IIHS: Structural WDO exam Flashcards
When shown a picture of an insect and asked if its a carpenter ant or a termite, how do you tell the difference?
It’s a carpenter ant. The termite has a consistent waist line (thorax to abdomen). The carpenter ant has a node or tiny connection between the thorax and the abdomen. Also cue in on the antenna that they are bent. Termites do not have bent antennae
Do Carpenter ants eat wood?
NO
Do carpenter ants burrow more often in “soft” or “hard” wood?
Soft wood
Describe Carpenter ant galleries
Carpenter ant galleries are generally smooth and clean.
Which Termite(s) have 6 sided fecal matter?
Dampwood and Drywood termites
Which active ingredients are IGRs for termites?
Hexaflumuron, difulbenzuron, noviflumuron
What is the best way to prevent back flow?
Always have an air gap.
Easiest way to contaminate ground water?
Mixing and cleaning by a well
What do you do with your residual product in an empty pesticide container?
Put it in your mix tank.
How does moisture in the home affect termites?
Keep the underside and surrounding areas of the home dry.
What is the ideal moisture content for preventing termite or other Wood Destroying Organism damage?
20% moisture content or less.
What is the proper way to mix product?
Follow the label. different labels may ask you to mix different things i.e. how much to fill before adding concentrate.
What the difference between Subterranean and Drywood termite wings? The test will show you a picture similar to the one on page 210 in the Trumans book. figure 9.7
Dry wood termites have a CROSS-VEIN running along the front margin of the wing. This vein is NOT FOUND in the subterranean termites wings.
What is the best tool for inspecting for termites in a crawl space?
A flashlight.
Is knocking a viable way to inspect for termites?
Yes. You can hear the difference in the wood.
What is the best type of wood to use in construction to prevent termites?
Pressure treated lumber
If there are Mudtubes is that a sign of active termite infestation?
Maybe. If they are hard and crumbly then no, if they are soft then they are active.
Are termites found above the first floor?
Occasionally but not usually.
In order subterranean termites to infest a home do they need direct contact with the wood on the ground?
No. They will build mud tubes over the other material to bridge the gap from the soil to the wood.
What do discarded termite wings indicate
Termite infestation has begun. Alate swarmers fly until they have found a new home. They then quickly shed their fragile wings and mate to form the new colony
What is the termite’s closest insect relative?
Cockroaches
What type of Metamorphosis do Termites go through?
Incomplete, simple, gradual, Hemimetabolous (these are all the same kind)
What type of Metamorphosis do Carpenter Ants go through
Complete, complex, Holometabolous (these are all the same kind)
When you have a brick veneer that sits on a concrete foundation how do you treat it?
Drill through both of them.
How thick should the vapor barrier be in a crawlspace to prevent unwanted water condensation.
4-6 millimeters. The answer on the test is 6 millimeter vapor barrier
If you are inspecting for Carpenter ants and you find the colony could there be other colonies (satellite) within the same structure.
Absolutely. Carpenter ants can have multiple satellite colonies near by. They even share workers.
What is different about the treatment for Plenum housing?
You can’t use spray or fogger termiticides. You have to use baits.
What should the pressure should you use when treating in a crawlspace?
LOW, 20-25psi
Do Drywood termites seal themselves into the wood?
Yes, they create about an 1/8th inch diameter plug.
How do Drywood termites eat wood?
They will eat across grain to make their galleries.
What color are powder post beetle larvae?
Yellow and white
Just like most other pests, which life stage of powder post beetle is most destructive?
Larvae
The first evidence of powder post beetle infestation is:
Piles of very fine saw dust
If the infestation is not wide spread how do you treat?
Limit treatment by surface area treatment or injection. Either liquids or aerosols can be used
what is required for the growth of Fungi that causes rot?
Moisture in some form
define leaching
Leaching is a process of extracting a substance from a solid material that is dissolved in a liquid. This process is commonly referred to as extraction, particularly in the chemical industry.
define Run-off
Runoff can be described as the part of the water cycle that flows over land as surface water instead of being absorbed into groundwater or evaporating.
What kind of damage do subterranean termites do?
WITH THE GRAIN. they will show you an actual picture of this kind of damage. WITH THE GRAIN
What does a termite rod look like? What do you use it for?
Make sure you google this so you know what it looks like because the test will show you a picture. You use it for: Rodding
E. What does a Hammer Drill look like? What pest is it used for?
Google it. There will be a picture on the test. Its a drill with a handle. Its used for drilling for subterranean termites.
What makes up an Aerosol
Very fine particles mixed in air.
Do Carpenter ants have different size workers?
YES. they are different sizes. This is called Polymorphic.
On the label questions there will be one that asks about PPE about what you need while Rodding on the exterior of the house. Pay close attention
Pay close attention to where you need a respirator when outside because you DO NOT need one outside.
What does active Powderpost beetle frass look like?
It is light in color and has a fine texture. OLD frass is dark in color.
Where do you put the back flow preventer
between the faucet and the hose. If transferring water from a clean water source to your tank then it goes on the clean water side before it is transferred to the pesticide tank.
Can pesticides contaminate wells, ground water, ponds
Yeppers
Fungi can make wood appear what colors?
Blue and Bleached
What is Plenum
A box that connects to the HVAC system that is used to distribute and remove air.
What are the termite castes?
Workers, Soldiers, Primary Reproductives and Secondary Reproductives.
What type of wood do Lycid Beetles attack?
Seasoned Hardwoord and Sapwood
What type of wood do Old House Borers attack?
Seasoned Softwood and Sapwood
What type of wood do Horntail wasp attack?
Seasoned Softwood
The test will show you a picture of damaged wood and ask what type of pest did the damage.
Look onPage 298, Figure 8.9 - Subterranean Termites
