Why is biological pest control often preferred over chemical methods?

Biological pest control is often preferred over chemical methods primarily because it is environmentally friendly and, in many cases, cost-effective. This approach utilizes natural predators, parasites, or pathogens to manage pest populations, which reduces the reliance on synthetic pesticides that can have harmful effects on non-target organisms, including humans, wildlife, and beneficial insects.

By fostering naturally occurring pest control mechanisms, biological methods can help maintain ecological balance and promote biodiversity within the ecosystem. Additionally, although some biological methods might have associated costs, they can ultimately lead to lower expenses over time by reducing the need for numerous pesticide applications and minimizing damage to crops that can result from chemical use.

This option stands in contrast to the other choices, which suggest that biological control is more costly, only offers temporary solutions, or requires more frequent applications, all of which are typically not advantages associated with biological control when used effectively in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.