Iowa General and Household Pest Management Category 7A

Tell the importance of equipment maintenance in pest management programs.

Cleaning equipment maintains its efficiency and professional appearance. It also improves the life of the machine.

Explain the health concerns associated with cockroach infestations.

Cockroaches may carry bacteria to and from food sources which may cause food-born illnesses.

Explain the two types of ultra-low volume application devices.

Cold foggers use spinning rotors or discs to break liquid into small droplets which are then forced out of the device. Thermal foggers use heat to vaporize insecticide concentrate. When the heated vapors exit the equipment, they cool and condense into particles ranging from 1 to 10 microns in diameter.

Name six ant species found in or near structures.

Acrobat ant, Carpenter ant, Crazy ant, Larger Yellow ant, Odorous House ant, Little Black ant, Pavement ant, Pharaoh ant, Thief ant

Define: commensal, omnivores, kinesthetic sense, bait translocation, anticoagulant, paraffinized bait, secondary hazard.

Commensal: meaning that the pest is well adjusted for living in close association with humans. Omnivores: animals that eat both meat and plants (anything). Kinesthetic sense: refers to a rodent's process of exploring and learning about its environment as a way of ensuring survival. Bait translocation: moving bait from one area to another. Anticoagulant: act by damaging blood vessels and inhibiting blood clotting mechanisms.Paraffinized: bait that is made to not degrade if exposed to moisture. Secondary hazard: refers to the risk that a nontarget animal may consume a poisoned rodent and cause unwanted effects.

Identify four places to inspect to look for pests or evidence of pest activity.

Cracks and crevices, behind/under appliances, in cluttered areas, and along utility lines.

Name six ways to determine if rodents have infested a structure.

Dead or active rodents, sounds, droppings, urine stains, tracks, gnaw marks

Differentiate between the deer mouse and the meadow vole.

Deer mice have a grayish brown coat on top with white undersides and white feet. Meadow voles have a dull, yellowish brown above with a gray underside.

Differentiate three common ticks

Deer tick: feeds on various sizes of animals, important vector for Lyme disease. Brown dog tick: most common tick found indoors, primary host is dog for all feeding stages. American dog tick: also known as the wood tick, principal vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, commonly encountered by campers and hikers.

Name the accidental invader that humans move into homes in bundles of newspaper, luggage, and flowers.

Earwigs

Define: ectoparasite, nit, pediculosis, canine detection.

Ectoparasites: an organism that feeds externally on the outside of its host. Canine detection: using a dog to find bedbugs. Nits: lice eggs are referred to as nits. Pediculosis: a skin condition resulting from continuous and sever infestation of lice.

Describe the general life cycle of flies.

Egg -> maggots -> pupae -> adult

Discuss two types of traps that can be used in nuisance fly pest management.

Electronic light traps may help to kill off adult flies. Bottle traps are also a useful way to get rid of fruit flies and humpback flies.

State the best method to control bats in a structure.

Exclusion through closing all opening that bats can enter through. This can be done with netting and plating.

State the three methods used to manage accidental invaders.

Exclusion, Habitat modification, and Chemical controls.

List five tools needed during a facility inspection.

Flashlight, Black light, magnifying glass/hand lens, access tools such as screwdrivers, and a clipboard with paper and pen.

List several monitoring techniques used in pest management.

Flushing agents, sticky traps, pheromone traps, mechanical traps, light traps, and product inspection.

List three needs each pest species must have to survive in a site.

Food, water, shelter.

State the key body characteristics used to identify ant species.

Antennae, Wings, and the Petiole.

Compare: Anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant rodenticides. Food bait and water bait rodenticides. Detection blocks and tracking powders.

Anticoagulant rodenticides damage blood vessels and clotting mechanisms, Non-anticoagulant rodenticides don't interfere with the animal's ability to clot blood. Food baits may be carried off by rodents and placed in areas where they shouldn't be, water baits are more successful than dry baits because all rodents will consume the water if it is placed well. Detection blocks simply notify the PMP if and how much rodent activity there is. Tracking powder allows them to track where the rodent is coming from and going.

State the distinguishing features between swarming ants and termites.

Ants have an elbowed antennae, a narrow petiole, and unequal wing length. Ants also have a small "waist-like" structure known as the petiole.

State three types of application equipment that could be used in a perimeter treatment.

Backpack sprayers, compressed air sprayers, large capacity sprayers

Distinguish between bees and wasps.

Bees are typically covered in hair and will die after expending a stinger. Wasps have smooth, hairless bodies and can sting multiple times. Some people die because of allergic responses to wasp stings.

Distinguish between: Multicolored Asian lady beetle and boxelder bug.

Boxelder bug: Oval body shape is pointed on each end, black with red lines on thorax, red outlines on the wings. Multicolored Asian lady beetle: Oval with a domed body, have a black "M" on the white prothorax.

Identify by sight Iowa's two poisonous spiders

Brown recluse and black widow

List seven capabilities of commensal rodents.

Can gnaw almost anything they can bite, Can squeeze through small spaces, Rodents can jump and swim, rats and mice can climb any vertical surface they can get a claw hold on, rodents also have excellent balance, they can also burrow in the soil

Name three repellents used against vertebrate pests.

Capsaicin, black pepper oils, piperine

Discuss the seasonal food preferences of three ant species.

Carpenter ants prefer proteins in the spring and late summer and carbohydrates during the fall. The little black ant feeds on plant secretions and aphid honeydew which are only available in the spring and summer. Larger yellow ants feed on aphid honeydew and mealybugs.

Distinguish between: Larder beetle and carpet beetles.

Carpet beetle: may have hairs on its body. Larder beetle: has a characteristic yellow band across the wing covers.

Distinguish between casemaking and webbing clothes moths.

Casemaking: wings and body are buff to golden in color and there are three dark spots on each forewing. Webbing clothes moth: wing color is golden and there are distinctive hairs on the top of the head that are reddish-gold

Identify the accidental invader often found in new homes feeding on molds growing on lumber exposed to moisture.

Foreign grain beetle

Explain the role of chemical products in fly management.

Chemicals can temporarily reduce the numbers of flies but it won't eradicate the problem. They won't affect the developing maggots but they can kill off the current generation of adults.

Categorize where chemical products are used against cockroaches.

Chemicals placed into or near harborages will have the best results. Pesticides should not be put on greasy surfaces because their effects are decreased. Dry areas can be dusted and residual pesticides can be used.

State why monitoring tools should be free of pesticide residues.

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Define: swarm, caste, budding, trophallaxis, petiole, gaster, trail pheromones

A swarm happens when male ants fly out and mate with females in the air. There are 3 castes in ant social order: queens, workers, and males. Budding is when a queen mates within the nest and then takes some ants and starts a new colony. Trophallaxis is when worker ants take food back to the nest to share with others. The petiole is the "waist"of the ant. The large part of the abdomen is called the gaster. Trail pheromones are chemical trails that worker ants leave so other ants can find the food source.

Define integrated pest management, threshold, harborage, bait.

A systematic approach to pest control that uses all reasonable pest control methods in an environmentally compatible and economically feasible manner to reduce or eliminate pest populations. Thresholds mark the highest acceptable point a pest population can reach without risk of damage to people or the environment. Harborages are locations where pests seek shelter. Bait is a food or other substance used to attract a pest to a pesticide or a trap.

Identify four common, structure-infesting cockroach species.

German cockroach, brown-banded cockroach, american cockroach, oriental cockroach.

Tell the difference between gradual and complete metamorphosis.

Gradual metamorphosis involves less extreme changes in an insect and usually involves a change in size. It has three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Complete metamorphosis has four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Name the damaging stage(s) of granary weevil, carpet beetles, and silverfish.

Granary weevil: all stages are present in pantries but the adults are the ones that move around. Carpet beetles: larval stage causes the damage. Silverfish: damage is done in adulthood?

Differentiate three lice species associated with humans.

Head louse: not vectors of disease, spread by head-to-head contact. Body louse: transmitted by contaminated clothing or shared bedding, vector for several dieases. Pubic louse: transmitted during sexual contact

Describe the nonchemical control tools that can be used against cockroaches.

Heat (120 degrees Fahrenheit) will kill cockroaches. A vacuum can be used to remove roaches but a HEPA filter must be used. Sticky traps and glue boards can also be helpful

Describe the social structure within honey bee hives.

Honey bees have three castes: Queen, drones, and sterile workers.

Distinguish between: House cricket and camel cricket.

House cricket: light yellowish brown with three dark bands on thorax and long pointed wings, attracted to light. Camel cricket: tan with hump-backed body, wingless, not attracted to light.

Distinguish between: house fly, cluster fly, blow fly.

House flies: gray striped thorax and dark abdomen, present in homes from May through October. Cluster flies: have yellow or golden hair on the thorax, present in homes from September to October. Blow flies: attracted to animal carcasses where they lay eggs, have a gray thorax with 3 dark stripes, have a black checkerboard pattern on the abdomen.

Discuss how baiting controls ant colonies.

If the insecticide is slow acting, the ants who find the bait will take it back to the colony and share it with others which will kill the colony.

State how rat glue boards can assist in managing snakes

If they are secured properly, they can secure all but the largest snakes.

Describe how pest management is affected by landscaping.

Landscaping may force rodents into areas where they aren't wanted.

Discuss choice of insecticide and application site for ant management.

Liquid baits should be designed so that ants won't fall in and drown. Gel baits should be placed directly into a station or applied directly onto a surface. Granular baits should be placed around an ant nest but not on or in it because of bait rejection.

Name three ant bait formulations.

Liquid baits: evaporate faster. Gel baits: come in tubes and can be injected into stations, less maintenance. Granular baits, used for ants that nest in the soil

Distinguish between the little brown bat and the big brown bat.

Little brown bats love higher temperatures and have a longer lifespan. Big brown bats is better in colder temperatures

Recognize the signs of a cockroach infestation in a structure.

Live cockroaches, dead cockroaches, shed skins, oothecae, dry fecal material (looks like dark grains of sand), fecal spotting in corners (tiny dark spots)

Describe the human health concerns for rodent infestation.

Many rodents are capable of carrying several diseases that can make humans very sick or die.

Distinguish between: Centipede and millipede.

Millipedes: slow moving, gray or dark brown, can curl up body when disturbed. Centipede: fast-running, yellowish brown with 15 pairs of legs

State the environmental conditions required by cockroaches to survive in a structure.

Most cockroaches need cool, damp, and dark areas to thrive.

State the normal activity periods of commensal rodents.

Most rodents are active at night unless some circumstance (like being a weak rodent in a colony) forces them to forage during the day.

Name two wasp species that are generally not aggressive.

Mud dauber wasps and Cicada killer wasps

Discuss how to manage: Bees, Wasps.

Nest locations should be located during the day but dealt with at night when all the pests are in the nests. Blow a dust formulation in honey bee nests. Spraying and dusting wasp nests is also the proper technique.

Identify three common signs of birds in/on a structure

Nests, birds flying around, droppings

Associate the specific odor produced by crushing an ant body for two common ant species.

Odorous house ant: has a rotten coconut smell when crushed. The large yellow ant has a citronella or lemon odor when crushed.

Explain why delusional infestation is encountered by a pest manager during business activities.

People may attribute itching or discomfort with a certain problem (i.e. pests) and demand that a PMP solve the problem.

List the four approaches for managing ant infestations.

Pest proofing and sanitation, barrier treatments, treating the nest, baiting

List when food pantry pests can infest food.

Pests can infest food at all stages: in the field as a grain, when it is stored by the processor, when it is being converted into food, during transportation, sitting in a warehouse, and when the consumer stores it before consumption.

Define: accidental invader.

Pests that may occur in buildings at some stage of their life cycle but that do not usually complete their entire life cycle within the structure.

Identify the damage to a structure that can be caused by raccoons.

Raccoons can burrow and den in crawlspaces which cause internal damage to a house.

Name the two primary commensal rodents infesting a structure.

Rats and mice

Distinguish: Rodents that must have access to free water. Rodents that acquire water from their food.

Rats need access to free water while some mice can acquire water from the food they eat.

Distinguish between: red flour and confused flour beetles.

Red flour beetles: most common of the two, primarily in homes, a strong flier, last three antennal segments form a distinct club. Confused flour beetle: typically found in food-processing facilities, does not fly, last four antennal segments gradually enlarge.

Give examples of food handling establishments requiring pest control.

Restaurants, cafeterias, bars, military mess halls, food trucks.

Give examples of structural damage done by rodents.

Rodents are capable of chewing out wiring and utility pipes cause fires, power outages, flooding, and equipment failure.

Tell why autumn increases the problems with commensal rodents.

Rodents are looking for a harborage before the winter comes so they move indoors

Tell tell the difference between feeding, loafing, and roosting sites of feral pigeons.

Roosting sites are sheltered from the elements and used for nesting, congregating at night, and protection from the weather. Loafing sites will be nearby to roosting sites and are used by inactive birds during the daytime. Feeding sites may be near roosting or loafing sites or may be several miles away.

Outline four things a client can do to eliminate conducive conditions for: birds, snakes, skunks, raccoons, opossums.

Sanitation (make sure their properties are clean and not welcoming to wild animals). Exclusion (they can take measure to ensure that animals aren't able to get into their homes/buildings). set traps so the animals are either discouraged from coming or are caught if they do come. Habitat alteration (making sure that the yards and premises aren't inviting for animals. Examples would be having large leaf or wood piles).

Distinguish between: sawtooth grain beetle and rice weevil.

Sawtooth grain beetle: adults are elongate, dark brown, flattened beetles with six sawtooth-like projections on each side of the thorax. Rice weevil: has four faint yellow spots on wing covers, have a snout on their heads.

Distinguish between silverfish and firebrats.

Silverfish: are covered in tiny silver scales and seek moisture. Firebrats: seek high temperature and humidity, gray or brown body.

Give examples of vertebrate pests that can be legally trapped.

Skunks, Opossums, Raccoons

Distinguish between sowbug and pillbug.

Sowbugs have two tail-like appendages that project from the rear end. Pillbugs can roll up into a tight ball when disturbed.

Distinguish between the following treatment types: spot and crack and crevice; void and space; barrier and bait.

Spot treatment the application to a small area no larger than two square feet. Crack and crevice application occurs in cracks and crevices that pests may seek shelter in or enter the facility through. Void treatment is applied in very small gaps and areas such as a small gap in a furniture piece. Space treatments involves a larger scale of application and is delivered via aerosols. Barrier applications are meant to stop insects from entering a building through the exterior ground level. Bait treatment is designed to lure pests into traps.

List common starling and house sparrow: nesting sites and food preferences.

Starlings nest in cavities, trees or rocks, on buildings, in birdhouses, etc. House sparrows nest in trees, shrubs, vines, building ledges, in signs, on light fixtures, under bridges, in rain gutters. They prefer to feed on grain but will eat insects and seeds as well.

Compare the bumble bee with the carpenter bee.

The bumble bee is larger and fuzzier and are social bees. The carpenter bee is a solitary insect.

Define: cephalothorax, ballooning

The cephalothorax is one of the two body regions that a spider has (the other being the abdomen). Ballooning is when a small spider uses silk to have the wind carry it away to a different location.

Explain the relationship between conducive conditions and cockroach population levels.

The more conducive an environment, the easier it will be for cockroaches to live there.

Describe the social order within ant colonies.

The most important ant is the queen ant who creates all the other ants in the colony. The worker ants are all sterile females and they perform tasks like foraging for food and protecting the colony. The final caste of ants are the males which are only produced shortly before a period of mating.

Define, thigmotactic; oothecae; gregarious

The thigmotactic response of cockroaches means that they like to be where they can touch surfaces both above and below them. Oothecae is the term for the bean-shaped egg cases they lay. Gregarious means that they like to travel in groups.

Discuss the human health concerns of: birds, bats, raccoons, skunks.

Their presence may bring disease through fecal matter, bites, or simply the presence of the animal.

Explain the human health concerns for nuisance flies.

There is the possibility that flies may carry disease-causing organisms.

State the activity period(s) of bed bugs.

They are active mostly at night but they may also attach to an inactive person during the day.

Name ways bed bugs can move unassisted or assisted by humans.

They can be in/on furniture when it is moved. They can be moved on the host to a hotel room and be transferred there. Stowing away in luggage is also a mode of transportation

Tell how the opossum can be a household pest.

They eat garbage and pet food and bird feeders.

Explain the human health concerns associated with pharaoh ants.

They feed on open wounds and mouths of infants or get in intravenous tubes.

Explain why clover mites can be a problem in a structure.

They move in in very large numbers and leave a red streak if they are crushed.

Explain human health concerns associated with poisonous spiders

They won't probably kill a normal person but they can be dangerous to children, the elderly, and the sick.

List three blood-sucking insects found in/around a structure.

Ticks, Fleas, Lice

Explain the disease implications of: ticks, fleas, lice.

Ticks, fleas, and lice all may pose threats for the spread of disease and should be protected against.

Associate the available monitoring tool(s) for blood-feeding pests.

To search for ticks, people can drag a white sheet over the ground to observe tick population levels. To quickly observe flea population, walk in rooms for two minutes each with white socks on and observe any fleas on the socks.

Give three limitations for pyrethroid insecticide uses to control accidental invaders.

Treatments to impervious surfaces are limited to spot-and-crack crevice applications. Applications are limited to crack-and-crevice or building foundations up to a height of three feet only if the exterior of a building is not protected from rainfall. Application bands up to 1 inch may be applied to cracks or other potential pest entry points.

Discuss the cat flea life cycle and primary hosts.

Undergo complete metamorphosis. Adult fleas live and breed on the host animal and feed on its blood. Hosts include cats, dogs, and rodents; humans are an incidental host. Females lay 200-400 eggs on the host; eggs fall off and larvae develop in pet-resting areas. larvae remain hidden deep in carpet fibers, beneath furniture cushions, in pet bedding, etc... Larvae feed on organic debris, especially dried blood in adult feces. Larval stage length is one week, ends, and white cocoon occurs. Pupa transforms into an immobile form called the preadult which emerges from the cocoon.

Predict how an unkempt food service area could hamper pest control efforts against nuisance flies.

Unkempt food service areas are a major attractant to flies because they contain both the favorite foods and breeding sites for many flies.

Explain how insecticide repellency will affect cockroach management.

Usually insecticides will need to be applied to the entire building in order to rid it of cockroaches.

Explain why successful bird control involves several control methods.

Usually just one method is not enough to make a bird population leave so combining unfavorable factors for birds may deter them from nesting in an area.

Contrast the breeding site preference for: vinegar fly; moth fly; humpback fly; fungus gnat.

Vinegar fly: Lay eggs in overripe or fermenting fruits and other kitchen waste areas. Moth fly: lay eggs in sewers, drain areas, and overflows on sinks. Humpbacked flies: lay eggs near moist or decaying organic matter. Fungus gnat: lay eggs in moist, organic debris or potting soil.

List five common locations where ants build their nests.

Voids in walls, in tree stumps, under rocks, along building foundations, crevices.

Determine the common food source of wasps.

Wasps feed on other insects and fruit nectar.

Identify the damage done to human foods by mice and rats.

When they get into food stores, they contaminate everything they touch with diseases meaning that it must all be thrown out.

Identify the cockroach species that can be found accidentally in a structure.

Wood cockroaches

Contrast the adult size and common nest location of: Yellowjacket, Bald-faced hornet, European hornet, Paper wasp.

Yellowjacket: half inch-5/8 inch long, nest in trees, shrubs, underground, structural voids, etc. Bald-faced hornet: 5/8-1 in. long, nest in branches, shrubs, utility poles, house siding. European hornet: 1-1 and 3/8 in. long, build paper nests in some type of cavity. Paper wasp: 5/8-3/4 in. long, build comb nests under eaves of houses, porches, or windows, etc.

State the key issues in designing a management program for: ticks, fleas, bed bugs, lice.

You need to ensure that you not only kill the adults, but destroy the future generations of pests and also cut off a way for them to return.

Name the insecticide formulations for use in spider management.

baygon, carbaryl, DDVP, dinotefuran, limonene, pyrethrins, and pyrethroids

Outline the pesticide formulations that could be used against stored product pests and where they would be applied.

crack and crevice treatment should be used to eliminate wandering pests, dusts can be used in attics and structural voids to control fabric pests. granular baits may control some pests.

Name five common entry sites for squirrels entering a structure.

damaged attic louvers, ventilators, soffits, joints of siding, knothole, utility pipes, chimneys

Discuss the daily and seasonal activity of bats.

not active during the day. they breed from spring to midsummer

Identify three signs of a bed bug infestation at a site.

odor "obnoxious sweet smell", live bed bugs, tiny white eggs, blood smears

Define avicide

pesticides targeting birds.

Discuss the primary reasons for bait failure.

poor sanitation, inadequate bait placement, immigration into the site, and bait aversion

Discuss where to use hand-held dusters versus power dusters inside a structure.

power dusters are more useful for dusting a large area such as an attic or pipe systems. Hand held dusters are better for smaller target areas.

Identify four common places rodents can enter a structure.

roof vents/gaps, ductwork, doorways/frames, holes in foundations.

Identify the distinguishing physical features of flies.

small insects with large wings compared to body size. have sponging mouth parts for absorbing liquids.

Identify items commonly infested by: Indian meal moth, drugstore beetle, rice weevil, larder beetle, booklice.

stored foods, rice, whole grains and seeds, fur, hair, hides, carcasses, mold, fungi, paper products.

State how spiders differ from insects

they are arthropods in the class Arachnida, they have eight legs and two body regions.

Identify four common places that pests can enter a structure.

under siding, through unscreened vents, accidentally being brought in by humans, windows.

List nonchemical control tools that can be used to manage spiders.

vacuuming spider webs, cleaning and re-arranging storage areas and basement regularly, placing sticky traps around the inside of basement and ground level rooms to monitor spider activity.