What is the primary drawback of contact pesticides?

Contact pesticides primarily affect pests that come into direct contact with them. This characteristic means that they can only kill or incapacitate organisms that are exposed to the pesticide at the time of application. If a pest is hidden or not in the sprayed area, the contact pesticide will have no effect. This makes them less effective against pests that are more cunning, such as those that hide under leaves or inside structures. Effective pest management may require additional methods or products to target these hidden pests, highlighting the limitation of contact pesticides to only impact immediate areas of application. Understanding this property is critical for properly utilizing contact pesticides in pest management strategies.