General Household Pest Control
What this domain tests
This domain tests control of the household pests Florida technicians meet most: ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas, stored-product pests, and spiders. The exam favors species-specific programs over generic spraying, because Florida species differ sharply in nesting and bait response.
Core rules
- Ants: identify first. Pharaoh ants are tiny, yellow-brown, and bud into new colonies when disturbed; use non-repellent bait and avoid sprays. Ghost ants and white-footed ants trail on counters and need bait plus moisture correction. Carpenter ants excavate wood but do not eat it; find the parent colony and moisture source. Fire ants need mound or broadcast bait labeled for the site.
- Cockroaches: German cockroaches need bait, IGR, sanitation, and adjacent-unit inspection. American and smoky brown cockroaches often enter from drains or outdoors; fix moisture and exclude.
- Bed bugs: inspect seams, headboards, and box springs; use heat, steam, interceptors, and labeled residual or desiccant dusts; plan multiple visits. Foggers are not a bed bug cure.
- Fleas: treat the pet through a veterinarian, vacuum thoroughly, use an IGR, and account for the pupal window. Treat shaded outdoor resting areas where labeled.
- Stored products: find and discard infested food, clean shelves, and use pheromone traps for monitoring.
Worked example
A hospital reports tiny ants at a nurses' station. The ants are 2 mm, pale, and follow a trail along a counter. Identification: pharaoh ant. Correct reasoning: spraying a repellent will split the colony and spread it; use a non-repellent bait, place stations near trails but away from patients, seal food and water, and treat adjacent rooms. Follow-up is essential because budded colonies may persist.
Traps that cost marks
Spraying pharaoh ants; fogging bed bugs; treating fleas without the pet; baiting where repellent spray was applied; and assuming every ant on a counter is the same species.