Pest Control cheat sheet

Insects have three body regions (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs, and one pair of antennae; arachnids have two body regions and eight legs.

Complete metamorphosis is egg → larva → pupa → adult (beetles, flies, moths); incomplete metamorphosis is egg → nymph → adult (cockroaches, true bugs).

Termites have straight, beadlike antennae, a broad waist, and four wings of equal length; ants have elbowed antennae, a pinched waist, and unequal forewings.

Norway rats have blunt snouts, small ears, and tails shorter than the body; roof rats have pointed snouts, large ears, and tails longer than the body; house mice are small with pointed snouts.

German cockroach adults have two dark longitudinal stripes on the pronotum; American cockroaches have a pale yellow figure-eight mark on the pronotum.

Bed bugs are flattened, oval, wingless blood-feeding insects; fleas are laterally flattened and jump to reach hosts.

Monocots have parallel leaf veins, one cotyledon, and fibrous roots; dicots have netlike veins, two cotyledons, and a taproot.

Weed life cycles are annual (one year), biennial (two years), and perennial (more than two years).

Plant pathogens include fungi (mycelium and spores), bacteria (ooze), viruses (mosaic or mottling), and nematodes (microscopic roundworms).

IPM sequence: identify the pest → monitor and assess → determine the action threshold → select tactics → implement → evaluate results.

The action threshold is the pest density at which control is needed to prevent unacceptable damage; the economic injury level is where control cost equals crop loss.

Cultural controls include sanitation, exclusion, crop rotation, resistant varieties, and moisture management.

Mechanical and physical controls include traps, screens, barriers, vacuuming, heat or cold treatment, and hand removal.

Biological control uses predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and competitive organisms; conserving existing natural enemies is a core tactic.

Chemical control is justified when monitoring and thresholds show a need and nonchemical options are insufficient.

Resistance management rotates pesticide mode-of-action groups, uses labeled rates, and avoids repeated sublethal applications against the same pest.

Pesticide resistance is an inherited ability of a pest population to survive a labeled rate; tolerance is reduced sensitivity or behavioral avoidance.

Integrated programs treat on pest presence and thresholds rather than by calendar schedule alone.

Label signal words: DANGER means highly toxic or corrosive, WARNING means moderately toxic, and CAUTION means slightly toxic; DANGER-POISON includes a skull and crossbones.

PPE selection follows the label: gloves, coveralls, boots, eye and face protection, and respirators; chemical-resistant gloves are not leather or fabric.

Exposure routes are dermal, inhalation, oral, and ocular; dermal exposure is a common route for pesticide handlers.

No eating, drinking, smoking, or rubbing eyes while handling pesticides; wash hands before breaks and after work, and launder work clothes separately.

Mix outdoors or in a ventilated area, add product to water, use backflow prevention, and never use the mouth to siphon.

Triple rinsing: fill an empty container about one-quarter full with water, rinse, pour rinse water into the spray tank, and repeat twice.

Spill response: protect people, stop the source, contain with absorbent material, collect waste, ventilate the area, and report per label and SDS.

Organophosphate or carbamate poisoning can cause salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea, vomiting, miosis, and bradycardia; seek emergency care.

Store pesticides in original labeled containers, locked, away from food and feed, and out of reach of children.

FIFRA requires EPA registration of pesticides and makes the label legally binding; use inconsistent with the label is a violation.

Restricted-use pesticides may be applied only by certified applicators or under a certified applicator’s direct supervision, according to certification rules.

The Worker Protection Standard requires notification, training, PPE, reentry intervals, and decontamination supplies for agricultural workers.

The reentry interval is the minimum time after application before worker entry without required PPE; the preharvest interval is the minimum days before harvest.

Section 24(c) special local needs registration allows state-specific uses; Section 18 emergency exemption is temporary and limited.

Minimum-risk 25(b) products are exempt from federal registration but may still be subject to state rules.

A tolerance is the maximum pesticide residue allowed in or on food; no tolerance means no legal residue is permitted.

Applicator certification generally requires an examination and periodic recertification; application records may be required by label or regulation.

The label controls crop or site, pest, rate, timing, PPE, reentry interval, preharvest interval, environmental hazards, storage, and disposal.

Nozzle flow rate varies with the square root of pressure: doubling pressure increases flow about 1.41 times, and increasing pressure fourfold doubles flow.

Broadcast GPA formula: GPA = (GPM × 5940) ÷ (MPH × nozzle spacing in inches).

For banded application, substitute band width in inches for nozzle spacing in the GPA formula.

Calibration steps: inspect nozzles, set pressure, measure output, calculate GPA, adjust speed or pressure or nozzle, and recheck output.

Unit conversions: 1 acre = 43,560 square feet; 1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces; 1 pound = 16 ounces; 1 gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds.

Spray drift risk increases with fine droplets, high pressure, low boom height, high wind, and temperature inversions.

Drift reduction uses coarser droplets, lower pressure, drift-reducing adjuvants, appropriate boom height, and buffer zones.

Tank-mix compatibility is checked with a jar test; products are added in label order with continuous agitation, considering pH and water hardness.

Clean nozzles with a soft brush rather than wire, replace worn nozzles, and check spray pattern uniformity.

Pollinator protection includes avoiding applications to blooming crops, following label bee warnings, and applying when pollinators are not foraging.

Drift can injure nontarget plants, aquatic life, and wildlife; applicators check wind speed and direction and use buffer zones.

Runoff carries pesticides across the soil surface into surface water; leaching moves pesticides downward through soil toward groundwater.

Pesticide persistence is affected by sunlight, microbes, pH, soil texture, organic matter, and moisture.

Bioaccumulation is buildup of a substance in an organism; biomagnification is increasing concentration through successive food-chain levels.

Aquatic toxicity labels may prohibit application near water; equipment should not be cleaned near streams or drains.

Endangered species protection requires checking the label and local endangered species bulletins and respecting geographic restrictions.

A temperature inversion has cool air near the ground and warmer air above; it traps fine droplets and increases drift risk.

Beneficial insects and natural enemies can be killed by broad-spectrum products; selective products and timing reduce nontarget harm.

Acute effects appear soon after a single exposure; chronic effects develop after repeated or long-term exposure and may include organ damage or cancer.

Cholinesterase inhibition from organophosphates or carbamates causes SLUDGE symptoms; atropine is medical treatment, not first aid.

Pyrethroid exposure may cause tingling, burning, or dizziness; remove exposure and seek medical advice.

First aid: move to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing, wash skin with soap and water, and flush eyes for at least 15 minutes.

If a pesticide is swallowed, follow the label; do not induce vomiting unless the label or poison control directs it.

In the United States, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or emergency services; have the label and SDS available.

Heat illness prevention uses water, rest, shade, and acclimatization; heat stroke with confusion or hot dry skin is an emergency.

SDS sections cover identification, hazards, first aid, firefighting, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls, and toxicology.

Medical monitoring may be required for certain pesticides; pesticide illness or injury must be reported according to applicable rules.

Pesticide application records commonly include date, time, applicator, site, pest, product, EPA registration number, rate, amount, area treated, and weather.

Service records document inspection findings, pest activity, treatment areas, products used, and follow-up recommendations.

Customer communication explains IPM findings, risks, reentry or preharvest intervals, and follow-up; it should avoid guarantees of pest-free results.

Written contracts define service scope, fees, treatment limitations, cancellation terms, and liability.

Records should be organized, secure, and retained as required by label, state, or federal rules and made available to inspectors.

Inventory control stores products by label, tracks lot numbers, uses oldest stock first, and keeps SDSs accessible.

Employee training records document certification, PPE training, safety training, and Worker Protection Standard training.

Incident reports capture spills, exposures, complaints, and corrective actions.

Business practices include following the label, carrying insurance, providing written estimates, and documenting customer approvals.