NYS PCO Pest Identification Flashcards

A PCO identifies small, reddish-brown insects with a flattened oval body and a musty odor in a mattress seam. The pest is most likely:

Answer: Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius)

Bed bugs are reddish-brown, flat, oval insects that hide in mattress seams and produce a characteristic musty, sweet odor.

Which of the following is the primary structural difference between house mice droppings and rat droppings?

Answer: Mouse droppings are small (~3-6mm) with pointed ends; rat droppings are larger (>10mm)

Mouse droppings are small (3–6 mm) with pointed ends, while Norway rat droppings are larger (up to 20 mm) and blunt-ended, which helps distinguish them in the field.

The American dog tick is a vector for which disease in New York State?

Answer: Rocky Mountain spotted fever

The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is the primary vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the eastern US.

Which ant species is known for nesting in wall voids and electrical outlets, requiring special treatment strategies in NY?

Answer: Odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile)

Odorous house ants readily colonize wall voids and electrical outlets, making targeted baiting preferable to spraying which can scatter the colony.

Carpenter bees differ from bumblebees primarily by having:

Answer: A shiny, hairless abdomen

Carpenter bees have a smooth, shiny black abdomen while bumblebees have a fuzzy, yellow-and-black banded abdomen.

Which stored product pest creates silken webbing inside grain and flour containers?

Answer: Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella)

Indian meal moth larvae spin silken webbing in infested food products, which is a key identification sign of this common pantry pest.