Public Health Pest Control

Q. What are the basic provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act?
A. FIFRA requires federal registration of pesticides shipped across state lines, makes it unlawful to sell unregistered pesticides, ensures that labels must have adequate directions and warnings, and makes it unlawful to remove or alter labels.

Q. What law controls the use or application of pesticides and ensures that pesticide applicators and dealers are qualified to use or sell pesticides in South Carolina?
A. The South Carolina Pesticide Control Act (SCPCA) regulates the registration, quality control, use, and application of pesticides as required by the rules and regulations established by EPA.

Q. What application practices should pesticide applicators consider using to avoid impacting non-target organisms, such as endangered species?
A. Do not apply pesticides directly to surface water, use buffer zones, avoid pesticide applications when weather conditions are inappropriate, and choose chemicals that are less toxic to plants and animals.

Q. In what two ways can public health pests affect humans?
A. First, they can directly cause discomfort or disease. Second, certain pests can transmit organisms that cause diseases.

Q. What is a vector?
A. A vector is an animal, usually an insect, capable of carrying a disease organism or parasite from one host to another.

Q. What are the five steps for the successful control of public health pests?
A. The steps are:

1. Identify a pest and review its biology.
2. Evaluate the extent of the pest presence.
3. Select best control strategies for the pest.
4. Implement control strategies.
5. Evaluate the control strategies.

1. resource management/environmental manipulation
2. prevention/mechanical barriers
3. biological control
4. chemical control

Q. What is the main difference between male and female mosquitoes?
A. Male mosquitoes do not bite. Female mosquitoes do bite, as they require a sizable blood meal as a protein source to develop eggs.

Q. What is the most widely used and most ecologically sound approach to mosquito abatement?
A. Water source reduction.

Q. What are four common methods involved in water source reduction?
A.

1. Eliminate standing water.
2. Prevention of water accumulation.
3. Increase the amount of standing water to create a suitable habitat for predaceous fish.
4. Increase movement of water in the mosquito breeding area.

Q. How can domestic, non-biting flies be a problem?
A. Flies can be a nuisance to people through their sheer numbers. Additionally, they can cause myiasis or transmit other pathogens.

Q. What type of metamorphosis do flies undergo?
A. All flies undergo complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, and adult).

Q. What are the most common survey methods used to determine species composition and population densities for domestic flies?
A. The most common survey methods include: fly traps, fly grills, fly reconnaissance surveys, and landing or biting counts.

Q. What should be the primary measure of fly control in urban areas?
A. Good sanitation practices will eliminate most non-biting fly problems and should be the primary means for fly control.

Q. What are symptoms of Lyme disease?
A. Lyme disease responds well to treatment if diagnosed early. Symptoms may include headache, chills, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and a stiff neck. A "bull's eye" rash may occur at the bite location. Often the circular rash increases in size until it is two to three inches across. If not treated, later symptoms may include arthritis, heart or nervous system disease. Symptoms begin three to 32 days after the bite of an infected tick.

Q. What are the diseases transmitted by ticks?
A. Diseases transmitted by ticks include: Colorado tick fever, ehrliciosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia. Ticks can also cause tick paralysis.

Q. What ticks are common in South Carolina?
A. Brown dog tick, American dog tick, Lone Star tick, and black-legged tick.

Q. What three species of urban rodents create the principal rodent problem in South Carolina?
A. Three species of urban rodents, Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), roof rat (Rattus rattus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus) make up the principal rodent problem in South Carolina. Rats and mice cause great economic losses. They consume or contaminate food and feed, and they cause fires by gnawing the insulation from electrical wiring.

Q. What is probably the best method of preventing an increase in rodent populations?
A. The elimination of food for rodents through good sanitation practices is probably the best method of preventing an increase in rodent populations. Principal food sources in most urban areas are waste, pet food, bird food, and garbage.

Q. How are tracking powders used for rodent control?
A. They are toxicants mixed with a dust. The toxic powder adheres to the rodent's feet and fur and is consumed during grooming. Powders are particularly useful for house mouse control, although they are also used for rat control. Most tracking powders incorporate anticoagulant rodenticides. They are applied to burrow entrances, runs, and other areas frequented by rodents.

Q. Why is pre-baiting important?
A. It allows rodents to become familiar with the bait and prevents bait shyness.

Q. Why should traps be placed unset?
A. To allow rodents to become familiar with them. Rodents may learn to avoid traps permanently from a single or "near miss" experience.

Q. What are the three basic steps in planning a pesticide application?
A. The three basic steps are:

• Select the equipment best suited to the application, considering weather, terrain, stage of the pest, pest population density, and other pertinent factors.
• Use the most effective pesticide registered, but balance the selection with safety factors and potential environmental harm.
• Read the label before purchasing, using, or disposing of the pesticide.

Q. Why are strainers (filters) important in sprayers?
A. Strainers (filters) remove dirt, rust flakes and other foreign materials from the tank mixture. Proper filtering protects the working parts of the sprayer from undue wear and avoids time loss and uneven agitation caused by clogged nozzle tips. Therefore, strainers are your best defense against nozzle plugging and pump wear.

Q. What type of nozzle is best suited for residual spraying on surfaces?
A. Best results for residual spraying on surfaces are obtained with flat spray nozzles. With this type of nozzle, a more uniform application is made with less waste of material.

Q. Why is equipment calibration important?
A. It is virtually impossible to apply a pesticide at the prescribed rate unless the equipment has been calibrated properly, and applications exceeding the rate listed on the label are illegal.

Q. What are two reasons to replace a nozzle tip?
A. When a nozzle puts out a distorted spray pattern and when a nozzles's delivery rate deviates more than 10% from the delivery rate of the other nozzles.

Q. Pesticides used to control public health pests may be labeled to be applied as several different types of treatments. What are they?
A. Pesticides used for control of public health pests will be labeled to be applied as space treatments, spot treatments, crack and crevice treatments, perimeter treatments, and area treatments.

Q. What are the two basic causes of non-point source pesticide pollution?
A. The two basic causes of non-point source pesticide pollution are runoff and leaching. Runoff occurs when rainfall or irrigation rates exceed the rate at which water can be absorbed into the soil. When runoff occurs, pesticide residues can be carried off the field and into surface waters. Leaching occurs when contaminants are carried through the soil with excess water that percolates below the crop root zone and into the groundwater. Leaching is most common in sandy, permeable soils.

Q. What is the difference between a threatened and an endangered species?
A. Plants or animals in danger of becoming extinct are classified as "endangered." Plants or animals of intermediate rarity are classified as "threatened." Threatened means that the possibility of becoming endangered exists if the population declines.

Q. What type of pesticide containers are accepted for recycling?
A. Only empty, dry plastic containers that have been triple- or pressure-rinsed will be accepted for recycling. Product booklets, plastic sleeves, and lids should be removed before inspection.

Q. What are at least three ways to prevent drift of pesticides during their application?
A. Use as coarse a spray (large droplet size) as is possible. Use as low a pressure as is possible. Don't spray under windy conditions. Don't spray under windy conditions. Other ways are to direct spray directly to the target as much as is possible, use shrouds or hoods to trap dusts or mists during applications, and make applications during cooler times of the day.

Q. List three main characteristic of good pesticide storage.
A. Pesticides are stored in a detached structure with a sound roof and sound, liquid-proof flooring. Pesticides are stored in their original containers. Pesticides have readable labels. Only pesticides are stored with pesticides.