Integrated Pest Management and Inspection
What this domain tests
This domain tests inspection-based decision making: can you find the source, identify the pest, set a threshold, choose least-risk tactics, and verify results? Florida's year-round climate means pests do not get a winter reset, so sanitation, moisture control, and exclusion carry more weight than calendar spraying.
Core rules
- IPM sequence: inspect, identify, establish an action threshold, implement sanitation/exclusion/physical controls, use pesticides only where needed, monitor, and document.
- Inspection tools: flashlight, mirror, moisture meter, borescope, flush agent where labeled, monitoring traps, and a written floor plan. For cockroaches look for fecal smears, cast skins, oothecae, and grease; for ants look for trails and moisture; for rodents look for droppings, rub marks, tracks, and burrows.
- Thresholds: German cockroach in a commercial kitchen is zero tolerance; occasional invaders may tolerate a higher threshold. Thresholds drive whether you treat, not the calendar.
- Resistance management: rotate modes of action, not just brand names. Know IRAC groups for insecticides; avoid sublethal applications that select for resistance.
- Documentation: service reports, trap catches, product and rate, and follow-up dates. Florida law expects certified-operator oversight and accurate records. Florida humidity and year-round temperatures make moisture and organic debris major drivers of pest populations.
Worked example
A German cockroach is found in one unit of a four-unit apartment building. Correct reasoning: inspect all four units plus common areas, because shared walls and plumbing allow spread. Place monitors in kitchens and baths, treat harborages with gel bait and an IGR, correct food and water sources, seal cracks, and re-inspect in 10–14 days. Do not fog the unit; fog leaves harborages untreated and can scatter insects.
Traps that cost marks
Treating before inspecting; relying on baseboard sprays; skipping adjacent units; applying repellent spray before bait; confusing monitoring catches with control; ignoring moisture under sinks. These errors produce callbacks and fail the exam's emphasis on verification.