection - ANS-10 Business Days
\after 4 months from original inspections - ANS-ALL re-inspections shall be ORIGINAL
\all REPORTS and WORKSHEETS - ANS-MUST be kept for 3 years
\Are carpenter ants exclusively found in only moist wood? - ANS-No. They will extend into
sound wood.
\Are you required to water test a second floor stall shower? - ANS-No. However, if water stains
are evident on the ceiling below the shower, the recommendation should be made for further
inspection and testing.
\Black Polycaon - ANS-Dark Brown to black; Will infest any wood; Prefer softwoods and new
construction materials; Will attack cabinets, furniture, dead or living trees, and especially
plywood; Will not reinfest.
\Brown rot attacks primarily... - ANS-Softwoods
\Brown Rot fungi does what - ANS-digest the hemicellulose and cellulose which causes the
wood to shrink and turn BROWN
\Carpenter Ant colonies are polymorphic. What does Polymorphic mean? - ANS-Those in the
same colony are of different sizes.
\Carpenter Ants - ANS-Do not eat the wood they just chew it out wet/ rotten wood to make a
nest area. Largest ants in GA
\cellulose debris - ANS-MUST be recommended to be removed if larger than rakeable size
\Complete Metamorphosis - ANS-insects include the egg, leveral larval instars, a pupa stage
and winged adult. These appearance of these insects changes drastically. (BUTTERFLIES,
BEETLES, FLEAS, ANTS, FLIES, AND WASPS,
\completion tag - ANS-posted next to inspection tag when work is completed
\Completion tags must be posted in what location? - ANS-Next to the inspection tag
\Death Watch Beetles are what type of Beelte? - ANS-Anobiid
\Deathwatch Beetle - ANS-Dark grayish brown; Make a tapping sound as a mating signal; Only
eat hardwood that has been attacked by fungi; Will attack furniture and book; Will reinfest
structures.
\Deathwatch Beetle feeds on - ANS-softwood and hardwood and pine commonly re-infest any
softwood
\Describe the appearance of an adult old house borer. - ANS-Adults are about 3/4 inch long and
grayish brown to black. They have two white patches on the wing covers.
\Describe the difference between the exit holes of powderpost beetles and the exit holes of old
house borers. - ANS-Powderpost beetle exit holes are generally small (about 1/32 to 5/16 inch
, wide) and perfectly round. Old house borer exit holes are larger (about 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide) and
irregularly shaped (often oval).
\Describe the differences in the frass produced by the three different groups of powderpost
beetles described in this manual. - ANS-Lyctids - very fine and powdery frass; also very
abundant.
Anobiids - coarse and powdery frass; also contains distinctive fecal pellets shaped like hotdog
buns.
Bostrichids - grainy or mealy frass tightly packed in galleries.
\Describe the frass of powderpost beetles. - ANS-Powderpost beetle frass appears as a fine
wood dust or powder. Slight jarring of infested wood can cause the frass to sift from holes. This
is a sure sign of a powderpost beetle infestation. In addition, the frass of anobiid beetles has a
distinctive hotdog bun shape.
\Describe the frass pellets of drywood termites. - ANS-They are small and cylindrical with six
depressions on the sides. These pellets are unique to drywood termites and are used for
identification.
\Describe the types of wood carpenter bees most often attack. - ANS-Carpenter bees bore into
seasoned woods, especially softwoods such as cedar, redwood, pine, and fir. Bees may
damage soft or weathered wood on porches, decks, shed ceilings, railings, overhead trim, porch
furniture, dead tree limbs, fence posts, wooden shingles, wood siding, windowsills, and wood
doors. They prefer unpainted surfaces but will attack painted wood as well. In most cases,
carpenter bees will seek out the wood from which they developed as larvae.
\Do all wood preservatives protect wood from carpenter ants and carpenter bees? -
ANS-Unfortunately, some preservatives may not completely protect wood against damage from
carpenter ants or carpenter bees. Suppliers of wood treated with these chemicals may exclude
carpenter ant and carpenter bee damage from warranties that they offer.
\Do Carpenter Ants eat wood? - ANS-No.
\Do carpenter ants use wood for shelter or food? Describe the type of wood they prefer for this
purpose? - ANS-Shelter. They generally seek soft, moist wood in which to establish their nests.
You can often find them in old stumps and other wood that has been softened by decay. They
also attack wood in service such as utility poles. In structures, they often nest in porch columns,
roofs, windowsills, hollow-core doors, wood scraps in dirt-filled porches, and wood in contact
with soil. Although carpenter ants can extend their tunnels into dry wood, they must have high
humidity in their nesting area.
\Do drywood termites live entirely within wood? Why or why not? - ANS-Yes, because they
require little moisture (wood MCs as low as 5%). Unlike subterranean termites, drywood
termites have no connection with the soil.
\Do Flatheaded borers reinfest wood in buildings? - ANS-No.
\Do molds cause structural damage? - ANS-No. They do no significant structural damage, but
do indicate the possibility of the presence of fungi decay.
