Section 3. Knowledge Expectations for a Certified IPM Practitioner

If you have fulfilled (a) through (e) above, you need only to fulfill the knowledge expectations for an EcoWise Certified IPM Practitioner to become certified. These expectations may be satisfied by one of the following:

•Completing Purdue University’s “Intermediate Level Industrial and Urban IPM” correspondence course, or similar approved course

•Holding certification as a Board Certified Entomologist (BCE) or an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) from the Entomological Society of America

•Holding a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, or Doctoral Degree in pest management , applied entomology, urban entomology, or similar approved course of study from an accredited college or university

If you use one of these to prove your IPM knowledge, send proof of fulfillment to BIRC, PO Box 7414, Berkeley, CA 94707 or email proof to birc@igc.org or fax the document to 510/524-1758.

The EcoWise Certified IPM Practitioner Exam

You may also choose to fulfill the knowledge expectations by passing with a score of at least 70% an online exam given by EcoWise Certified. If you have applied and paid your fees, send an email to BIRC, birc@igc.org when you are ready to take the exam. BIRC will email you a link to a secure server where you can take the test. Results will be emailed to you. If you do not pass, you can take similar tests up to three times within a year of application. The test will cover the following subjects:

A. EcoWise Standards

B. Principles of IPM

C. Common Pests and Pest Biology

D. Water Quality

Knowledge expectations of a Certified IPM Practitioner include a working knowledge of EcoWise IPM Standards. On the exam, you should be able to answer questions using a copy of the Standards. You should have a good working knowledge of pest biology and morphology. You should have a good working knowledge of the mechanics of pest management, and be well aquainted with the principles of IPM. Finally, you should have working knowledge of problems of water quality and its relationship to pesticide applications.

If you do not already have a copy of the EcoWise Standards, you can obtain a copy at the link below.

Pdf Link: EcoWise IPM Standards

To prepare for the exam, you can review some of these concepts in a Study Guide that has been prepared for use with this course. You can obtain the Guide at the link below:

Pdf Link: IPM Study Guide

A. EcoWise Standards Review

An important part of the EcoWise Standards are the Pesticide Application Standards in Section 102 and the Pesticide Evaluation Criteria in Appendix A. These were covered in Part A Section 4 of this Online Orientation. A quick review is given below, and other important parts of the Standards are reviewed below in Section 4. EcoWise Standards.

Understand that in IPM, chemical controls are applied only after visual inspection or monitoring devices indicate the presence of pests in that specific area, the pest numbers have exceeded the action threshold, and adequate control cannot be achieved with non-chemical methods within a reasonable time and for a reasonable cost.

Pesticides are applied with the most precise application technique, in the smallest area, and using the minimum quantity of pesticide necessary to achieve control.

Understand that regularly scheduled, calendar driven pesticide applications are not a part of EcoWise IPM service.

Understand that use of foggers is generally not permitted by the EcoWise Standards.

Understand that perimeter treatments are not generally allowed by the EcoWise Standards. Only EPA 25b exempt materials that are also exempted by the State of California can be used.

Pesticides used must meet EcoWise Pesticide Criteria. No carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, cholinesterase inhibitors, endocrine disruptors, or acutely toxic Category I or Category II materials can be used.

There are also restrictions on pesticides used outside. Formulations must have low toxicity to wildlife, present no danger of water contamination, have low soil mobility, and not present problems of bioaccumulation such that the toxin is concentrated in the food chain.

The exact requirements and a list of examples can be found in Section 102 and in Appendix A of the EcoWise Certified Standards. The Standards can be found in the link below:

Pdf Link: EcoWise Certified Standards

EcoWise Standards are also reviewed in more detail below in Section 4. Following the Standards

B. Principles of IPM Review

These concepts have been covered in Part A Section 3 of this Online Training. The material is also covered in the Study Guide. To refresh your memory, a review follows below:

IPM Methods

Define integrated pest management.

Compare/contrast traditional pest control with IPM.

Describe/define the major categories of control strategies in IPM and give examples of each:

•habitat modification
•biological control
•cultural control
•physical control and
•chemical control

Monitoring and Treatment Thresholds

Describe the relationship between pest population levels and damage.

Explain the concept of damage level and describe the three types of damage in IPM, economic damage, medical damage, and aesthetic/nuisance damage.

Recognize the relationship between personal preferences and aesthetic/nuisance damage levels and their effect on pest management decisions.

Understand the factors affecting aesthetic/nuisance damage levels:

•The pest species and its appearance and/or damage it causes
•The customer and individual pest tolerance
•The specific urban environment
•The type of business or structure
•The specific area within the structure

Explain the importance to successful pest management of developing a partnership with the customer.

Explain the idea of a “systems approach” to pest management.

Identify the uses and application methods of the following types of monitoring techniques or tools:

•Visual inspection
•Sticky traps
•Pheromone traps
•Mirrors
•Hand lenses
•Spatulas/thin-bladed knife

Explain the importance of a thorough site inspection.

List the information that should be recorded on a site inspection.

Explain the importance of a written IPM plan for the site.

Differentiate between site inspection and monitoring and explain the importance of monitoring in an IPM approach.

List the main objectives for monitoring in a pest management program.
Explain the importance of recordkeeping in an IPM approach.

List the information that should be recorded when monitoring a site after the initial inspection.

photo courtesy of Pestec

Monitoring involves periodic inspections to quantify pest populations

Treatment Strategies in IPM

Explain why integrating a number of treatment strategies into a comprehensive IPM program can be more effective than relying on a single treatment.

Sanitation, Exclusion, Prevention

Define and describe the principles behind the following non-chemical IPM tactics:

•Sanitation
•Exclusion or pest proofing
•Denial of harborage
•Environmental manipulation
•Trapping
•Vacuuming

Biological Control

Understand that biological control has, to date, had limited application in structural IPM, but is used extensively in agricultural IPM and is a natural phenomenon occurring in the outside environment every day.

Define: natural enemies, parasitoid, predator.

Understand the importance of conserving or enhancing the activities of beneficial arthropods, especially those that feed on honeydew producing insects.

Physical Control

Explain the appropriate uses and advantages and disadvantages of the following traps for rats and mice:

•Snap traps
•Glue boards
•Live traps

Describe the uses of a vacuum in pest management.

Describe a physical barrier that can help manage ants.

What is the most important part of an IPM heat treatment.

Chemical Controls

Explain why a targeted ant bait can have fewer environmental impacts than a broad spectrum spray.

Explain why roach baits can be more effective than crack and crevice treatments.

Describe how the following practices can be used to conserve or enhance the activities of beneficial insects (bees and insect natural enemies):

•Selection of pesticide
•Timing of application of pesticide
•Placement of pesticides
•Ant control

Understand that in IPM, chemical controls may be applied, but only after visual inspection or monitoring devices indicate the presence of pests in that specific area, the pest numbers have exceeded the action threshold, and adequate control cannot be achieved with non-chemical methods within a reasonable time and for a reasonable cost.

Applications must use the most precise application technique, in the smallest area, and the minimum quantity of pesticide necessary to achieve control.
Understand that regularly scheduled, calendar driven pesticide applications are not a part of IPM.

A review of this material can be found in the IPM Study Guide at the link below

Pdf Link: IPM Study Guide

photo courtesy of Pestec

Baits can be used in EcoWise Certified accounts

C. Pests and Pest Biology Review

To prepare for the exam, please refer to the Study Guide. To refresh your memory, knowledge expectations are reviewed below.

An EcoWise Certified IPM Practitioner must:

1. Demonstrate a basic understanding of insect development (stages of development and types of metamorphosis).

2. Identify basic morphological features and terms used to describe the body parts of insects and spiders.

3. Define: invertebrate, vertebrate, arthropod, molt, metamorphosis, exoskeleton, nymph, larva, pupa.

4. Understand that animals are scientifically classified into Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species, that the Latin names of pests in pest management and scientific literature will be written with the name of the genus first and the name of the species following, e.g., Rattus rattus (roof rat) or Rattus norvegicus (Norway rat), and that the most important classifications for a pest manager to know are the genus and species so you can look up information about pest biology.

5. Describe the benefits of knowing both common and scientific names of pests.

6. Describe the importance of proper pest identification and proper identification of signs of pests when selecting management strategies.

7. Identify the drawbacks of relying only on symptom identification for pest identification.

8. Know the Latin and common names for the following classes of animals: Class Insecta (insects), Class Arachnida (spiders, ticks, and mites), Class Diplopoda (millipedes), Class Chilopoda (centipedes).

9. Be able to identify the listed pests below to class and order when given a name, specimen or photo of the adult or immature forms.

10. Describe basic biology (food requirements, life cycle, habitat, reproduction, and damage symptoms) for the listed pests below.

11. Explain pest status (why they are considered pests) for the listed pests.

12. Describe the major components of an IPM program, in given sites or situations, for each listed pests with an asterisk.

13. Know where to access (books, websites, people) information on pest identification and pest biology.

Pest List

The Certified IPM Practitioner must be familiar with the following pests (class, order, basic biology, and pest status. For pests identified with asterisks, the Practitioner should know major components of an IPM program for the pest.

Biting and Stinging Pests

Class Insecta

1. *Bed bugs (Order Hemiptera, Cimex spp.)

2. Cat flea, (Order Siphonaptera, Ctenocephalides felis)

3. Social wasps and bees (Order Hymenoptera)

•Honey bee, Apis mellifera

•Yellowjacket wasps, Vespula and Dolichovespula spp.

•Paper wasps, Polistes spp.

Class Arachnida

4. Tropical rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti)

5. Black widow (hourglass) spiders (Latrodectus spp.)

6. Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)

Nuisance Pests

Flies (class Insecta, order Diptera)

7. Drain (moth, filter, sewer) flies (family Psychodidae)

8. Fungus gnats (families Fungivoridae and Sciaridae)

9. Blow flies (family Calliphoridae)

10. Cluster fly (Pollenia rudis)

Ants (class Insecta, order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae)

11. *Argentine ant (Linepithema humile)

12. *Pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

13. Carpenter ant (Camponotus spp.)

Cockroaches (class Insecta, order Blattaria)

14. *German cockroach (Blattella germanica)

15. Field cockroach (Blattella vaga)

16. *American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

17. *Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

Stored product and fabric pests

Class Insecta, order Coleoptera

18. Carpet beetles (Anthrenus and Attagenus species)

19. Cigarette and drugstore beetle (Lasioderma serricorne and Stegobium paniceum)

Class Insecta, order Lepidoptera

20. Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella)

21. Angoumois meal moth (Sitotroga cerealella)

Other common commensal pests (non-arthropod)

1. Rodents (class Mammalia, order Rodentia)

2. *Roof rat (Rattus rattus)

3. *Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)

4. *House mouse (Mus musculus)

5. Birds (class Aves)

6. Pigeon (rock dove) (Columba livia)

7. Cliff swallows (Hirundo pyrrhonota)

D. Pesticides and Water Quality

To prepare for the exam, review the section on water quality in Part A of this course and in the Study Guide.

Pest management professionals taking this course should:

1. Understand that the effects of pesticides on humans and on other creatures and the environment can be completely different. Substances that are relatively non-toxic to humans can be quite toxic to aquatic organisms.

2. Understand that testing in streams around the country and in California have consistently found pesticides in water, sediment, or both and frequently in amounts toxic to aquatic life.

3. Pyrethroids are the most commonly used pesticides in urban areas and reported professional use of these pesticides appears to be a major cause of aquatic toxicity.

4. Understand that the nature of the surface to which the pesticide is applied affects how much pesticide washes off when it rains. If all factors are equal, the amount that can wash off a solid “impervious” surface, like a sidewalk or driveway, is substantially greater than the amount that can wash off a landscaped area or farm field.

5. Understand that only a tiny fraction of the pesticide used in an urban area needs to wash off into creeks or storm drains or contaminate water that flows into sewage treatment plants to cause water quality problems.

6. Understand that the formulation of a pesticide affects how much washes off with irrigation or rain.

7. Understand that the location of the application affects how much pesticide washes off.

8. Describe where the water in a storm drain flows.

9. Describe where the water in a sewer flows. Understand that pesticides can get into sewers from application, cleanup, and washing of treated surfaces.

10. Understand that sewage treatment plants are not designed to treat pesticides. Understand the consequences of pesticide contamination of water flowing into sewage treatment plants.

11. Describe how to find out if a pesticide is a water quality concern.

12. List the water quality problems pesticides can cause in a creek, river, lake or bay.

13. Understand that gaps in EPA and state regulatory procedures allow pesticides to be registered that can cause water quality problems.

14. Understand that there are court ordered buffers around Pacific salmon-supporting waters.

A review of Water Quality Problems can be found in the EcoWise Study Guide at the link below:

Pdf Link: EcoWise Study Guide

Any Questions? If you have questions about this section, use the email link below:

birc@igc.org

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