Virginia Commercial Pesticide Applicators
CORE exam (Newest 2025/2026 Update) 85
Comprehensive Questions & certified
Answers
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests -
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/ -
Answer--identify the cause
what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? -
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? - 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 - Answer--weeds, parasites and diseases, mollusks,
arthropods, and vertebrates.
why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? - 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? - Answer--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 - Answer--fungi,
bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases - Answer--stunting, yellow rings on
leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? - 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? - 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? - 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? - 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.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture? -
Answer--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.
how do mites harm plants? - Answer--They suck the plant juices, eat the underside of
leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed on.
CORE exam (Newest 2025/2026 Update) 85
Comprehensive Questions & certified
Answers
Explain the difference between key pests, occasional pests and secondary pests -
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/ -
Answer--identify the cause
what should you do first if you discover a pest that may need to be controlled? -
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? - 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 - Answer--weeds, parasites and diseases, mollusks,
arthropods, and vertebrates.
why do weeds present such a challenge to pest managers? - 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? - Answer--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 - Answer--fungi,
bacteria, mycoplasma, and viruses
what are the symptoms of viral plant diseases - Answer--stunting, yellow rings on
leaves, wilting, and mosaic patterns
how do plant parasitic nematodes harm plants? - 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? - 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? - 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? - 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.
what are beneficial insects? and why are they important to agriculture? -
Answer--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.
how do mites harm plants? - Answer--They suck the plant juices, eat the underside of
leaves, and disfigure the plants they feed on.
