Indirect pesticide applications are defined as

• A. Directly applying pesticide to pests
• B. Spraying pesticides into the air
• C. Unintentional or intentional treatment of pests through spraying or placement of a pesticide on a plant rather than on the pest
• D. Mixing pesticides with fertilizer

Answer: (C)

Indirect pesticide applications happen when the chemical is applied to a plant or another surface the pests use, so the pests encounter the toxin secondhand rather than being sprayed directly. This includes spraying or placing a pesticide on a plant, whether you intend it or not, so the pest is exposed through the plant rather than directly on the pest itself. That description matches how indirect applications are defined.

Direct application means spraying or placing the pesticide directly on the pests themselves, which is not indirect. Spraying into the air disperses the chemical but doesn’t specify application to a plant or surface the pest uses, so it doesn’t fit the indirect definition. Mixing pesticides with fertilizer isn’t an application method aimed at exposing pests indirectly through a plant or environment.