Agradestuvia
Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators CORE Latest
Updated Exam | Questions with 100% Correct Answers
2023/2024
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests
Correct 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.
What should you do first if you see damage to a plant, animal, or valuable product/
Correct Answer: identify the cause
What should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? Correct
Answer: 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
Answer: 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 Answer: weeds, parasites and diseases,
mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates.
Why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? Correct Answer: weeds are
often hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh 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 Answer: monocots (sedges and
grasses) have one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, flower parts in multiples of 3 and
, Agradestuvia
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 Answer: fungi,
bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
What are the symptoms of viral plant diseases Correct Answer: stunting, yellow rings on
leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
How do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? Correct 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 water or
nutrients.
How do mollusks harm plants? Correct Answer: by feeding on foliage and fruit. Mollusks
reduce the value of commercial produce if they feed on harvested plants and fruit.
What are arthropods? How do they differ from vertebrates? Correct Answer: 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 Answer: 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.
Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators CORE Latest
Updated Exam | Questions with 100% Correct Answers
2023/2024
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests
Correct 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.
What should you do first if you see damage to a plant, animal, or valuable product/
Correct Answer: identify the cause
What should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? Correct
Answer: 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
Answer: 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 Answer: weeds, parasites and diseases,
mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates.
Why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? Correct Answer: weeds are
often hardy, aggressive, and tolerant of harsh 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 Answer: monocots (sedges and
grasses) have one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, flower parts in multiples of 3 and
, Agradestuvia
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 Answer: fungi,
bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
What are the symptoms of viral plant diseases Correct Answer: stunting, yellow rings on
leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
How do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? Correct 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 water or
nutrients.
How do mollusks harm plants? Correct Answer: by feeding on foliage and fruit. Mollusks
reduce the value of commercial produce if they feed on harvested plants and fruit.
What are arthropods? How do they differ from vertebrates? Correct Answer: 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 Answer: 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.
