Which option best describes a biological pest control example in the material?

Which option best describes a biological pest control example in the material?

• A. lady beetles, fire ants and spiders
• B. synthetic herbicides
• C. gas fumigation of soil
• D. neem oil as a contact pesticide

Answer: (D)

Biological pest control relies on natural means to manage pests, including substances derived from living organisms. Neem oil is a plant-based pesticide produced from the neem tree, classed as a biopesticide. It works by contacting pests and disrupting feeding and development, and it generally leaves beneficial insects and the environment less harmed than many synthetic chemicals. Because it is a natural product used to suppress pests, it fits the biological pest control approach described in the material, making it the best example among the options. The other choices rely on non-biological methods: one mixes natural predators with a pest, which isn’t a clean single example of biological control; the others use synthetic chemicals or physical fumigation rather than living or naturally derived control methods.

Biological pest control relies on natural means to manage pests, including substances derived from living organisms. Neem oil is a plant-based pesticide produced from the neem tree, classed as a biopesticide. It works by contacting pests and disrupting feeding and development, and it generally leaves beneficial insects and the environment less harmed than many synthetic chemicals. Because it is a natural product used to suppress pests, it fits the biological pest control approach described in the material, making it the best example among the options.

The other choices rely on non-biological methods: one mixes natural predators with a pest, which isn’t a clean single example of biological control; the others use synthetic chemicals or physical fumigation rather than living or naturally derived control methods.