What characteristic defines contact pesticides?

Contact pesticides are specifically designed to kill pests upon direct contact. This means that when an insect or pest comes into contact with the pesticide, it will experience immediate effects, leading to its death. This characteristic makes contact pesticides distinct from other types that may require the pest to ingest the chemical or have a delayed action.

For instance, systemic pesticides need to be absorbed into the plant or insect and affect the pest over time, while contact pesticides deliver an instant lethality to pests that encounter the chemical directly. The requirement of contact emphasizes the importance of application techniques to ensure that the pesticide reaches the target pests effectively.

Options that suggest ingestion or delays reference different mechanisms of pest control. Moreover, the notion that all contact pesticides are synthetic is inaccurate since some natural remedies can function similarly. Thus, the defining characteristic of contact pesticides is their ability to kill pests immediately upon contact.