Certified Applicator

A home has widespread, inaccessible drywood termite infestations throughout its framing and is scheduled for whole-structure (tent) fumigation. Which active ingredient is the fumigant used for this treatment, and what limitation must the applicator account for afterward?

• Borate (disodium octaborate), which leaves a long-lasting residual barrier in the treated wood
• Fipronil, applied as a continuous soil barrier that prevents re-entry for years
• Imidacloprid foam, which remains active in the galleries to stop future colonies
• Sulfuryl fluoride, which leaves no residual, so the structure is not protected against future re-infestation ✓
• Pyrethrin aerosol, which provides a knockdown plus a several-month residual film

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A technician finds an active termite colony confined entirely within a wooden window frame on the second floor of a house, with no mud tubes anywhere on the foundation and no connection to the soil. This biology is most consistent with which termite group?

• Drywood termites, which nest in the wood itself and do not require contact with soil or the ground ✓
• Subterranean termites, which must maintain a connection to soil moisture
• Formosan subterranean termites, which build carton nests in soil
• Dampwood termites, which require continuously water-saturated wood in ground contact

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During an inspection, an applicator finds small piles of distinctively six-sided fecal pellets on a windowsill beneath tiny holes in the wood above. These pellets are the diagnostic sign of which pest?

• Powderpost beetles, which leave fine flour-like dust
• Drywood termites, which push their six-sided fecal pellets out through kick-out holes ✓
• Subterranean termites, which leave pellets inside their mud tubes
• Carpenter ants, which leave coarse fibrous sawdust
• Carpenter bees, which leave sawdust below round entrance holes

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Subterranean termite soldiers are easily recognized by their enlarged, darkened heads and oversized mandibles. What is the primary function of the soldier caste?

• Laying eggs to grow the colony
• Foraging for and digesting wood
• Defending the colony against enemies such as ants ✓
• Flying out to establish new colonies

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Within a subterranean termite colony's reproductive caste, which colony member is responsible for laying the eggs?

• The queen ✓
• The workers
• The soldiers
• The winged alates that have not yet shed their wings

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An applicator opens a wall void and finds a large, spongy nest made of chewed wood, soil, saliva, and feces (a carton nest) containing a high proportion of soldiers. Which species is this most consistent with, versus the most widely distributed native subterranean termite?

• Formosan subterranean termite, an aggressive species that builds carton nests; the most widely distributed native species is the eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) ✓
• Drywood termite, which builds carton nests in soil; the most widely distributed native species is the dampwood termite
• Eastern subterranean termite, which is the carton-nest builder; the most widely distributed native species is the Formosan termite
• Carpenter ant, which builds carton nests; the most widely distributed native termite is the drywood termite

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Before drilling and rodding soil along a foundation for a liquid termiticide application, the EPA-approved label directs the applicator to first locate and identify HVAC ducts, plumbing, sewer, and electrical conduits, and to avoid wells and cisterns. What is the primary reason these label directions must be followed?

• They are non-binding best-practice suggestions an applicator may skip if the customer signs a waiver
• The label is legally enforceable, so following these directions is required by federal law to prevent contamination, injury, and property damage ✓
• They apply only to new construction pre-treatments, not to existing structures
• They are intended solely to speed up the job, with no bearing on safety or legality

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Subterranean termite baits such as Sentricon (noviflumuron) and hexaflumuron products use a chitin synthesis inhibitor (CSI) as the active ingredient. By what mechanism does this active ingredient actually kill a worker termite that has fed on the bait?

• It paralyzes the termite's nervous system within minutes of ingestion, like a fast-acting contact insecticide
• It acts as a stomach poison that ruptures the gut lining immediately after the bait is eaten
• It disrupts the molting process, so the worker dies when it next attempts to molt (typically weeks later) ✓
• It sterilizes the queen directly so that no new workers are produced
• It repels the termites from the treated wood so they starve away from the structure

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