VIRGINIA COMMERCIAL PESTICIDE APPLICATORS
CORE EXAM / STUDY GUIDE LATEST VERSION /
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS / A GRADE
SCORE SOLUTION|| LATEST UPDATE 2025/26
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests -
CORRECTANSWER 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/ -
CORRECTANSWER identify the cause
what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? -
CORRECTANSWER 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? -
CORRECTANSWER 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 -CORRECTANSWER weeds, parasites and diseases,
mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates.
,why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? -CORRECTANSWER
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? -CORRECTANSWER 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
parts in multiples of 4 and 5 and usually have taproots.
name the pathogens that cause most plant and animal diseases -CORRECTANSWER
fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases -CORRECTANSWER stunting, yellow
rings on leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? -CORRECTANSWER 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? -CORRECTANSWER 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? -CORRECTANSWER
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? -CORRECTANSWER 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.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture? -
CORRECTANSWER insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies) or pest predators
(ladybeetles and lacewings). with out pollinators many types of plants could not
reproduce and beneficial predators feed on harmful insects, mites, and weeds.
CORE EXAM / STUDY GUIDE LATEST VERSION /
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS / A GRADE
SCORE SOLUTION|| LATEST UPDATE 2025/26
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests -
CORRECTANSWER 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/ -
CORRECTANSWER identify the cause
what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? -
CORRECTANSWER 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? -
CORRECTANSWER 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 -CORRECTANSWER weeds, parasites and diseases,
mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates.
,why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? -CORRECTANSWER
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? -CORRECTANSWER 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
parts in multiples of 4 and 5 and usually have taproots.
name the pathogens that cause most plant and animal diseases -CORRECTANSWER
fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases -CORRECTANSWER stunting, yellow
rings on leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? -CORRECTANSWER 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? -CORRECTANSWER 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? -CORRECTANSWER
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? -CORRECTANSWER 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.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture? -
CORRECTANSWER insects that are pollinators (bees and butterflies) or pest predators
(ladybeetles and lacewings). with out pollinators many types of plants could not
reproduce and beneficial predators feed on harmful insects, mites, and weeds.
