ILLINOIS TURF PESTICIDE TEST PAPER 2025/2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔How do you detect Mole crickets, Sod Webworms, Armyworms, and other
Caterpillars? - ✔✔By the soap and water flush by mixing 2 ounces of dishwasher fluid
and the insects will be irritated by the dishwashing liquid and rise to the surface
✔✔Which method will NOT help monitor cutworms? - ✔✔Pitfall trapes
✔✔Apply an insecticide... - ✔✔When the insect is at its most vulnerable stage
✔✔Bacillus thuringiensis... - ✔✔Controls caterpillars
✔✔The milky spore bacterium... - ✔✔Is only effective agains Japanese beetle grubs
✔✔To control fire ants... - ✔✔Use a combination of broadcast bait treatments
✔✔Sod webworms... - ✔✔Spin silk webbing near the soil in turf
✔✔An insecticide that is applied to control whiter grubs? - ✔✔Should be watered in to
reach the soil
✔✔Mole crickets... - ✔✔Have only one one generation per year
✔✔What are some Cultural practices that help with weed management? - ✔✔1.)
Planting a turf species that is adapted to the site
2.) Mowing at the correct height
3.) Fertilizing only when the grass is growing
✔✔When do Post-emergence herbicides work best? - ✔✔In bright sunlight, when soil
moisture adequate, humidity is high, and air temperatures are between 65 and 85
degrees F
✔✔Herbicides are... - ✔✔2.) One tool for managing weeds
✔✔Annal weeds... - ✔✔Grow, flower, go to seed, and die within 12 months
✔✔Biennial weeds... - ✔✔Form a rosette of leaves the first year and flowers the next
✔✔Perennial weeds... - ✔✔Can live indefinitely
✔✔Dandelions... - ✔✔Have a sturdy taproot
, ✔✔Winter annual broadleaf weeds are... - ✔✔Best controlled in mid to late fall and early
winter
✔✔What are some characteristics of Brown patch? - ✔✔1.) Most common disease of
tall fescue in the southeast
2.) Causes irregular rings or patches of brown or tan foliage and a grayish "smoke ring"
around the margins of the patches may also be evident on close-cut turf in the early
morning
✔✔What are some characteristics of Large patch? - ✔✔1.) Disease of warm-season turf
and centipede and St. Augustine are the most susceptible
2.) Develops in the fall and spring when temps are cool and the warm-season grasses
are growing slowly
3.) Symptoms usually appear in the spring as the turf is greening up from winter
dormancy
4.) Irregular brown, yellow, or orange patches of thin turf are initially 1-2 ft. in diameter
✔✔What are some characteristics of Dollar spot? - ✔✔1.) Small bleached white spots
from 1-2 inches in diameter develop
2.) Bleached white lesions with distinct reddish-brown margins
✔✔What are some characteristics or Pythium blight? - ✔✔1.) Round to irregular spots
from1 inch in diameter on closer mowed turf
✔✔Which factor is not a component of the disease pyramid? - ✔✔Fungicide
✔✔Spring dead spot in bermudagrass... - ✔✔Occurs after winter dormancy
✔✔What is a major advantage of systemic fungicides for management of turf diseases?
- ✔✔They translocate to protect newly formed tissue
✔✔To reduce gray leaf spot in St. Augustine grass... - ✔✔Irrigate early in the morning to
give the turf time to dry out completely before evening
✔✔Which cultural practice increases the risk of several turf diseases? - ✔✔Excessive
nitrogen fertilizer
✔✔What does B & B stand for? - ✔✔Balled and burlapped
✔✔How much mulch is adequate to prevent most weed seed from germinating? - ✔✔2-
4 inches
✔✔Before installing a new plant in the landscape you should check... - ✔✔1.) The
hardiness zone for which it is adapted
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔How do you detect Mole crickets, Sod Webworms, Armyworms, and other
Caterpillars? - ✔✔By the soap and water flush by mixing 2 ounces of dishwasher fluid
and the insects will be irritated by the dishwashing liquid and rise to the surface
✔✔Which method will NOT help monitor cutworms? - ✔✔Pitfall trapes
✔✔Apply an insecticide... - ✔✔When the insect is at its most vulnerable stage
✔✔Bacillus thuringiensis... - ✔✔Controls caterpillars
✔✔The milky spore bacterium... - ✔✔Is only effective agains Japanese beetle grubs
✔✔To control fire ants... - ✔✔Use a combination of broadcast bait treatments
✔✔Sod webworms... - ✔✔Spin silk webbing near the soil in turf
✔✔An insecticide that is applied to control whiter grubs? - ✔✔Should be watered in to
reach the soil
✔✔Mole crickets... - ✔✔Have only one one generation per year
✔✔What are some Cultural practices that help with weed management? - ✔✔1.)
Planting a turf species that is adapted to the site
2.) Mowing at the correct height
3.) Fertilizing only when the grass is growing
✔✔When do Post-emergence herbicides work best? - ✔✔In bright sunlight, when soil
moisture adequate, humidity is high, and air temperatures are between 65 and 85
degrees F
✔✔Herbicides are... - ✔✔2.) One tool for managing weeds
✔✔Annal weeds... - ✔✔Grow, flower, go to seed, and die within 12 months
✔✔Biennial weeds... - ✔✔Form a rosette of leaves the first year and flowers the next
✔✔Perennial weeds... - ✔✔Can live indefinitely
✔✔Dandelions... - ✔✔Have a sturdy taproot
, ✔✔Winter annual broadleaf weeds are... - ✔✔Best controlled in mid to late fall and early
winter
✔✔What are some characteristics of Brown patch? - ✔✔1.) Most common disease of
tall fescue in the southeast
2.) Causes irregular rings or patches of brown or tan foliage and a grayish "smoke ring"
around the margins of the patches may also be evident on close-cut turf in the early
morning
✔✔What are some characteristics of Large patch? - ✔✔1.) Disease of warm-season turf
and centipede and St. Augustine are the most susceptible
2.) Develops in the fall and spring when temps are cool and the warm-season grasses
are growing slowly
3.) Symptoms usually appear in the spring as the turf is greening up from winter
dormancy
4.) Irregular brown, yellow, or orange patches of thin turf are initially 1-2 ft. in diameter
✔✔What are some characteristics of Dollar spot? - ✔✔1.) Small bleached white spots
from 1-2 inches in diameter develop
2.) Bleached white lesions with distinct reddish-brown margins
✔✔What are some characteristics or Pythium blight? - ✔✔1.) Round to irregular spots
from1 inch in diameter on closer mowed turf
✔✔Which factor is not a component of the disease pyramid? - ✔✔Fungicide
✔✔Spring dead spot in bermudagrass... - ✔✔Occurs after winter dormancy
✔✔What is a major advantage of systemic fungicides for management of turf diseases?
- ✔✔They translocate to protect newly formed tissue
✔✔To reduce gray leaf spot in St. Augustine grass... - ✔✔Irrigate early in the morning to
give the turf time to dry out completely before evening
✔✔Which cultural practice increases the risk of several turf diseases? - ✔✔Excessive
nitrogen fertilizer
✔✔What does B & B stand for? - ✔✔Balled and burlapped
✔✔How much mulch is adequate to prevent most weed seed from germinating? - ✔✔2-
4 inches
✔✔Before installing a new plant in the landscape you should check... - ✔✔1.) The
hardiness zone for which it is adapted
