MA Applicator License (Core)
Questions & Answers(GRADED A+)
Pest - ANSWER A pest is any living thing that has an undesirable impact on something that is
important to us.
Pesticide - ANSWER A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances used to kill pests or to
prevent or reduce the damage pests cause.
True or false: repellents are pesticides - ANSWER True
Pest control devices - ANSWER Products which use purely mechanical or physical means to combat
pests.
True or false: if a pest control device is packaged together with a substance that helps control the
pest (e.g., a trap that lures pests with a chemical attractant), then the combination is considered a
pesticide product and is therefore subject to pesticide regulations. - ANSWER True
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - ANSWER IPM is an approach to pest management in which we
combine all available necessary techniques into a unified program with the goal of managing pest
populations in a way that avoids pest damage and minimizes adverse effects.
Pesticide use - ANSWER Pesticide use includes other activities as well, including the transport and
storage of a pesticide after the manufacturer's seal has been broken; mixing pesticides; cleaning
pesticide equipment; and disposal of pesticides and pesticide containers.
Use - ANSWER The term use can also refer to where and how a pesticide can be applied.
Site - ANSWER With respect to pesticide application, the term "site" does not necessarily mean
"location". Rather, it means the particular entity to which a pesticide is or could be applied.
Label - ANSWER The label is the information about the product and it's use that is printed on or
attached to the pesticide container at the time of purchase.
,Labeling - ANSWER Labeling includes the label itself plus all other information:
•referenced on the label,
•received from the manufacturer about the product when you buy it (such as brochures and
leaflets), and/or
•approved by regulatory agencies regarding the use(s) of the product.
Pesticide labeling gives you instructions on how to use the product legally and correctly.
Labeled - ANSWER The term "labeled" simply means that the use is listed on and allowed by the
pesticide product label.
Explain two reasons why you need to follow directions on the label and in other labeling: - ANSWER
1. The label (along with other labeling) provides the information you need to use the product as
effectively and as safely as possible. Information also includes:
-name of the product and of the ingredients that control the pest,
-who makes or distributes the pesticide,
-Whether or not there are restrictions as to who can purchase/use the pesticide,
-information about hazards to human health and the environment,
-safety precautions and first aid measures, and
-directions for using the pesticide
2. It is against the law to violate directions listed on the label it in other labeling
Problems that pests can cause - ANSWER -Structural damage: termites weaken structural wood in
houses and other buildings, resulting in unsafe conditions and expensive repairs. Wood destroying
microorganisms can cause the framing around a window or exterior door to rot away.
-Property damage: clothes moths can ruin materials such as clothes and bedding that are made of
natural fibers. Mice can gnaw their way into food cabinets or reduce the effectiveness of insulation
by using it as nesting material.
-Food concerns: blackbirds will feast on traps growing in a vineyard. Microorganisms cause plant
diseases that reduce the yield and/or value of a farmer's crop. Insect pests can feed on dried foods
, such as flour, chocolate chips, or cereals in a kitchen pantry. Weeds affect our food supply when they
reduce yields by competing with crop plants for water, sunlight, and soil nutrients.
-Health risks: mosquitoes can spread diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) and Encephalitis (EEE).
Houseflies contaminate food with microbes that cause food poisoning and dysentery. Mice and rats
carry microbes that cause salmonellosis, a form of food contamination. Poison ivy and giant hogweed
cause irritating and even dangerous skin reactions. Pets and farm animals are at risk from fleas, ticks,
and biting flies, and from microorganisms that produce toxins in stored grain fed to livestock.
-Risks to the environment: pests can have significant environmental impacts, especially when they
are accidentally brought into an area for the first time (invasive species). Ex: defoliation of forests by
gypsy moth caterpillars and disruption of aquatic environments by plants that displace the native
plants that provide food and shelter to aquatic animals. The emerald ash borer and Asian longhorn
beetle have recently been introduced into our area (MA) and can kill healthy trees.
-Reduced aesth
Insect - ANSWER Insects are invertebrates (no backbone) and outnumber all other animals on earth,
so it's not surprising that they are perhaps our biggest pest problem.
Adult insect characteristics - ANSWER Adult insects have three pairs of jointed legs for a total of six
legs. Adult insects also have three distinct body regions: the head, thorax (chest), and abdomen.
Each region is covered by a hard, protective "skin" called an exoskeleton.
Head: the insect head bears mouthparts, eyes, and antennae. Mouthparts vary among groups of
insects and can be a useful way of identifying pests and the type of damage it does.
•Chewing mouthparts have toothed jaws that bite and tear the food. Beetles, cockroaches, ants, and
grasshoppers have chewing mouthparts and can cause damage by eating plants, tunneling into
structural wood, or chewing holes in fabrics.
•piercing-sucking mouth parts are slender tubes that are forced into plant or animal tissue to suck
out fluids or blood. Mosquitoes and aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts. Insects with these
mouthparts weaken plants and animals with their feeding, and some transmit disease-causing
organisms.
-Sponging mouthparts are tongue-like structures that suck up liquids or food that can be made liquid
by the insect's vomit. Many flies (e.g., houseflies) feed this way. These insects can contaminate our
food by depositing pathogens from their mouthparts as they feed.
-Siphoning mouthparts are long tubes used for sucking nectar. Butterflies and moths has siphoning
mouthparts.
Antennae: Adult insects have a pair of antennae that provide the sense of smell and touch; insects
use them to locate and identify food and mates. Antennae can be useful when identifying pests:
Questions & Answers(GRADED A+)
Pest - ANSWER A pest is any living thing that has an undesirable impact on something that is
important to us.
Pesticide - ANSWER A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances used to kill pests or to
prevent or reduce the damage pests cause.
True or false: repellents are pesticides - ANSWER True
Pest control devices - ANSWER Products which use purely mechanical or physical means to combat
pests.
True or false: if a pest control device is packaged together with a substance that helps control the
pest (e.g., a trap that lures pests with a chemical attractant), then the combination is considered a
pesticide product and is therefore subject to pesticide regulations. - ANSWER True
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - ANSWER IPM is an approach to pest management in which we
combine all available necessary techniques into a unified program with the goal of managing pest
populations in a way that avoids pest damage and minimizes adverse effects.
Pesticide use - ANSWER Pesticide use includes other activities as well, including the transport and
storage of a pesticide after the manufacturer's seal has been broken; mixing pesticides; cleaning
pesticide equipment; and disposal of pesticides and pesticide containers.
Use - ANSWER The term use can also refer to where and how a pesticide can be applied.
Site - ANSWER With respect to pesticide application, the term "site" does not necessarily mean
"location". Rather, it means the particular entity to which a pesticide is or could be applied.
Label - ANSWER The label is the information about the product and it's use that is printed on or
attached to the pesticide container at the time of purchase.
,Labeling - ANSWER Labeling includes the label itself plus all other information:
•referenced on the label,
•received from the manufacturer about the product when you buy it (such as brochures and
leaflets), and/or
•approved by regulatory agencies regarding the use(s) of the product.
Pesticide labeling gives you instructions on how to use the product legally and correctly.
Labeled - ANSWER The term "labeled" simply means that the use is listed on and allowed by the
pesticide product label.
Explain two reasons why you need to follow directions on the label and in other labeling: - ANSWER
1. The label (along with other labeling) provides the information you need to use the product as
effectively and as safely as possible. Information also includes:
-name of the product and of the ingredients that control the pest,
-who makes or distributes the pesticide,
-Whether or not there are restrictions as to who can purchase/use the pesticide,
-information about hazards to human health and the environment,
-safety precautions and first aid measures, and
-directions for using the pesticide
2. It is against the law to violate directions listed on the label it in other labeling
Problems that pests can cause - ANSWER -Structural damage: termites weaken structural wood in
houses and other buildings, resulting in unsafe conditions and expensive repairs. Wood destroying
microorganisms can cause the framing around a window or exterior door to rot away.
-Property damage: clothes moths can ruin materials such as clothes and bedding that are made of
natural fibers. Mice can gnaw their way into food cabinets or reduce the effectiveness of insulation
by using it as nesting material.
-Food concerns: blackbirds will feast on traps growing in a vineyard. Microorganisms cause plant
diseases that reduce the yield and/or value of a farmer's crop. Insect pests can feed on dried foods
, such as flour, chocolate chips, or cereals in a kitchen pantry. Weeds affect our food supply when they
reduce yields by competing with crop plants for water, sunlight, and soil nutrients.
-Health risks: mosquitoes can spread diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) and Encephalitis (EEE).
Houseflies contaminate food with microbes that cause food poisoning and dysentery. Mice and rats
carry microbes that cause salmonellosis, a form of food contamination. Poison ivy and giant hogweed
cause irritating and even dangerous skin reactions. Pets and farm animals are at risk from fleas, ticks,
and biting flies, and from microorganisms that produce toxins in stored grain fed to livestock.
-Risks to the environment: pests can have significant environmental impacts, especially when they
are accidentally brought into an area for the first time (invasive species). Ex: defoliation of forests by
gypsy moth caterpillars and disruption of aquatic environments by plants that displace the native
plants that provide food and shelter to aquatic animals. The emerald ash borer and Asian longhorn
beetle have recently been introduced into our area (MA) and can kill healthy trees.
-Reduced aesth
Insect - ANSWER Insects are invertebrates (no backbone) and outnumber all other animals on earth,
so it's not surprising that they are perhaps our biggest pest problem.
Adult insect characteristics - ANSWER Adult insects have three pairs of jointed legs for a total of six
legs. Adult insects also have three distinct body regions: the head, thorax (chest), and abdomen.
Each region is covered by a hard, protective "skin" called an exoskeleton.
Head: the insect head bears mouthparts, eyes, and antennae. Mouthparts vary among groups of
insects and can be a useful way of identifying pests and the type of damage it does.
•Chewing mouthparts have toothed jaws that bite and tear the food. Beetles, cockroaches, ants, and
grasshoppers have chewing mouthparts and can cause damage by eating plants, tunneling into
structural wood, or chewing holes in fabrics.
•piercing-sucking mouth parts are slender tubes that are forced into plant or animal tissue to suck
out fluids or blood. Mosquitoes and aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts. Insects with these
mouthparts weaken plants and animals with their feeding, and some transmit disease-causing
organisms.
-Sponging mouthparts are tongue-like structures that suck up liquids or food that can be made liquid
by the insect's vomit. Many flies (e.g., houseflies) feed this way. These insects can contaminate our
food by depositing pathogens from their mouthparts as they feed.
-Siphoning mouthparts are long tubes used for sucking nectar. Butterflies and moths has siphoning
mouthparts.
Antennae: Adult insects have a pair of antennae that provide the sense of smell and touch; insects
use them to locate and identify food and mates. Antennae can be useful when identifying pests:
