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Sample questions
According to the text, how does the mechanism of action for desiccant dusts differ from chemical poisons?
- They target the nervous system of the insect
- They scour the waxy film that keeps the bug from drying out, causing dehydration
- They prevent the insect from feeding on human blood
- They interfere with the insect's ability to molt
Show answer
Where pesticides are used, desiccant dusts work mechanically: they scour the waxy film that keeps a bed bug from drying out, so it dehydrates rather than being poisoned.🔗 Source
Which statement best describes the risk bed bugs pose regarding human disease?
- They are known to pass various diseases to humans
- They pose a high contagion risk but a low comfort risk
- They are not known to pass diseases to people
- Their risk is categorized as high due to potential contagion
Show answer
The good news: unpleasant as the bites are, bed bugs are not known to pass diseases to people.🔗 Source
Which of the following is a recognized sign of a bed bug infestation?
- A foul, oily odor during heavy infestations
- Dark, ink-like fecal spots
- Pale shed skins
- Eggs found in seams
- All of the above
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The clearest evidence is the bugs plus what they leave behind: dark, ink-like fecal spots, blood smears on bedding, pale shed skins, and eggs in seams; heavy infestations can give off a foul, oily odor.🔗 Source
What is a key characteristic of the bed bug's life cycle regarding blood meals?
- Nymphs do not require blood meals to advance through stages
- Only adults require blood meals for development
- Each nymphal stage requires a blood meal to advance
- They only require a blood meal during the final nymphal stage
Show answer
Young bugs pass through five nymphal stages, each requiring a blood meal to advance.🔗 Source
How does the appearance of an adult bed bug change after it has taken a blood meal?
- It becomes smaller and more colorful
- It becomes swollen and reddened
- It develops wings to facilitate movement
- It becomes pale and colorless
Show answer
Unfed, the body is brownish and thin; a blood meal leaves it swollen and reddened.🔗 Source
When distinguishing a bed bug from a bat bug, what specific morphological feature should the applicator examine?
- The presence or absence of wings
- The width of the prothorax behind the head
- The length of the hairs on the front of the pronotum relative to the eye's width
- The color of the insect when unfed
Show answer
The tell for a bat bug is hair length on the front of the pronotum: shorter than the eye's width on a bed bug, longer on a bat bug.🔗 Source
What is the primary reason why pyrethroid sprays may fail against many modern bed bug strains?
- Bed bugs have developed resistance to these chemicals
- The insects have evolved to no longer feed on humans
- The chemicals are diluted by the insect's waxy coating
Show answer
Resistance is why chemistry can't carry the job: pyrethroid sprays that once worked now fail against many bed bug strains that have evolved to shrug them off🔗 Source
When managing an infestation using heat, what is the lethal threshold mentioned for commercial services?
- Near 113°F
- 130°F to 140°F
- 10 to 15 minutes
- Two to three hours
Show answer
commercial services hold about 130 to 140°F for two to three hours (lethal threshold near 113°F)🔗 Source
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