What type of ingredients in pesticides are primarily responsible for killing pests?

Active ingredients in pesticides are primarily responsible for killing pests. These are the specific chemical compounds that have the desired toxic effect on targeted organisms, such as insects, weeds, or pathogens. The effectiveness of a pesticide largely depends on the properties of its active ingredients, including their mechanism of action, toxicity levels, and persistence in the environment.

On the other hand, inactive ingredients, like carrier or neutral ingredients, serve supportive roles, such as enhancing the application, improving product stability, facilitating absorption, or reducing drift. While these components are important for the formulation and effectiveness of the pesticide as a whole, they do not directly contribute to pest control. Thus, it is the active ingredients that take center stage in their role in pest management.