CPA CPA - Certified Pesticide Applicator Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a physical/mechanical control method used in IPM?
- Spraying herbicide along fence rows
- Installing insect-proof screens or row covers (Correct answer)
- Applying granular fertilizer to strengthen plants
- Releasing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
Correct answer: Installing insect-proof screens or row covers
Physical/mechanical controls like screens and row covers create barriers that exclude pests without the use of chemicals.
Question 2: In an IPM program, scouting refers to:
- Hiring a licensed applicator to apply pesticides
- Systematic field monitoring to detect and assess pest populations (Correct answer)
- Selecting the appropriate pesticide for a given pest
- Calibrating spray equipment before use
Correct answer: Systematic field monitoring to detect and assess pest populations
Scouting involves regularly walking fields or sites to identify pests, estimate population levels, and determine if thresholds have been reached.
Question 3: Pheromone traps are primarily used in IPM to:
- Kill adult insects by attracting and trapping them in large numbers to eliminate a population
- Monitor pest population levels and time control measures appropriately (Correct answer)
- Release beneficial insects into the crop
- Apply pesticides directly to pests
Correct answer: Monitor pest population levels and time control measures appropriately
Pheromone traps attract insects with chemical sex or aggregation lures, allowing applicators to track population trends and optimize treatment timing.
Question 4: Which pesticide use strategy is MOST consistent with IPM principles?
- Preventive calendar-based spraying every 10 days
- Applying the highest labeled rate to ensure complete kill
- Using selective pesticides only when monitoring indicates thresholds have been exceeded (Correct answer)
- Mixing multiple pesticides to broaden the spectrum of control
Correct answer: Using selective pesticides only when monitoring indicates thresholds have been exceeded
IPM favors targeted, threshold-based pesticide use with selective products to minimize non-target impacts and resistance development.
Question 5: What does 'pest-free entry' or exclusion mean in the context of IPM for structural pests?
- Banning all chemical treatments inside buildings
- Sealing cracks, gaps, and entry points to prevent pests from entering a structure (Correct answer)
- Removing all organic material from a structure
- Applying pesticide barriers around the perimeter
Correct answer: Sealing cracks, gaps, and entry points to prevent pests from entering a structure
Exclusion involves physically sealing openings in a structure to deny pests access, a fundamental IPM prevention strategy.
Question 6: Which of the following best illustrates the IPM concept of 'least-risk pesticide selection'?
- Choosing the cheapest pesticide available
- Selecting a broad-spectrum pesticide to cover all possible pests
- Choosing a targeted, low-toxicity pesticide that minimizes effects on beneficial organisms (Correct answer)
- Using the pesticide with the longest residual activity
Correct answer: Choosing a targeted, low-toxicity pesticide that minimizes effects on beneficial organisms
Least-risk selection means choosing pesticides with lower toxicity and narrow target spectra to protect beneficial insects, wildlife, and human health.
CPA CPA - Certified Pesticide Applicator Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies Questions and Answers 2
Which of the following is a physical/mechanical control method used in IPM?