I85PREP
⌘ K
MD Pesticide Applicator study materials
MD Pesticide Applicator study resources

MD Pesticide Applicator practice questions

One question at a time. Build your MD Pesticide Applicator understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which signal word on a pesticide label indicates the highest degree of acute toxicity to humans?

  1. NOTICE
  2. CAUTION
  3. DANGER Correct answer.
  4. WARNING

Explanation

Signal words rank a product's acute toxicity: DANGER (often paired with POISON and a skull-and-crossbones) is the most toxic category, WARNING is moderately toxic, and CAUTION is the least toxic. NOTICE is not an EPA pesticide signal word.

Question 2Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, which document must be kept accessible to workers and uses a 16-section format to describe hazards, first aid, and safe handling?

  1. EPA registration certificate
  2. Product label booklet
  3. State applicator license
  4. Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Correct answer.

Explanation

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to keep Safety Data Sheets accessible to workers; SDSs use a 16-section format covering hazards, first aid, handling and storage. Pesticide labels carry directions for use but do not replace the SDS requirement.

Question 3Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Compared with a pesticide that has an oral LD50 of 500 mg/kg, a pesticide with an oral LD50 of 5 mg/kg is:

  1. less acutely toxic
  2. not absorbed by the oral route
  3. about equally toxic
  4. much more acutely toxic Correct answer.

Explanation

The LD50 is the dose that kills 50 percent of test animals, so a smaller number means a smaller dose is lethal and the product is more toxic. A drop from 500 to 5 mg/kg is a hundred-fold increase in acute toxicity.

Question 4Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

A pesticide classified as restricted-use may be applied:

  1. only after the EPA Administrator issues a written approval for each application
  2. by or under the direct supervision of a certified applicator Correct answer.
  3. by employees of the manufacturer who hold a commercial driver's license
  4. by anyone who has carefully read the product label and follows it

Explanation

Restricted-use pesticides carry greater risk to people or the environment and may be applied only by certified applicators or by noncertified persons working under their direct supervision. Reading the label carefully does not confer certification.

Question 5Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

The restricted-entry interval (REI) on a label is the period after an application during which:

  1. the product may not be applied again to the site
  2. entry is restricted unless label PPE is worn Correct answer.
  3. harvested produce may not be sold or eaten
  4. the pesticide remains effective against the target pest

Explanation

The REI protects workers from residues that can still cause illness after an application; entry during that period is limited and allowed only with the PPE and conditions the label specifies. The REI is separate from the preharvest interval.

Question 6Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

After pressure- or triple-rinsing an emptied pesticide container, the rinse water should be:

  1. poured into the spray tank and applied to the site Correct answer.
  2. poured onto gravel in a location far away from wells and streams
  3. flushed into a sanitary sewer line with plenty of water
  4. stored in a labeled drum for later disposal

Explanation

Rinsate still contains pesticide and must go where it is legal, normally into the spray tank so it is applied at a labeled rate to a labeled site. Dumping it on the ground, into a sewer, or holding it indefinitely creates a disposal problem and may violate the law.

Question 7Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Under FIFRA, the term 'labeling' includes:

  1. only the safety data sheet supplied with the shipment of product
  2. only the supplemental directions mailed to licensed dealers
  3. the label plus other material accompanying or referenced by the product Correct answer.
  4. only the printed container label that the manufacturer attaches to the package

Explanation

FIFRA defines labeling broadly as the label itself plus brochures, leaflets, and other material that accompanies the product or is referenced on the container label. This is why advertising, websites, and supplemental literature can create liability for misuse claims.

Question 8Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which practice best reduces off-target spray drift during a ground application?

  1. Raising nozzle pressure to produce a finer, more uniform spray
  2. Raising the boom height so the spray pattern overlaps more
  3. Spraying during a calm temperature inversion in early morning
  4. Using coarse droplets and keeping the boom close to the target Correct answer.

Explanation

Drift is reduced by coarser droplets, lower boom height, lower pressure, and spraying only when wind is within label limits and no inversion exists. Fine droplets and inversions keep spray airborne and carry it off target.

Question 9Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

To prevent back-siphoning when filling a spray tank from a well:

  1. use a larger-diameter hose to speed up the filling process
  2. keep the end of the fill hose above the water level in the tank Correct answer.
  3. run the pump continuously throughout the entire filling operation
  4. leave the tank valve wide open while the hose stays submerged

Explanation

Back-siphoning occurs when tank contents are drawn back into the water supply. Keeping the hose end above the water line, or using an air gap or check valve, breaks that connection and protects the well.

Question 10Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

When a pesticide spills, the first priority is to:

  1. keep people away and stop the source of the spill Correct answer.
  2. call the state regulatory agency to report the release
  3. cover the spill with absorbent material and sweep it up
  4. consult the safety data sheet for first-aid instructions

Explanation

Spill response starts with protecting people: warn others, keep unprotected people away, and stop the leak if it can be done safely. Containment, cleanup, notification, and first aid follow once the hazard is controlled.

Question 11Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

To slow the development of pesticide resistance, an applicator should:

  1. raise the rate above the labeled rate when control declines
  2. rotate modes of action and use nonchemical controls Correct answer.
  3. tank-mix two products that share the same mode of action
  4. apply the same effective product more often during the season

Explanation

Resistance develops when the same mode of action is used repeatedly, selecting for resistant individuals. Rotating among mode-of-action groups and integrating nonchemical tactics reduces that selection pressure.

Question 12Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Before each use of a tight-fitting respirator, an applicator should:

  1. soak the filter cartridges in clean water to activate the charcoal
  2. attach a second cartridge for extra protection
  3. perform a user seal check to confirm a proper face seal Correct answer.
  4. remove the exhalation valve to improve airflow

Explanation

A user seal check confirms the respirator seals against the face; a poor seal lets contaminated air bypass the cartridges entirely. The cartridges must also match the respirator type the label requires for the product.

Question 13Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which is the preferred way to dispose of a properly rinsed pesticide container?

  1. Bury it at least two feet below the soil surface on the farm
  2. Burn it in a licensed burn barrel on the farm
  3. Deliver it to a container recycling or collection program Correct answer.
  4. Reuse it to store fuel for the sprayer

Explanation

Rinsed containers are best handled through a pesticide container recycling or collection program, or disposed of exactly as the label and state rules direct. Burning, burying, and reuse for other purposes are unsafe or prohibited.

Question 14Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Pesticides should be stored:

  1. locked, ventilated, and away from food and feed Correct answer.
  2. outside under a tarp to save indoor storage space
  3. in unmarked containers to discourage theft or misuse
  4. in a heated area next to the livestock feed supply

Explanation

Pesticides belong in a locked, ventilated, dry structure away from food, feed, seed, and animals, with original labels intact. Unmarked containers and outdoor storage invite poisoning, theft, and weather damage.

Question 15Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which condition is most likely to cause crop injury (phytotoxicity)?

  1. a crop at a growth stage the label lists as safe
  2. continuous agitation of the spray mixture during use
  3. a sprayer calibrated just before the application
  4. excessive application rates or incompatible tank mixes Correct answer.

Explanation

Injury most often follows off-label rates, incompatible tank mixes, sensitive crop stages, or adverse weather. Following the label rate, checking compatibility, and applying at labeled growth stages reduce the risk.

Question 16Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

During calibration, a boom nozzle's output varies by more than 10 percent from its manufacturer's rating. The applicator should:

  1. recalibrate the sprayer around the bad nozzle
  2. ignore it, because differences that small do not matter
  3. replace the worn or damaged nozzle tip Correct answer.
  4. increase system pressure to bring the nozzle back into range

Explanation

A nozzle that varies more than about 10 percent from its rating is worn or damaged; it will over- or under-apply and distort the spray pattern. Replacing the tip restores uniform output, which adjusting pressure or recalibrating around the bad nozzle cannot do.

Question 17Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which type of registration allows a state to permit an additional use of a federally registered pesticide to solve a pest problem that exists only in that state?

  1. a Section 25(b) minimum risk exemption
  2. a Section 24(c) special local need registration Correct answer.
  3. a Section 3 full federal registration for the product
  4. a Section 18 emergency exemption requested by the governor

Explanation

Section 24(c) of FIFRA lets a state register an additional use of an existing federally registered product for a pest problem that is unique to that state. Section 3 is the full federal registration, and Section 18 is a temporary emergency exemption.

Question 18Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

A Section 18 exemption allows:

  1. a dealer to relabel a product for an unlisted use
  2. a manufacturer to sell unregistered products at a discount
  3. emergency use of an unregistered pesticide for a limited period Correct answer.
  4. a state to register a product for general use indefinitely

Explanation

A Section 18 exemption is a temporary authorization, usually for an emergency, permitting a use for which no registered product is available; it carries strict limits and reporting requirements. It is not a permanent registration or a relabeling authority for dealers.

Question 19Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which formulation characteristic makes an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) more likely than a wettable powder to injure sensitive plants?

  1. organic solvents that may volatilize or dissolve waxes Correct answer.
  2. a high proportion of inert clay in the product
  3. poor mixing when the water is cold
  4. a dry carrier that abrades the leaf surface

Explanation

EC formulations rely on organic solvents and emulsifiers that can dissolve the waxy leaf cuticle or volatilize after application, injuring sensitive plants. Wettable powders are dry formulations carried on clay, so they present different risks.

Question 20Core (Pesticide Principles, Safety, and Regulations)

Which combination of pesticide properties most increases the risk of groundwater contamination?

  1. high soil adsorption and short persistence
  2. strong binding to soil organic matter and high volatility
  3. low water solubility and rapid degradation
  4. high water solubility and long persistence Correct answer.

Explanation

A pesticide that dissolves readily in water and resists degradation can move with percolating water into an aquifer. Strong adsorption to soil and rapid degradation keep most compounds near the surface where they break down.

Question 21Agricultural Plant Pest Control

Why is a preplant-incorporated herbicide tilled into the top few inches of soil?

  1. To volatilize the active ingredient before planting
  2. To place it in the weed seed germination zone Correct answer.
  3. To keep the chemical away from crop roots
  4. To lengthen the product's soil residual life

Explanation

Incorporation mechanically mixes the herbicide into the shallow soil layer where weed seeds germinate and where seedling shoots and roots absorb chemicals. Uniform placement in that zone is what produces the herbicide's soil-active weed control.

Question 22Agricultural Plant Pest Control

An economic threshold is best described as the pest population at which:

  1. The pest first becomes visible in the field
  2. Beneficial insects can no longer be found
  3. Pest numbers equal the crop's plant density
  4. The cost of control equals the loss it prevents Correct answer.

Explanation

The economic threshold is the density at which the cost of a control measure equals the value of the crop loss that measure would prevent. Treating below that point costs more than it returns.

Question 23Agricultural Plant Pest Control

What makes a herbicide selective in an agricultural crop?

  1. It controls many weed species at once
  2. It is applied at a very low use rate
  3. It is formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate
  4. It controls weeds without injuring the crop Correct answer.

Explanation

Selectivity means the product injures weeds at the labeled rate while the crop escapes injury, through differences in uptake, metabolism, or placement. Rate, formulation, and spectrum of weeds controlled do not by themselves create selectivity.

Question 24Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A fungicide seed treatment is primarily intended to:

  1. Fumigate the soil immediately around the seed
  2. Protect germinating seed from soilborne pathogens Correct answer.
  3. Kill weeds that emerge with the crop
  4. Control foliar blight throughout the growing season

Explanation

Seed treatments place a fungicide on or near the seed coat so the germinating seed and young seedling are protected from soilborne pathogens during the establishment period. The protection is localized and short-lived.

Question 25Agricultural Plant Pest Control

Applying a herbicide in a band over the crop row instead of broadcasting it across the field mainly:

  1. Removes the risk of crop injury
  2. Increases the residual life of the herbicide
  3. Eliminates the need for cultivation
  4. Reduces the amount of product used per acre Correct answer.

Explanation

Banding treats only a fraction of the field surface, so less product is used per acre and cost per acre falls. The untreated area between bands generally requires cultivation or another weed control method.

Question 26Agricultural Plant Pest Control

The preharvest interval on a pesticide label states:

  1. The time the spray needs to dry on the leaf
  2. The period during which the product may be stored
  3. The maximum number of applications allowed in one season
  4. Days required between the last spray and harvest Correct answer.

Explanation

The preharvest interval is the minimum number of days that must pass between the final application and harvest of the treated crop. It exists to keep residues within established tolerances.

Question 27Agricultural Plant Pest Control

With a conventional flat-fan nozzle, increasing spray pressure from 30 to 40 psi changes nozzle output in which way?

  1. About 11 percent less flow
  2. No change in flow, only smaller droplets
  3. About 33 percent more flow
  4. About 15 percent more flow Correct answer.

Explanation

Flow through a nozzle varies with the square root of pressure. The square root of 40 divided by 30 is about 1.15, so output rises roughly 15 percent, not in direct proportion to the pressure change.

Question 28Agricultural Plant Pest Control

The main reason to rotate herbicide sites of action across years is to:

  1. Reduce the volume of water carrier needed
  2. Speed the breakdown of the previous herbicide
  3. Improve the performance of tank-mix adjuvants
  4. Delay weed resistance to any single site of action Correct answer.

Explanation

Repeated exposure to one site of action favors the survival and reproduction of weeds that carry the corresponding resistance trait. Alternating or combining effective sites of action reduces that selection pressure.

Question 29Agricultural Plant Pest Control

Which change most directly reduces off-target spray drift?

  1. Spraying in the afternoon when the air is warmest
  2. Increasing boom height above the canopy
  3. Switching to a coarser droplet spectrum Correct answer.
  4. Adding a nonionic surfactant at the full rate

Explanation

Drift is driven largely by the share of small droplets in the spray, so using a nozzle or setting that produces coarser droplets reduces the fines that move off target. Other practices, such as keeping the boom low and spraying in stable air, support that effect.

Question 30Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A protectant fungicide gives the best control when it is applied:

  1. Before the pathogen infects the plant tissue Correct answer.
  2. When the crop has reached physiological maturity
  3. After symptoms are widespread in the canopy
  4. Only after rain has washed off the previous spray

Explanation

Protectant fungicides form a barrier on the plant surface and do not move into tissue, so they must be present before spores germinate and infect. Once infection is established, protectant materials cannot cure it.

Question 31Agricultural Plant Pest Control

When a labeled insecticide is highly toxic to honey bees, the applicator should:

  1. Spray in the middle of the day when bees are active
  2. Add a sticker to hold the residue on the bloom
  3. Apply in the evening after bloom and bee activity end Correct answer.
  4. Increase the rate to shorten the residual period

Explanation

Bees forage mainly during daylight, and evening applications allow the residue to dry and weather before the next foraging period. Removing flowering weeds and following label bee precautions further reduce exposure.

Question 32Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A nonionic surfactant added to a postemergence herbicide spray mainly:

  1. Increases the soil residual life of the herbicide
  2. Improves wetting and coverage of leaf surfaces Correct answer.
  3. Prevents the spray from evaporating in the tank
  4. Neutralizes hard-water minerals in the tank

Explanation

Surfactants lower the surface tension of spray droplets so they spread and contact more of the waxy leaf surface. Better wetting and retention improve uptake of the active ingredient.

Question 33Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A burndown treatment ahead of no-till planting works best when it is applied:

  1. When weeds are drought-stressed and dormant
  2. At air temperatures below 40 degrees F
  3. To actively growing weeds before they set seed Correct answer.
  4. After the cash crop has emerged from the soil

Explanation

Burndown herbicides move and act within actively growing plants, so target weeds should be growing and not yet producing seed. Treating dormant or stressed weeds greatly reduces control.

Question 34Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A grower plans to plant sugar beets the year after a corn crop that received a long-residual herbicide. The most important thing to verify before planting is:

  1. Which nozzle tip size was used the prior season
  2. The recropping restriction on the prior label Correct answer.
  3. How many days the field was cultivated
  4. Which sprayer cleaner was used that season

Explanation

Labels list plant-back or recropping intervals for rotational crops based on how long the active ingredient persists in soil. Planting a sensitive crop before that interval ends can cause serious carryover injury.

Question 35Agricultural Plant Pest Control

If sprayer ground speed doubles while nozzle output stays constant, the application rate in gallons per acre will:

  1. Be cut in half Correct answer.
  2. Increase by about 40 percent
  3. Stay the same
  4. Double

Explanation

Application rate is inversely proportional to ground speed when nozzle flow is fixed. Covering twice as much ground with the same output per minute deposits half as much carrier and product per acre.

Question 36Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A scout finds aphids below the treatment threshold but also finds numerous lady beetle larvae in the field. The best action is to:

  1. Apply a soil fumigant before the next irrigation
  2. Apply a broad-spectrum insecticide to prevent an outbreak
  3. Spray a pyrethroid at a reduced rate
  4. Hold off spraying and continue scouting the field Correct answer.

Explanation

Predators already present can hold a below-threshold aphid population in check, and a broad-spectrum spray would kill those natural enemies. Scouting should continue so action can be taken if the population reaches the threshold.

Question 37Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A weed population that was once well controlled by a herbicide now survives full labeled rates more often each season. This shift indicates:

  1. Loss of surfactant activity in the tank mix
  2. Selection for resistance in the population Correct answer.
  3. Development of crop tolerance to the product
  4. A change in the product's soil half-life

Explanation

Repeated herbicide exposure removes susceptible individuals and allows naturally occurring resistant biotypes to reproduce, so the population shifts toward resistance over generations. This is a genetic change in the weed population, not a change in the product or the crop.

Question 38Agricultural Plant Pest Control

Repeated use of a below-label herbicide rate is a poor resistance-management choice mainly because:

  1. Sublethal doses let partly resistant plants survive Correct answer.
  2. The product label forbids any rate reduction at all
  3. It always costs more per acre than the full labeled rate
  4. Lower rates volatilize faster in warm weather

Explanation

Sublethal doses kill only the most susceptible plants and allow individuals with partial resistance to survive and set seed. Those survivors enrich the population for resistance faster than an effective full-rate application would.

Question 39Agricultural Plant Pest Control

Shortly after two products are mixed in the spray tank, a thick sludge forms. The correct response is to:

  1. Increase agitation until the sludge redissolves
  2. Stop, clean out, and jar-test a compatible mix order Correct answer.
  3. Add more water and spray at a higher carrier volume
  4. Add a compatibility agent and continue spraying

Explanation

A precipitate or sludge signals an incompatible mixture that can plug nozzles and deliver an uneven, possibly ineffective application. The tank should not be sprayed; instead the cause should be identified with a small jar test using the intended products and mixing order.

Question 40Agricultural Plant Pest Control

A herbicide applied at 1 pound active ingredient per acre has a soil half-life of about 60 days. Roughly how much remains in the soil 120 days after application, assuming no leaching or runoff?

  1. About 0.25 pound per acre Correct answer.
  2. About 0.75 pound per acre
  3. About 0.10 pound per acre
  4. About 0.50 pound per acre

Explanation

Each half-life removes half of the remaining active ingredient. Two half-lives (120 days) leave one-quarter of the original amount, or about 0.25 pound per acre.

Question 41Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

In a home lawn, a thatch layer thicker than about 1/2 inch most directly causes which problem?

  1. Mowing height must be increased by about one inch
  2. Soil pH rises above the acceptable range for turf
  3. Water, air, and nutrients move poorly into the root zone Correct answer.
  4. Weed seeds germinate more slowly in the spring

Explanation

Thatch is a tightly intermingled organic layer between the green vegetation and the soil surface. When it exceeds about 1/2 inch, water and air penetrate poorly, roots grow into the thatch instead of soil, and nutrients are tied up. Manage it with core aeration, dethatching, and avoiding excessive nitrogen.

Question 42Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

New leaves on an ornamental shrub are cupped, twisted, and strapped after a lawn herbicide was applied nearby. This pattern most strongly suggests injury from which type of herbicide?

  1. A growth-regulator (synthetic auxin) broadleaf herbicide Correct answer.
  2. A soil fumigant applied before planting
  3. A contact burndown product such as pelargonic acid
  4. A granular preemergence crabgrass herbicide

Explanation

Synthetic auxins such as 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr cause epinasty, producing twisted, cupped, and strapped new growth at very low doses. The distortion shows up on growth that expands after exposure, so it is the classic signature of growth-regulator drift or vapor movement. Contact herbicides instead cause speckling and necrotic spots.

Question 43Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

Which practice most increases brown patch severity in tall fescue?

  1. Irrigating deeply and infrequently in the morning
  2. Mowing at 3 to 4 inches
  3. Applying heavy rates of soluble nitrogen in mid-summer Correct answer.
  4. Overseeding with a brown-patch-resistant cultivar

Explanation

Brown patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is favored by lush, succulent tissue and by warm, humid nights. Heavy soluble nitrogen in summer produces exactly that growth and prolongs canopy wetness. Light summer nitrogen and deep morning irrigation reduce pressure.

Question 44Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

Turf that lifts away from the soil like a piece of carpet, with C-shaped larvae in the root zone, is most likely damaged by:

  1. white grubs Correct answer.
  2. sod webworms
  3. chinch bugs
  4. billbug adults

Explanation

White grubs are scarab larvae that feed on roots, severing them from the soil so the turf can be rolled back like carpet. Skunks and crows often tear up infested areas while hunting the larvae. Chinch bugs and webworms feed above the root zone, so the sod stays anchored.

Question 45Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

After applying most granular turf herbicides, what does the label typically require?

  1. A lime application to prevent granule breakdown
  2. Light irrigation to activate the product Correct answer.
  3. Immediate mowing to work granules into the canopy
  4. Deep cultivation to bury granules below the root zone

Explanation

Granules must dissolve so the active ingredient can move into the thatch and upper soil and form the barrier that stops germinating weeds. Labels usually call for light irrigation soon after application, but not so much water that the chemical is leached away. Mowing or cultivation immediately after application can disturb the barrier.

Question 46Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

Sticky honeydew and black sooty mold on the new growth of a crape myrtle most likely indicate an infestation of:

  1. aphids Correct answer.
  2. bagworms
  3. spider mites
  4. lace bugs

Explanation

Aphids are phloem feeders that excrete sugary honeydew, which coats leaves and supports sooty mold growth. Their feeding also curls and distorts new growth. Mites and lace bugs cause stippling rather than honeydew, and bagworms remove foliage outright.

Question 47Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

In Maryland, the most reliable timing for a spring preemergence herbicide for crabgrass is:

  1. After the first mowing of the season, once the lawn has greened fully
  2. When soil at 1 to 2 inches reaches about 55°F Correct answer.
  3. At the first autumn frost, before winter annuals emerge
  4. When soil temperatures reach 70°F, usually in July

Explanation

Crabgrass germinates when soil at a 1- to 2-inch depth warms to roughly 55°F, which in Maryland generally occurs from mid-March into April. Preemergence products must be in place before that germination or they cannot prevent it. Waiting until the lawn is fully green or the soil is much warmer is too late.

Question 48Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

Which symptom pattern best identifies lace bug damage on azalea?

  1. White frothy masses at the leaf axils and along the stems
  2. Silken webbing covering the branch tips and buds
  3. Yellow stippling above with dark tar-like spots beneath Correct answer.
  4. Large irregular holes chewed in the leaves, with green frass pellets nearby

Explanation

Lace bugs feed from the underside by sucking cell contents, leaving pale stippling on the upper leaf surface and hard, varnish-like frass spots on the lower surface. Turn leaves over when scouting, because the insects and frass are on the bottom. This pattern is distinct from chewing damage or webbing.

Question 49Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

Which is the most direct field method to determine a backpack sprayer's output in gallons per 1,000 square feet?

  1. Read the nominal flow rate printed on the nozzle catalog page
  2. Time how many minutes a full tank lasts while walking
  3. Spray a measured area with water and measure the volume needed to refill Correct answer.
  4. Weigh the sprayer before and after treating the whole lawn

Explanation

Calibration measures what the sprayer actually delivers at the walking speed and pressure you will use. Spraying a measured area with clean water and measuring the refill volume gives that output directly. Catalog ratings and tank-duration estimates ignore walking speed, pressure changes, and nozzle wear.

Question 50Ornamental and Turf Pest Control

Which is the best way to confirm that spider mites are causing the decline of a juniper?

  1. Search the stems for sawdust-like frass pushed out of small holes
  2. Tap a branch over white paper and watch for moving specks Correct answer.
  3. Hold a card under the branch and look for drops of honeydew
  4. Dig around the root collar and look for swollen galls

Explanation

Spider mites are tiny and hide in the foliage, so a beat test onto white paper is the standard field check. Mites appear as slow-moving specks that may smear reddish or green when crushed. Gall inspection and frass searches target entirely different pests.