KANSAS COMMERCIAL PESTICIDE APPLICATOR EXAM
SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED
A+
✔✔(Corn) The main problem associated with this pest is larval feeding on roots which
may cause lodging. The insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. Japanese beetle
d. wireworm - ✔✔a. corn rootworm
✔✔(Corn) These insects seem to be slowly migrating from east to west across Kansas.
The insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. Japanese beetle
d. wireworm - ✔✔c. Japanese beetle
✔✔(Corn) Damage from this insect usually occurs within the first two weeks of planting
but mainly in eastern Kansas. This insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. Japanese beetle
d. wireworm - ✔✔b. black cutworm
✔✔(Corn) These insects often migrate from maturing wheat fields to suck plant juice
from seedling corn. The insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. white grubs
d. chinch bugs - ✔✔d. chinch bugs
✔✔(Corn) Which of the following pests are not insects?
a. spider mites
b. wireworms
c. white grubs
d. armyworms - ✔✔a. spider mites
✔✔(Cotton) Pest information from traditional cotton-producing states can help guide
Kansas cotton producers but adjustments will need to be made because:
a. pests are not the same
b. Kansas has more pests
c. Kansas has fewer pests
d. growing season is shorter - ✔✔d. growing season is shorter
,✔✔(Cotton) Damage occurs as these insects move from maturing wheat fields. These
insects are:
a. chinch bugs
b. thrips
c. fleahoppers
d. bollworm - ✔✔b. thrips
✔✔(Sorghum) Damage occurs if these insects migrate from maturing wheat fields to
suck juice from seedling plants: These insects are:
a. chinch bugs
b. cattail caterpillars
c. fall armyworms
d. false chinch bugs - ✔✔a. chinch bugs
✔✔(Sorghum) Larval feeding by this insect often causes a "blasted" appearance to
sorghum heads. These insects are:
a. chinch bugs
b. sorghum midges
c. sorghum webworms
d. sorghum headworms - ✔✔b. sorghum midges
✔✔(Sorghum) Early season stalk tunneling by these insects may cause late season
lodging. These insects are:
a. sorghum midges
b. chinch bugs
c. sugarcane rootstock weevils
d. sorghum headworms - ✔✔c. sugarcane rootstock weevils
✔✔(Sorghum) These insects seem to feed on sorghum as a last resort but may cause
yield loss if they feed on developing grain. These insects are:
a. false chinch bugs
b. chinch bugs
c. sorghum headworms
d. greenbugs - ✔✔a. false chinch bugs
✔✔(Soybeans) These pests may feed on plants and may transmit bean pod mottle
virus. They are:
a. blister beetles
b. bean leaf beetles
c. soybean aphids
d. stink bugs - ✔✔b. bean leaf beetles
, ✔✔(Soybeans) These pests are very common later in the season and their leaf feeding
causes grower concern but they are often controlled by a white fungus. They are:
a. garden webworms
b. green cloverworms
c. soybean aphids
d. soybean podworms - ✔✔b. green cloverworms
✔✔(Soybeans) These pests were first detected in Kansas in 2002. They are:
a. garden webworm
b. green cloverworms
c. soybean aphids
d. soybean podworms - ✔✔c. soybean aphids
✔✔(Soybeans) Both adults and nymphs may feed on beans inside the pod causing
shrunken and deformed beans. These are:
a. soybean podworms
b. soybean aphids
c. bean leaf beetles
d. stink bugs - ✔✔d. stink bugs
✔✔(Sunflowers) May cause dramatic damage to plant because of their unique habit of
head clipping. These insects are:
a. cutworms
b. sunflower headmoths
c. headclipping weevils
d. sunflower stem borers - ✔✔c. headclipping weevils
✔✔(Sunflowers) Most serious sunflower pest year after year is:
a. cutworms
b. sunflower headmoths
c. headclipping weevils
d. stem borers - ✔✔b. sunflower headmoths
✔✔(Sunflowers) Highly visible, hairy caterpillars that are often common late season and
may defoliate sunflowers:
a. cutworms
b. sunflower headmoths
c. stem borers
d. woollybears - ✔✔d. woollybears
✔✔(Wheat) Destruction of volunteer wheat is a very important part of pest management
for these wheat pests:
a. aphids
b. Hessian flies
SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED
A+
✔✔(Corn) The main problem associated with this pest is larval feeding on roots which
may cause lodging. The insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. Japanese beetle
d. wireworm - ✔✔a. corn rootworm
✔✔(Corn) These insects seem to be slowly migrating from east to west across Kansas.
The insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. Japanese beetle
d. wireworm - ✔✔c. Japanese beetle
✔✔(Corn) Damage from this insect usually occurs within the first two weeks of planting
but mainly in eastern Kansas. This insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. Japanese beetle
d. wireworm - ✔✔b. black cutworm
✔✔(Corn) These insects often migrate from maturing wheat fields to suck plant juice
from seedling corn. The insect is:
a. corn rootworm
b. black cutworm
c. white grubs
d. chinch bugs - ✔✔d. chinch bugs
✔✔(Corn) Which of the following pests are not insects?
a. spider mites
b. wireworms
c. white grubs
d. armyworms - ✔✔a. spider mites
✔✔(Cotton) Pest information from traditional cotton-producing states can help guide
Kansas cotton producers but adjustments will need to be made because:
a. pests are not the same
b. Kansas has more pests
c. Kansas has fewer pests
d. growing season is shorter - ✔✔d. growing season is shorter
,✔✔(Cotton) Damage occurs as these insects move from maturing wheat fields. These
insects are:
a. chinch bugs
b. thrips
c. fleahoppers
d. bollworm - ✔✔b. thrips
✔✔(Sorghum) Damage occurs if these insects migrate from maturing wheat fields to
suck juice from seedling plants: These insects are:
a. chinch bugs
b. cattail caterpillars
c. fall armyworms
d. false chinch bugs - ✔✔a. chinch bugs
✔✔(Sorghum) Larval feeding by this insect often causes a "blasted" appearance to
sorghum heads. These insects are:
a. chinch bugs
b. sorghum midges
c. sorghum webworms
d. sorghum headworms - ✔✔b. sorghum midges
✔✔(Sorghum) Early season stalk tunneling by these insects may cause late season
lodging. These insects are:
a. sorghum midges
b. chinch bugs
c. sugarcane rootstock weevils
d. sorghum headworms - ✔✔c. sugarcane rootstock weevils
✔✔(Sorghum) These insects seem to feed on sorghum as a last resort but may cause
yield loss if they feed on developing grain. These insects are:
a. false chinch bugs
b. chinch bugs
c. sorghum headworms
d. greenbugs - ✔✔a. false chinch bugs
✔✔(Soybeans) These pests may feed on plants and may transmit bean pod mottle
virus. They are:
a. blister beetles
b. bean leaf beetles
c. soybean aphids
d. stink bugs - ✔✔b. bean leaf beetles
, ✔✔(Soybeans) These pests are very common later in the season and their leaf feeding
causes grower concern but they are often controlled by a white fungus. They are:
a. garden webworms
b. green cloverworms
c. soybean aphids
d. soybean podworms - ✔✔b. green cloverworms
✔✔(Soybeans) These pests were first detected in Kansas in 2002. They are:
a. garden webworm
b. green cloverworms
c. soybean aphids
d. soybean podworms - ✔✔c. soybean aphids
✔✔(Soybeans) Both adults and nymphs may feed on beans inside the pod causing
shrunken and deformed beans. These are:
a. soybean podworms
b. soybean aphids
c. bean leaf beetles
d. stink bugs - ✔✔d. stink bugs
✔✔(Sunflowers) May cause dramatic damage to plant because of their unique habit of
head clipping. These insects are:
a. cutworms
b. sunflower headmoths
c. headclipping weevils
d. sunflower stem borers - ✔✔c. headclipping weevils
✔✔(Sunflowers) Most serious sunflower pest year after year is:
a. cutworms
b. sunflower headmoths
c. headclipping weevils
d. stem borers - ✔✔b. sunflower headmoths
✔✔(Sunflowers) Highly visible, hairy caterpillars that are often common late season and
may defoliate sunflowers:
a. cutworms
b. sunflower headmoths
c. stem borers
d. woollybears - ✔✔d. woollybears
✔✔(Wheat) Destruction of volunteer wheat is a very important part of pest management
for these wheat pests:
a. aphids
b. Hessian flies
