NYS PCO General Flashcards

During an inspection you find German cockroaches in a restaurant kitchen. Which condition contributes MOST to their persistence?

Answer: Available food, moisture, and harborage in cracks near warm equipment

German cockroaches thrive where food, water, warmth, and tight harborage coexist, such as cracks near dishwashers and stoves.

Which rodent sign BEST indicates a current, active infestation rather than an old one?

Answer: Fresh, soft, dark droppings and greasy rub marks

Moist, dark droppings and fresh rub marks indicate rodents are currently active in the area.

A technician plans to apply a rodenticide bait outdoors near a daycare. What is the required practice?

Answer: Place bait in a secured, tamper-resistant bait station according to the label

Labels require tamper-resistant stations where children, pets, or non-target animals may access bait.

Which pest is the most common cause of structural wood damage in New York State?

Answer: Eastern subterranean termite

The Eastern subterranean termite is New York's primary wood-destroying termite, nesting in soil and entering structures through mud tubes.

Carpenter ants differ from termites in that carpenter ants have what characteristic?

Answer: Elbowed antennae and a pinched (narrow) waist

Carpenter ants have elbowed antennae, a constricted waist, and excavate wood for nesting rather than eating it.

You confirm bed bugs in one unit of an apartment building. What is the BEST next step?

Answer: Inspect adjoining units above, below, and beside the infested unit

Bed bugs spread through walls and along utility lines, so adjacent units must be inspected to define the true extent of the infestation.

Which non-chemical measure is MOST effective for long-term house mouse control?

Answer: Sealing entry points larger than 1/4 inch (exclusion)

Mice can squeeze through 1/4-inch openings, so pest-proofing entry points prevents reinfestation better than any repellent.