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The General Pest Exam, Illustrated: Tell Look-Alike Pests Apart at a Glance One Pest on Every Page

German vs. brown-banded roaches, ant or termite swarmer, house mouse vs. Norway rat, bed bug stages, black widow vs. brown recluse, IPM in 5 steps, where gel bait goes and how to read a label. Every topic gets its own page: the drawing first, then what you need to remember. 66 illustrated pages.

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Every topic, its own pageEach pest and each placement drawn, with the explanation right beside it
66 illustrated pages9 parts, from the core vs. category exam to the exam week checklist
Up-to-date sourcesChecked against EPA 40 CFR Part 171, FIFRA labeling rules and state general pest study manuals
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Look Inside the Book

Every page has one big drawing and a box with the sizes, signs and steps you need to know:

Core exam + general pest category exam: what each covers, and how your state names it.
Core exam + general pest category exam: what each covers, and how your state names it.
German and brown-banded about 1/2 in, Oriental about 1 1/4 in, American about 1 1/2–2 in.
German and brown-banded about 1/2 in, Oriental about 1 1/4 in, American about 1 1/2–2 in.
Ant vs. termite swarmer: antennae, waist and wings, circled on both
Ant vs. termite swarmer: antennae, waist and wings, circled on both
Norway rat 7–18 oz, short tail · roof rat 5–10 oz, long tail · mouse about 1/2 oz
Norway rat 7–18 oz, short tail · roof rat 5–10 oz, long tail · mouse about 1/2 oz
Bed bug: egg about 1 mm, 5 nymph stages, adult 3/16–1/4 in
Bed bug: egg about 1 mm, 5 nymph stages, adult 3/16–1/4 in
Black widow: red hourglass underneath. Brown recluse: violin mark and 6 eyes in 3 pairs.
Black widow: red hourglass underneath. Brown recluse: violin mark and 6 eyes in 3 pairs.
EC, WP, SC, CS, D, G, bait and aerosol: what each one is, on one page
EC, WP, SC, CS, D, G, bait and aerosol: what each one is, on one page
7 numbered label zones + what FIFRA 2(ee) does and doesn't count as misuse
7 numbered label zones + what FIFRA 2(ee) does and doesn't count as misuse

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These are real pages from the book. The table of contents is the full one: 9 parts and 62 topics.

The Problem Isn't You. It's How It Was Explained to You.

It's spring, and you're standing in a customer's sunroom looking at a pile of winged bugs on the windowsill. The homeowner asks just one thing: ants or termites?

You read that section of the state manual. It covers antennae, waists and wing length in three long paragraphs, and none of it comes back to you with the real bugs in front of you.

Ant vs. termite swarmer: antennae, waist and wings, circled on both

In this book, the swarmer gets its own page. The ant and the termite are drawn side by side, with the three details circled on both: elbowed vs. straight antennae, pinched vs. thick waist, unequal vs. equal wings.

The rest of the book works the same way: the 4 roaches drawn to scale, mouse vs. rat, bed bugs at every stage, black widow vs. brown recluse. Each one has its own page.

You look at the sill, check the three details and give your answer. No going back to the manual.

COMPARE FOR YOURSELF

Same Topic, Two Ways to Study It

THIS
  • The manual: line after line
  • Four roaches described only in words
  • You walk into the exam still guessing
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is a light brown to tan species measuring approximately 1/2 inch in length, distinguished by two dark parallel longitudinal stripes on the pronotum. The brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa) is of comparable size but exhibits two lighter transverse bands across the wings and abdomen. The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is dark brown to black, approximately 1 1/4 inches, with reduced wings. The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is reddish brown, 1 1/2 to 2 inches, with a pale yellowish margin on the pronotum.
FOR THIS
  • The 4 roaches drawn side by side
  • The sizes in one box
  • You look, and you get it
German and brown-banded about 1/2 in, Oriental about 1 1/4 in, American about 1 1/2–2 in.
CONTENTS

Take a Look at the 9 Parts and 62 Topics

License and IPM, cockroaches, ants and termites, rodents, bed bugs and fleas, spiders and stinging insects, products and placement, label and safety, and an exam and route review: 66 pages, all illustrated.

IStart Here: License and IPM · pp. 5-10
  1. Core Exam vs. Category Exam: What This Book Covers
  2. Licensed Applicator vs. Technician Under Someone's License
  3. IPM in 5 Steps, Always in the Same Order
  4. Step 1–2: Inspect and Identify Before You Treat
  5. Step 3–5: Exclude, Sanitize, Monitor
  6. Pest Thresholds: When to Act
IICockroaches · pp. 11-17
  1. The 4 Roaches Side by Side
  2. German Cockroach: The Indoor One
  3. American and Oriental: The Peridomestic Ones
  4. Brown-Banded: Dry, Warm and High
  5. Reading Roach Signs
  6. Roach Life Cycle: Incomplete Metamorphosis
  7. German Roach Job in IPM Order
IIIAnts, Termites and Wood Destroyers · pp. 18-25
  1. Ant or Termite Swarmer? 3 Details
  2. Common Structural Ants
  3. Carpenter Ants: Frass, Not Mud
  4. Subterranean Termites: Mud Tubes
  5. Drywood Termites: Six-Sided Pellets
  6. Other Wood Pests: Powderpost Beetles and Carpenter Bees
  7. Ant Job in IPM Order
  8. Termite Inspection Points on a House
IVRodents · pp. 26-32
  1. House Mouse, Norway Rat, Roof Rat
  2. Droppings at Actual Size
  3. Rodent Signs Beyond Droppings
  4. Home Range: Where to Place Devices
  5. Gap Sizes: A Dime and a Quarter
  6. Traps vs. Rodenticides
  7. Rodent Job in IPM Order
VBed Bugs, Fleas, Ticks · pp. 33-38
  1. Bed Bug at Every Stage
  2. Bed Bug Signs on a Mattress
  3. Bed Bug Job in IPM Order
  4. Fleas: The Cycle Lives in the Carpet
  5. Ticks Around the Home
  6. Mites, Lice and 'Mystery Bites'
VISpiders, Stingers, Flies and Others · pp. 39-46
  1. Black Widow vs. Brown Recluse
  2. Wasp, Hornet, Yellowjacket or Bee?
  3. Treating Stinging Insect Nests Safely
  4. Flies: House, Fruit, Drain, Phorid
  5. Stored Product Pests
  6. Fabric Pests: Carpet Beetles and Clothes Moths
  7. Occasional Invaders
  8. Birds and Wildlife: Know the Line
VIIProducts and Placement · pp. 47-55
  1. Formulations at a Glance
  2. Insecticide Classes by Mode of Action
  3. Crack and Crevice, Spot, General Surface
  4. Where Gel Bait Goes
  5. Dusts: A Light Film, Not a Pile
  6. Perimeter Treatment Drawn on a House
  7. Rodenticide Bait Station Placement
  8. Mixing Math for Study
  9. Calibration and Equipment
VIIILabel, Safety and Records · pp. 56-61
  1. The Label Is the Law
  2. Signal Words: Caution, Warning, Danger
  3. PPE From the Label
  4. Spills: Control, Contain, Clean Up
  5. Storage, Transport and Disposal
  6. Records and Service Reports
IXExam and Route Review · pp. 62-66
  1. The 4 Look-Alike Pairs
  2. Numbers to Have at Hand
  3. Most Frequent Mistakes on the Route
  4. Client Holds Up a Bag: What Is It?
  5. Exam Week Checklist

One Page, One Topic, All Clear

Think of it this way:

A customer hands you a sandwich bag with a dead roach in it and waits. Your supervisor is standing right there. German or brown-banded?

In the book, you open the page with the 4 roaches. They're drawn side by side, to scale, and the detail that tells them apart is circled: two dark stripes behind the head on the German, light bands across the body on the brown-banded.

Bed bug: egg about 1 mm, 5 nymph stages, adult 3/16–1/4 in

It's the same with ant or termite swarmer, bed bug stages, where gel bait goes, the dust film and the signal words on a label: each one has its own page.

Pest Control Illustrated has 9 parts and 62 topics, all drawn, and it ends with an exam and route review: the 4 look-alike pairs, the numbers to have at hand and an exam week checklist.

What you see drawn, you don't have to memorize.

What's Inside Pest Control Illustrated:

Ipp. 5-10

Start Here: License and IPM

Core exam vs. category exam, licensed applicator vs. technician, IPM in 5 steps and when to act: you know what each test covers before you start.

IIpp. 11-17

Cockroaches

The 4 roaches side by side, German, American and Oriental, brown-banded, roach signs, life cycle and a German roach job in IPM order.

IIIpp. 18-25

Ants, Termites and Wood Destroyers

Ant or termite swarmer, structural and carpenter ants, subterranean and drywood termites, other wood pests and termite inspection points.

IVpp. 26-32

Rodents

House mouse, Norway rat and roof rat, droppings at actual size, other signs, home range, gap sizes, traps vs. rodenticides.

Vpp. 33-38

Bed Bugs, Fleas, Ticks

Bed bugs at every stage and on a mattress, a bed bug job in IPM order, fleas, ticks, mites, lice and mystery bites.

VIpp. 39-46

Spiders, Stingers, Flies and Others

Black widow vs. brown recluse, wasps, hornets and bees, nests, flies, stored product and fabric pests, occasional invaders and wildlife.

VIIpp. 47-55

Products and Placement

Formulations, insecticide classes, crack and crevice, gel bait, dusts, perimeter, bait stations, mixing math and calibration: where each product goes, drawn.

VIIIpp. 56-61

Label, Safety and Records

The label is the law, signal words, PPE, spills, storage, transport and disposal, records and service reports.

IXpp. 62-66

Exam and Route Review

The 4 look-alike pairs, numbers to have at hand, frequent route mistakes, the bag question and an exam week checklist.

At the end of the book: A final review with the 4 look-alike pairs, the numbers to have at hand and an exam week checklist.

SHOW ME WHAT'S INSIDE

Plus: 2 Free Books

Pest Control Exam Practice: Questions with Explained Answers

BONUS 1: «Pest Control Exam Practice: Questions with Explained Answers»

Value on its own: US$ 17.90

Test yourself in the same style as the general pest category exam, and see why each answer is right, not just which letter.

Pest ID Quick Cards

BONUS 2: «Pest ID Quick Cards»

Value on its own: US$ 14.90

Every pest on one card: what it looks like, where you find it, the sign it leaves and what it's most often confused with. Print them and review in 10 minutes.

Pest Control Illustrated with 2 Free Books

  • Pest Control Illustrated: 66 illustrated pagesUS$ 63
  • BONUS 1: Pest Control Exam Practice: Questions with Explained AnswersUS$ 17.90
  • BONUS 2: Pest ID Quick CardsUS$ 14.90
  • High-resolution PDF to printIncluded
Total value US$ 95.80
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YES, I WANT PEST CONTROL ILLUSTRATED FOR US$ 27

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PDF by email: We email you Pest Control Illustrated as a PDF, together with the two free books. It's a single payment: no installments, no extra charges.

Who This Book Is For

You're studying for the general pest category

You're studying for the general pest category

Every pest and every placement on its own drawn page, so studying at night after work actually sticks.

Your state exam is coming up

Your state exam is coming up

The look-alike pairs, the numbers and the label zones in the same order every time, ready to review the week before.

You already run a route

You already run a route

Not a beginner's intro: the look-alike pairs, the placement drawings and the label zones, printable for the truck. A customer holds up a bug, you open the page and check the detail.

Everything You Get Today

US$ 95.80US$ 27
YES, I WANT PEST CONTROL ILLUSTRATED FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.

30DAYS
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30-Day Guarantee

Try Pest Control Illustrated for 30 days, bonus books included.

We refund everything if the file won't open, if the book isn't what you see here, if you were charged twice or if the email doesn't arrive. Just email us.

You pay once. No subscriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work for my state's general pest exam? Does it include the core?

Yes, if your state's exam is the general or household pest category (the name and category number change by state). It covers what those manuals share: pest ID, IPM, products and placement, the label and safety. It doesn't cover your state's own laws and fees, and it isn't a core exam book: the core is a separate test, and Part 1 explains the difference. It's not a beginner's intro either: it's the look-alike pairs, numbers and placements you check before answering.

Where does the content come from?

From EPA applicator certification standards (40 CFR Part 171), FIFRA labeling rules and the general pest study manuals from state pesticide agencies. Every value is flagged so you can check it against your state's current manual and the product label.

Is this official material?

No. It's an independent illustrated study book. It isn't issued or endorsed by the EPA or any state agency.

Does it replace my state's required training or course?

No. It helps you study and review, but it doesn't replace required training, supervised field experience or the product label. It's a book, not a course: it doesn't give you a certificate, a license or continuing education credits.

Are the practice questions the ones on the exam?

No. They're written for this book in the style of a category exam, and each one has an explained answer. They aren't official exam questions.

When and how do I get it?

The book and the 2 bonus books come as PDFs by email, sent to the address you enter at checkout.

Do I have to pay every month?

No. It's a one-time payment.

Can I print it?

Yes. It's a PDF, not a printed book, so you can print the pages you need and keep them in the truck.

How does the refund work?

You have 30 days. We refund everything if the file won't open, if the book isn't what you see on this page, if you were charged twice or if the email doesn't arrive: just email us.

Before You Close This Page

No more rereading pages that don't stick.

German or brown-banded: you see it drawn, and that's it.

You walk into the exam knowing where everything is.

Drawings make studying faster.

The book is right below.

One-time payment: US$ 27 · Guarantee: 30 days · PDF by email

YES, I WANT PEST CONTROL ILLUSTRATED FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.