Organisms not intended for treatment with a pesticide are referred to as what?

• A. Nontarget species
• B. Beneficial insects
• C. Target pests
• D. Pollinators

Answer: (A)

Non-target species are organisms that pesticides are not intended to affect. This concept matters because pesticides can reach anything nearby—through drift, runoff, or residual residues—so it’s important to consider protecting organisms outside the target pest. Keeping non-target species safe helps preserve beneficial insects, natural pest control, pollination, and overall ecosystem health. Beneficial insects are a type of non-target species, but they’re a subset focused on positive roles in the environment, not the general term. Target pests are the organisms the pesticide is meant to control, which is the opposite idea. Pollinators are another important group that can be non-targets; they’re included under non-target species, but they aren’t the broad category themselves.