What is a potential risk of applying pesticides during blooming periods?

Applying pesticides during blooming periods poses a significant risk to non-target pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. During this time, these pollinators are actively foraging on flowers, which increases their exposure to pesticides that may drift or directly contact them. Many pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids and certain fungicides, are harmful to pollinators even in small quantities. This can lead to reduced pollinator populations, which are crucial for the ecosystem as well as for agricultural production through the pollination of crops. Protecting non-target species during critical blooming periods is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance.

The other options refer to various concerns related to pests or crop damage, but they do not address the immediate risk to pollinators, making the harm to non-target pollinators the most critical issue in this context.