EMPLOYEE REGISTRATION MANUAL:
GA PEST CONTROL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
What do bedbugs look like? - Answer-They are small (3/16 inch
long and 1/8 inch wide) oval, flattened top to bottom, reddish-brown bugs that undergo
Incomplete Metamorphosis (paurometabolous).
what effect do Temperature and humidity have on bed bug development? - Answer-It
can take 4-5 weeks to develop from
egg to the adult under warm, humid conditions while at cool temperatures and low
humidity, growth to the adult stage can take 4 months
What 2 things happen for a bedbug to move to next development stage, or instar? -
Answer-There are 5 instars (the animal that
hatches from the egg molts, or sheds it's skin, 5 times before becoming an adult) and a
single blood-meal is required to develop through each instar
Where do bedbugs hang out - Answer-As nocturnal animals, bed bugs spend the day
hidden in harborages, cracks and crevice, usually a short distance from where they
feed.
How do bed bugs travel? - Answer-Adults and nymphs can be transported from one
location to another by human
activity... in luggage, on clothing or furniture
Termites are ___________ insects that feed on __________ found in wood and in rare
cases living ___________ or fruit. - Answer-Termites are social insects that feed on the
cellulose found in wood, wood by-products
and, in rare cases, living plants or fruit.
Why are different life stages, or castes important to life in the termite colony? - Answer-
They are social insects that live in colonies where
there is a division of labor between the different life stages, or castes.
The majority of termites in a colony are___________ insects. - Answer-The majority of
the life stages in a termite colony are immature
insects.
What do worker termites do? - Answer-The workers do all the tasks needed to maintain
the colony that
include things like feeding on wood, searching for food by tunneling, and taking care of
the eggs and larvae. Workers make up at least 80% of the colony numbers.
,Why are soldier termites important? - Answer-A form called
the soldier is also present in the colony and they have a larger head and jaws
[mandibles].
Soldier termites protect the colony from attack by enemies like ants.
What will termite nymphs be when they grow up? - Answer-Nymphs are workers that
are progressing - through
several molts, over several months
What is an alate? - Answer-Adult termite
In a colony, how many alates(adults) are there? What are their regal titles? - Answer-2,
king and queen
What is happening in the termite colony during swarm season? - Answer-The only
adults
found in a termite colony are the king and queen and, on a seasonal (once a year)
schedule, the alates. Alates leave the colony in an annual flight called a swarm
Explain what a termite neotenic is. - Answer-However, termite colonies can, and
usually do, contain neotenic reproductives that are physically immature but sexually
mature forms. Neotenics are often called replacement (when they replace a king or
queen
that died) and secondary or supplementary (when they are in a colony that has a king
and
queen) reproductives.
Alates have _______. - Answer-wings
What are alates doing in swarm season? - Answer-The alates take flight in a swarm,
usually in the
spring but in Georgia swarms can occur in any month of the year. After their flight, the
alates pair up - males and females - to form new colonies.
In a termite colony, who finds food? - Answer-A small proportion of the
workers in a colony forage for food by following cracks and crevices in the soil. When
the foragers locate food they recruit others to the food that is eaten following the grain of
the wood. Termites do share food
Swarming termites and swarming ants look similar. They can be separated by the
following traits: - Answer-Termites have straight atennae, 2 pairs wings of equal length,
and a broad waist
Ants have bent antenae, 2 pairs of unequal wings, and a narrow waist
,What are the 2 types of termites common in GA? - Answer-subterranean
termites and drywood termites.
__________________ include the Formosan and 5 native species including the Eastern
subterranean termite that accounts for most structural infestations in
Georgia. - Answer-subterranean termite
What do termites look for in a building and why? - Answer-The colonies infesting a
building usually maintain a connection with the soil
because they require moisture
What do termite workers follow in searching for food? - Answer-The workers follow
cracks and crevices while searching for food
What is used to build termite tubes? - Answer-Worker termites use soil and excrement
to build shelter tubes - a visible sign of
infestation
What is a visible tell tale sign of a termite infestation? - Answer-termite tubes
When is termite swarm season? - Answer-Swarming: Formosans subterranean termites
fly at dusk in late May or early June
while the native subterranean termites swarm morning or early afternoon with
most species (4 of the 5) swarming from February through early June
Drywood termites are different from subterranean termites because (Hints: humidity
from a different source, poop is not same, Swarm season is different) - Answer-•
Drywood termites do not require contact with the ground and get their moisture
from the humidity in the air and their food source
• Drywood termites produce distinctive hard fecal pellets that appear in piles below
the infested wood
• Drywood termites, depending on the species, swarm in the late evening from
spring until early fall.
Carpenter Ants hang out where - Answer-nest in rotten wood or voids in
buildings.
How many queens in a carpenter ant colony? - Answer-1
How long can a carpenter ant queen live and how big can a colony get? - Answer-A
queen carpenter ant can live for a decade and older colonies can contain
thousands of workers.
What is a sign of an older nest? - Answer-Having several satellite nests.
, Why do carpenter ants mess up wood? - Answer-Carpenter ants do not eat wood but
chew out wet/rotten wood to make a nest area
Carpenter ants are the ______ ants found in Georgia - Answer-largest
What is a tell tale signal of a carpenter ant? - Answer-Carpenter ants leave small piles
of course wood shavings outside a nesting
location, these piles also contain pieces of their insect prey
Wood-Boring Beetles are represented by four different families of beetles including: -
Answer-True Powderpost beetles or lyctid powder post beetles (Family Bostricidae,
subFamily Lyctinae)
Deathwatch or Anobiid Powderpost beetles (Family Anobiidae)
False Powderpost beetles (Family Bostrichidae)
Employee Registration Manual 22
Old House Borer (Family Cerambycidae)
Where do powderpost beetles lay their eggs and burrow in to develop? - Answer-
Female powderpost
beetles lay their eggs on wood and the larvae that hatch and borrow into the wood
which
they eat in order to complete their development.
How long can it take before
the powderpost beetle larva pupates inside the piece of wood and emerge as an adult?
- Answer-1-4 yrs
What telltale sign do the larvae produce? Where is it found? - Answer-The larvae
produce
frass that often falls from holes in infested lumber.
What happens to the wood when an adult powderpost beetle leaves the wood? -
Answer-The adult powderpost beetles emerge
from the wood and this emergence event leaves a hole that indicates infested wood.
The True or Lyctid powderpost beetle - Answer-feed on hardwood lumber (oak, hickory,
maple) and usually don't re-infest wood while the larvae produce a fine powdery
frass that is shaped as 'pellets' when fresh
The Deathwatch or Anobiid powderpost beetles - Answer-feed on softwood lumber
(pine)
can re-infest wood and produce a very fine, powdery frass
The False Powderpost beetles - Answer-feed on a variety of wood and plant materials
like
dried vines or flower stems and produce a frass with 'chunks' of wood that leave
GA PEST CONTROL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
What do bedbugs look like? - Answer-They are small (3/16 inch
long and 1/8 inch wide) oval, flattened top to bottom, reddish-brown bugs that undergo
Incomplete Metamorphosis (paurometabolous).
what effect do Temperature and humidity have on bed bug development? - Answer-It
can take 4-5 weeks to develop from
egg to the adult under warm, humid conditions while at cool temperatures and low
humidity, growth to the adult stage can take 4 months
What 2 things happen for a bedbug to move to next development stage, or instar? -
Answer-There are 5 instars (the animal that
hatches from the egg molts, or sheds it's skin, 5 times before becoming an adult) and a
single blood-meal is required to develop through each instar
Where do bedbugs hang out - Answer-As nocturnal animals, bed bugs spend the day
hidden in harborages, cracks and crevice, usually a short distance from where they
feed.
How do bed bugs travel? - Answer-Adults and nymphs can be transported from one
location to another by human
activity... in luggage, on clothing or furniture
Termites are ___________ insects that feed on __________ found in wood and in rare
cases living ___________ or fruit. - Answer-Termites are social insects that feed on the
cellulose found in wood, wood by-products
and, in rare cases, living plants or fruit.
Why are different life stages, or castes important to life in the termite colony? - Answer-
They are social insects that live in colonies where
there is a division of labor between the different life stages, or castes.
The majority of termites in a colony are___________ insects. - Answer-The majority of
the life stages in a termite colony are immature
insects.
What do worker termites do? - Answer-The workers do all the tasks needed to maintain
the colony that
include things like feeding on wood, searching for food by tunneling, and taking care of
the eggs and larvae. Workers make up at least 80% of the colony numbers.
,Why are soldier termites important? - Answer-A form called
the soldier is also present in the colony and they have a larger head and jaws
[mandibles].
Soldier termites protect the colony from attack by enemies like ants.
What will termite nymphs be when they grow up? - Answer-Nymphs are workers that
are progressing - through
several molts, over several months
What is an alate? - Answer-Adult termite
In a colony, how many alates(adults) are there? What are their regal titles? - Answer-2,
king and queen
What is happening in the termite colony during swarm season? - Answer-The only
adults
found in a termite colony are the king and queen and, on a seasonal (once a year)
schedule, the alates. Alates leave the colony in an annual flight called a swarm
Explain what a termite neotenic is. - Answer-However, termite colonies can, and
usually do, contain neotenic reproductives that are physically immature but sexually
mature forms. Neotenics are often called replacement (when they replace a king or
queen
that died) and secondary or supplementary (when they are in a colony that has a king
and
queen) reproductives.
Alates have _______. - Answer-wings
What are alates doing in swarm season? - Answer-The alates take flight in a swarm,
usually in the
spring but in Georgia swarms can occur in any month of the year. After their flight, the
alates pair up - males and females - to form new colonies.
In a termite colony, who finds food? - Answer-A small proportion of the
workers in a colony forage for food by following cracks and crevices in the soil. When
the foragers locate food they recruit others to the food that is eaten following the grain of
the wood. Termites do share food
Swarming termites and swarming ants look similar. They can be separated by the
following traits: - Answer-Termites have straight atennae, 2 pairs wings of equal length,
and a broad waist
Ants have bent antenae, 2 pairs of unequal wings, and a narrow waist
,What are the 2 types of termites common in GA? - Answer-subterranean
termites and drywood termites.
__________________ include the Formosan and 5 native species including the Eastern
subterranean termite that accounts for most structural infestations in
Georgia. - Answer-subterranean termite
What do termites look for in a building and why? - Answer-The colonies infesting a
building usually maintain a connection with the soil
because they require moisture
What do termite workers follow in searching for food? - Answer-The workers follow
cracks and crevices while searching for food
What is used to build termite tubes? - Answer-Worker termites use soil and excrement
to build shelter tubes - a visible sign of
infestation
What is a visible tell tale sign of a termite infestation? - Answer-termite tubes
When is termite swarm season? - Answer-Swarming: Formosans subterranean termites
fly at dusk in late May or early June
while the native subterranean termites swarm morning or early afternoon with
most species (4 of the 5) swarming from February through early June
Drywood termites are different from subterranean termites because (Hints: humidity
from a different source, poop is not same, Swarm season is different) - Answer-•
Drywood termites do not require contact with the ground and get their moisture
from the humidity in the air and their food source
• Drywood termites produce distinctive hard fecal pellets that appear in piles below
the infested wood
• Drywood termites, depending on the species, swarm in the late evening from
spring until early fall.
Carpenter Ants hang out where - Answer-nest in rotten wood or voids in
buildings.
How many queens in a carpenter ant colony? - Answer-1
How long can a carpenter ant queen live and how big can a colony get? - Answer-A
queen carpenter ant can live for a decade and older colonies can contain
thousands of workers.
What is a sign of an older nest? - Answer-Having several satellite nests.
, Why do carpenter ants mess up wood? - Answer-Carpenter ants do not eat wood but
chew out wet/rotten wood to make a nest area
Carpenter ants are the ______ ants found in Georgia - Answer-largest
What is a tell tale signal of a carpenter ant? - Answer-Carpenter ants leave small piles
of course wood shavings outside a nesting
location, these piles also contain pieces of their insect prey
Wood-Boring Beetles are represented by four different families of beetles including: -
Answer-True Powderpost beetles or lyctid powder post beetles (Family Bostricidae,
subFamily Lyctinae)
Deathwatch or Anobiid Powderpost beetles (Family Anobiidae)
False Powderpost beetles (Family Bostrichidae)
Employee Registration Manual 22
Old House Borer (Family Cerambycidae)
Where do powderpost beetles lay their eggs and burrow in to develop? - Answer-
Female powderpost
beetles lay their eggs on wood and the larvae that hatch and borrow into the wood
which
they eat in order to complete their development.
How long can it take before
the powderpost beetle larva pupates inside the piece of wood and emerge as an adult?
- Answer-1-4 yrs
What telltale sign do the larvae produce? Where is it found? - Answer-The larvae
produce
frass that often falls from holes in infested lumber.
What happens to the wood when an adult powderpost beetle leaves the wood? -
Answer-The adult powderpost beetles emerge
from the wood and this emergence event leaves a hole that indicates infested wood.
The True or Lyctid powderpost beetle - Answer-feed on hardwood lumber (oak, hickory,
maple) and usually don't re-infest wood while the larvae produce a fine powdery
frass that is shaped as 'pellets' when fresh
The Deathwatch or Anobiid powderpost beetles - Answer-feed on softwood lumber
(pine)
can re-infest wood and produce a very fine, powdery frass
The False Powderpost beetles - Answer-feed on a variety of wood and plant materials
like
dried vines or flower stems and produce a frass with 'chunks' of wood that leave
