TARGET SPECIFIC VS. BROAD SPECTRUM
Target Specific: The range of organisms affected by a pesticide. Careful selection of a substance that is appropriate for a pest involves knowing the pesticide. Some pesticides have high target specificity and are designed to act on a small range or even just one specific type of pest. Narrow spectrum pesticides, also known as selective pesticides, target only a specific type of insect or family of insects. These compounds are formulated to be toxic only to garden pests such as ants, while the predatory bugs that naturally feed on pests are unharmed. This selective targeting allows the natural predators of pests to aid in reducing the population of unwanted insects. However, narrow spectrum pesticides may not be safe for everything outside of the stated target. For example, Brodifacoum, a rodenticide, is poisonous to dogs that accidentally ingest it. It's important to read the product's warning label for possible side effects of any narrow spectrum pesticide. Some examples of narrow spectrum pesticides would be herbicides which kill plants, fungicides which kill fungi, avicides which kill birds, miticides which kill mites, and rodenticides which kill rodents. While narrow spectrum pesticides are intended to kill only one type of organism, they are not always completely safe for everything else. For example Brodifacoum , a commonly used rodenticide would not be safe for humans to ingest and has been problematic for households using it with who also have dogs that may ingest it accidentally.
Broad Spectrum: A chemical substance that can control the population of a large variety. Is a product that has low target specificity and will act more generally, affecting many species. Broad spectrum pesticides will kill insects indiscriminately, without regard to the species. These types of pesticides include most neonicotinoid, organophosphate, pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides and are identified on the labels of all commercial pesticides. Some broad spectrum pesticides, such as achlorpyrifos, can be effective to use in selectively targeting pests when used in moderation. It's important to consider the impact of using a broad spectrum pesticide on the natural enemies of beneficial insects. If more natural enemies survive, they will help control nuisance species later in the season and limit the amount of pesticides that need to be reapplied. Broad spectrum pesticides really become a problem when the pesticide can move out of the area where it was initially administered. This can happen through runoff or biomagnification. An example of this happening would be the use of DDT and it's impact on birds. DDT was meant to kill insects that were harmful to the harvest and while it did effectively kill them, the birds that came in contact with DDT were unable to reproduce properly resulting in massive reduction in bird populations. In addition broad-spectrum pesticides can present a threat to humans when they get on crops they are sprayed on and then consumed by humans, or when humans drink water contaminated by pesticide runoff.
Toxicity: the ability of a substance to cause damage to living tissue, impair the function of a body system, or cause death when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Most pesticides have some level of toxicity to humans. The level of potential danger from these chemicals is defined on product labels using the words "caution," "warning" or "danger." Products that are the least toxic contain the word caution, while more toxic products are labeled with the words warning and danger. There is generally no major difference between the toxicity of narrow spectrum and broad spectrum pesticides. Always check the product's warning label for proper handling instructions. It's also a good idea to limit your exposure to any type of pesticide by wearing protective gear and choosing the least toxic product when possible.
Broad Spectrum: A chemical substance that can control the population of a large variety. Is a product that has low target specificity and will act more generally, affecting many species. Broad spectrum pesticides will kill insects indiscriminately, without regard to the species. These types of pesticides include most neonicotinoid, organophosphate, pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides and are identified on the labels of all commercial pesticides. Some broad spectrum pesticides, such as achlorpyrifos, can be effective to use in selectively targeting pests when used in moderation. It's important to consider the impact of using a broad spectrum pesticide on the natural enemies of beneficial insects. If more natural enemies survive, they will help control nuisance species later in the season and limit the amount of pesticides that need to be reapplied. Broad spectrum pesticides really become a problem when the pesticide can move out of the area where it was initially administered. This can happen through runoff or biomagnification. An example of this happening would be the use of DDT and it's impact on birds. DDT was meant to kill insects that were harmful to the harvest and while it did effectively kill them, the birds that came in contact with DDT were unable to reproduce properly resulting in massive reduction in bird populations. In addition broad-spectrum pesticides can present a threat to humans when they get on crops they are sprayed on and then consumed by humans, or when humans drink water contaminated by pesticide runoff.
Toxicity: the ability of a substance to cause damage to living tissue, impair the function of a body system, or cause death when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Most pesticides have some level of toxicity to humans. The level of potential danger from these chemicals is defined on product labels using the words "caution," "warning" or "danger." Products that are the least toxic contain the word caution, while more toxic products are labeled with the words warning and danger. There is generally no major difference between the toxicity of narrow spectrum and broad spectrum pesticides. Always check the product's warning label for proper handling instructions. It's also a good idea to limit your exposure to any type of pesticide by wearing protective gear and choosing the least toxic product when possible.