PEST CONTROL COLORADO
STATE TEST 2026:
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
QUESTIONS, FREQUENTLY
TESTED TOPICS, AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS
DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: Official Examination Preparation & Clinical Reference Report
JURISDICTION: State of Colorado / Department of Agriculture (CDA)
TARGET LICENSURE: Qualified Supervisor (QS) & Certified Operator (CO)
PRIMARY CATEGORIES: General Standards (Core) Structural Pest Control (301, 302, 303,
304) Agricultural Insect Control (101)
PREPARED FOR: Professional Applicators and Regulatory Candidates
DATE: 2026 Examination Cycle
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Topic Index & Concept Map
2. Glossary of Regulatory & Biological Terms
3. Master Formula Sheet (Calibration & Dosage)
4. Examination Section: Questions 1 – 55
○ Part I: Colorado Laws, Regulations, and Ethics (Questions 1–12)
○ Part II: General Safety, Toxicology, and Labeling (Questions 13–24)
○ Part III: Pest Biology, Identification, and Entomology (Questions 25–36)
○ Part IV: Management Strategies, Chemistry, and Modes of Action (Questions
37–48)
○ Part V: Equipment Calibration and Mathematics (Questions 49–55)
1. TOPIC INDEX & CONCEPT MAP
The following structural hierarchy delineates the intellectual architecture required for the
Colorado Qualified Supervisor examination. This index correlates regulatory statutes with
biological imperatives, providing a roadmap for the subsequent clinical analyses.
,Primary Domain Sub-Domain Key Concepts & Colorado
Specifics
I. Regulatory Compliance Licensure & Certification QS vs. CO roles; Experience
requirements (24 months for
Structural vs. 8 months for Ag);
License renewal (CEC credits);
Reciprocity limits.
The "Act" & Rules Title 35, Article 10 (Pesticide
Applicators' Act); Civil
penalties; Local vs. State
preemption; Record keeping (3
years Commercial vs. 2 years
Private).
Notification & Posting Registry of
Pesticide-Sensitive Persons;
Signage requirements (Font
sizes: 60pt/24pt, Symbols);
Patient/Medical justification
updates; Abutting property
notification.
II. Toxicology & Safety Acute vs. Chronic LD50 definitions; Signal words
(Danger, Warning, Caution);
Routes of entry (Dermal, Oral,
Inhalation); Eye flushing
protocols (15-20 mins).
PPE & Handling Glove selection (Nitrile/Butyl);
Respirator fit testing; Washing
procedures; "WALES" mixing
order; Drift management.
III. Pest Biology Structural Insects Termites vs. Ants
(Morphology: Wings/Antennae);
Bed Bugs (kdr resistance,
VGSC mutation); Cockroaches
(Glucose aversion, Ootheca);
Stored Product Pests.
Arachnids Spiders (Brown Recluse vs.
Hobo identification); Ticks/Mites
(Life cycles, Disease vectors).
Vertebrates Rodents (Commensal
rats/mice); Hantavirus vectors
(Deer Mouse); Trap shyness;
Neophobia; Secondary
poisoning risks.
IV. Chemistry & Control Modes of Action (MoA) Anticoagulants (Vitamin K
cycle inhibition);
Neonicotinoids (Acetylcholine
receptors); IGRs (Juvenile
, Primary Domain Sub-Domain Key Concepts & Colorado
Specifics
Hormone mimics vs. Chitin
Synthesis Inhibitors).
Resistance Management Behavioral resistance (Glucose
aversion); Metabolic resistance;
Target site mutation (kdr).
V. Applied Mathematics Calibration GPA calculations; Nozzle flow
rates; Area geometry
(Rectangular, Circular); Active
Ingredient (AI) conversion; 1%
dilution logic.
2. GLOSSARY OF REGULATORY & BIOLOGICAL TERMS
● Abutting Property: Real property that shares a common border with the property being
treated. In Colorado, notification requirements for the pesticide-sensitive registry apply
specifically to these properties.
● Active Ingredient (AI): The specific chemical in a pesticide product that controls the
target pest.
● Acute Toxicity: Injury or illness produced from a single exposure to a pesticide.
Measured often by LD50.
● Anticoagulant: A class of rodenticides that inhibits blood clotting by interfering with the
Vitamin K epoxide reductase enzyme.
● Certified Operator (CO): An individual licensed to apply restricted-use pesticides without
on-site supervision, provided a Qualified Supervisor is employed by the same company.
● Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor (CSI): A type of Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that prevents
the formation of chitin, causing death during molting (e.g., Noviflumuron).
● Economic Threshold: The density of a pest population at which control measures should
be initiated to prevent an increasing pest population from reaching the economic injury
level.
● Glucose Aversion: A behavioral resistance trait in German Cockroaches where glucose
triggers bitter gustatory receptors, leading to bait rejection.
● Juvenile Hormone Analog (JHA): An IGR that mimics the insect’s natural juvenile
hormone, preventing it from maturing into a reproductive adult (e.g., Methoprene,
Hydroprene).
● LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%): The dose of a toxicant required to kill 50% of a test population.
A lower LD50 indicates higher toxicity.
● Metamorphosis (Complete vs. Incomplete):
○ Complete (Holometabolous): Egg, Larva, Pupa, Adult (e.g., Fleas, Flies, Ants).
○ Incomplete (Hemimetabolous): Egg, Nymph, Adult (e.g., Roaches, Termites, Bed
Bugs).
● Qualified Supervisor (QS): The individual responsible for all pesticide applications made
by a commercial business. Requires specific experience (e.g., 24 months for structural)
and passing category exams.
STATE TEST 2026:
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
QUESTIONS, FREQUENTLY
TESTED TOPICS, AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS
DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: Official Examination Preparation & Clinical Reference Report
JURISDICTION: State of Colorado / Department of Agriculture (CDA)
TARGET LICENSURE: Qualified Supervisor (QS) & Certified Operator (CO)
PRIMARY CATEGORIES: General Standards (Core) Structural Pest Control (301, 302, 303,
304) Agricultural Insect Control (101)
PREPARED FOR: Professional Applicators and Regulatory Candidates
DATE: 2026 Examination Cycle
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Topic Index & Concept Map
2. Glossary of Regulatory & Biological Terms
3. Master Formula Sheet (Calibration & Dosage)
4. Examination Section: Questions 1 – 55
○ Part I: Colorado Laws, Regulations, and Ethics (Questions 1–12)
○ Part II: General Safety, Toxicology, and Labeling (Questions 13–24)
○ Part III: Pest Biology, Identification, and Entomology (Questions 25–36)
○ Part IV: Management Strategies, Chemistry, and Modes of Action (Questions
37–48)
○ Part V: Equipment Calibration and Mathematics (Questions 49–55)
1. TOPIC INDEX & CONCEPT MAP
The following structural hierarchy delineates the intellectual architecture required for the
Colorado Qualified Supervisor examination. This index correlates regulatory statutes with
biological imperatives, providing a roadmap for the subsequent clinical analyses.
,Primary Domain Sub-Domain Key Concepts & Colorado
Specifics
I. Regulatory Compliance Licensure & Certification QS vs. CO roles; Experience
requirements (24 months for
Structural vs. 8 months for Ag);
License renewal (CEC credits);
Reciprocity limits.
The "Act" & Rules Title 35, Article 10 (Pesticide
Applicators' Act); Civil
penalties; Local vs. State
preemption; Record keeping (3
years Commercial vs. 2 years
Private).
Notification & Posting Registry of
Pesticide-Sensitive Persons;
Signage requirements (Font
sizes: 60pt/24pt, Symbols);
Patient/Medical justification
updates; Abutting property
notification.
II. Toxicology & Safety Acute vs. Chronic LD50 definitions; Signal words
(Danger, Warning, Caution);
Routes of entry (Dermal, Oral,
Inhalation); Eye flushing
protocols (15-20 mins).
PPE & Handling Glove selection (Nitrile/Butyl);
Respirator fit testing; Washing
procedures; "WALES" mixing
order; Drift management.
III. Pest Biology Structural Insects Termites vs. Ants
(Morphology: Wings/Antennae);
Bed Bugs (kdr resistance,
VGSC mutation); Cockroaches
(Glucose aversion, Ootheca);
Stored Product Pests.
Arachnids Spiders (Brown Recluse vs.
Hobo identification); Ticks/Mites
(Life cycles, Disease vectors).
Vertebrates Rodents (Commensal
rats/mice); Hantavirus vectors
(Deer Mouse); Trap shyness;
Neophobia; Secondary
poisoning risks.
IV. Chemistry & Control Modes of Action (MoA) Anticoagulants (Vitamin K
cycle inhibition);
Neonicotinoids (Acetylcholine
receptors); IGRs (Juvenile
, Primary Domain Sub-Domain Key Concepts & Colorado
Specifics
Hormone mimics vs. Chitin
Synthesis Inhibitors).
Resistance Management Behavioral resistance (Glucose
aversion); Metabolic resistance;
Target site mutation (kdr).
V. Applied Mathematics Calibration GPA calculations; Nozzle flow
rates; Area geometry
(Rectangular, Circular); Active
Ingredient (AI) conversion; 1%
dilution logic.
2. GLOSSARY OF REGULATORY & BIOLOGICAL TERMS
● Abutting Property: Real property that shares a common border with the property being
treated. In Colorado, notification requirements for the pesticide-sensitive registry apply
specifically to these properties.
● Active Ingredient (AI): The specific chemical in a pesticide product that controls the
target pest.
● Acute Toxicity: Injury or illness produced from a single exposure to a pesticide.
Measured often by LD50.
● Anticoagulant: A class of rodenticides that inhibits blood clotting by interfering with the
Vitamin K epoxide reductase enzyme.
● Certified Operator (CO): An individual licensed to apply restricted-use pesticides without
on-site supervision, provided a Qualified Supervisor is employed by the same company.
● Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor (CSI): A type of Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that prevents
the formation of chitin, causing death during molting (e.g., Noviflumuron).
● Economic Threshold: The density of a pest population at which control measures should
be initiated to prevent an increasing pest population from reaching the economic injury
level.
● Glucose Aversion: A behavioral resistance trait in German Cockroaches where glucose
triggers bitter gustatory receptors, leading to bait rejection.
● Juvenile Hormone Analog (JHA): An IGR that mimics the insect’s natural juvenile
hormone, preventing it from maturing into a reproductive adult (e.g., Methoprene,
Hydroprene).
● LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%): The dose of a toxicant required to kill 50% of a test population.
A lower LD50 indicates higher toxicity.
● Metamorphosis (Complete vs. Incomplete):
○ Complete (Holometabolous): Egg, Larva, Pupa, Adult (e.g., Fleas, Flies, Ants).
○ Incomplete (Hemimetabolous): Egg, Nymph, Adult (e.g., Roaches, Termites, Bed
Bugs).
● Qualified Supervisor (QS): The individual responsible for all pesticide applications made
by a commercial business. Requires specific experience (e.g., 24 months for structural)
and passing category exams.
