Preparing for Your Mississippi Wood Destroying Insect License Exam

Filed Under:

Publication Number: P4054

Mississippi PMP: An Extension Series for Pest Management Professionals. Mississippi State University Extension Urban Entomology.

Pest management professionals (PMPs) seeking their Mississippi Wood Destroying Insect License (WDIL) should consider using the following study material to prepare for the examination. Remember that there are specific requirements associated with obtaining a license. For more information on Mississippi regulations, please see:

Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) Regulations, Subpart 3 – Bureau of Plant Industry, Chapter 11 – Regulation of Professional Services, Subchapter 01 – Regulations Governing Commercial Insect, Rodent, Plant Disease, and Weed Control Work (PDF)

Note: The following resources are recommendations to help individuals prepare for the Mississippi WDIL exam. The Mississippi State University Extension Service does not endorse any product or resource outside those of MSU Extension, and use of this study material does not guarantee that you will pass the exam.

Pest Management Principles: Industrial, Institutional, and Structural Pest Control – Category 7A*

Cover of Pest-Management Principles: Industrial, Institutional, and Structural Pest Control – Category 7A.

MSU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program Publication 2247.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Page 103: Wood-Destroying Insects
Chapter 11: Termites
Chapter 12: Beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Carpenter Bees

*We recommend that those seeking their Mississippi WDIL use this manual, as well as resources available on the MSU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) website, in addition to other sources to prepare for their exam. Find information on ordering Pest Management Principles: Industrial, Institutional, and Structural Pest Control – Category 7A online or by contacting Gene Merkl, Pesticide Safety Program manager, at (662) 325-5829 or gm53@msstate.edu.

MSU Extension Termite Web Page

Screenshot of the MSU Extension Termite homepage.

The MSU Extension Termite web page provides an overview of termite control recommendations.

Protect Your House from Termites

Cover of publication, Protect Your House from Termites.

MSU Extension Publication 2568 Protect Your House from Termites is online and free of charge.

What Homebuilders Need to Know About Termites

Cover of publication, What Homebuilders Need to Know About Termites.

MSU Extension Publication 2765 What Homebuilders Need to Know About Termites is online and free of charge.

Termite University

Logo. Termite University.

Termite University is a recurring 2-day event held on the MSU campus to provide training and recertification for termite technicians, pest control company owners and managers, and other members of Mississippi’s structural pest control industry.

Mallis Handbook of Pest Control

Cover of the book Mallis Handbook of Pest Control.

Mallis, A., Hedges, S. A., & Moreland, D. (2011). 10th Edition. ISBN-13: 978-1890561024.

Chapter 3: Termites
Chapter 5: Wood-Boring Beetles
Chapter 11: Ants – Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.)
Chapter 12: Stinging Arthropods – Carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.)

Note: As of September 2024, the current (10th) edition is out of print; however, the 11th edition reportedly will be available in 2025.

Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations

Cover of the book Truman's Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations.

Bennett, G. W., Owens, J. M., & Corrigan, R. M. (2010). 7th Edition. ISBN-13: 978-0979398612.

Chapter 8: Subterranean Termites
Chapter 9: Non-Subterranean Termites and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms
Chapter 10: Ants and Other Hymenopterous Pests – Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.), Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa spp.)

Additional Resources

Termite Math – Blake Layton, PhD, MSU Extension
- Termite Math Presentation (PDF)
- Termite Math Practice Sheets (PDF)
MDAC Bureau of Plant Industry
- Official Wood Destroying Insect Report (revised 2018) (PDF)
- Regulations Governing Commercial Insect, Rodent, Plant Disease, and Weed Control Work (amended July 1, 2023) (PDF)
- Monthly Report of Wood Destroying Insect Control Work (revised November 2021) (PDF)
- Technician Worksheet for Calculating Termiticide Application (revised 2012) (PDF)
Subterranean Termites – Their Prevention and Control in Buildings
- Peterson, C., Wagner, T. L., Mulrooney, J. E., & Shelton, T. G. (revised October 2006). United States Department of Agriculture – Forest Service. Home and Garden Bulletin 64. (PDF)
Biology of Subterranean Termites in the Eastern United States
- Suiter, D. R., Jones, S. C., & Forschler, B. T. (reviewed April 2024). University of Georgia Extension. Bulletin 1209. Available online and free of charge.

This work is partially supported by Crop Protection and Pest Management, Extension Implementation Program, award no. 2024-70006-43496 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The information given here is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products, trade names, or suppliers are made with the understanding that no endorsement is implied and that no discrimination against other products or suppliers is intended.

Publication 4054 (POD-10-24)

By J. Santos Portugal III, PhD, Assistant Extension Professor, Agricultural Science and Plant Protection.

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