What is one reason why granular pesticides are favored?

Granular pesticides are favored primarily because they pose low drift hazards. This characteristic is particularly important for maintaining environmental safety and minimizing the impact on non-target organisms. When granular pesticides are applied, they remain mostly on the ground and do not become airborne, which reduces the risk of drifting away from the intended target area. This is beneficial in residential areas, near water bodies, or in environments where sensitive plants and wildlife may be present.

The other options reflect characteristics that are not advantages of granular pesticides. For instance, saying they are less effective than other formulations contradicts the fact that many granular pesticides can be very effective under the right circumstances. While some formulations might be easier or quicker to apply, granular formulations generally offer ease of application for specific use cases and do not necessarily require special equipment beyond typical spreading devices.