Microbial pesticides can be used with some chemical pesticides, particularly newer, environmentally friendly chemicals. Combining both chemical and microbial pesticides to reduce the amounts of needed chemical pesticides reduces negative environmental impacts that older classes of chemical insecticides can cause. Ease of application Microbial insecticides generally can be applied with standard spray equipment and do not require the purchase of highly specialized and dedicated sprayers. Genetically modifiable Many insect pathogens can be modified through classical genetic or molecular manipulation in a variety of ways to produce microbes with improved insecticidal properties. Large agribusinesses produce chemical pesticides that generally have the ability to capture large percentages of the global pesticide market.
Microbial insecticides tend to affect more specific types of insects than chemical pesticides.
Therefore, microbial insecticides have less global marketing potential. Many of them are characterized as suitable for niche markets with limited sales potential. Small companies could produce and market such products profitably, but they often lack the resources to risk investing in their development. A microbial pathogen that reduces its host population well but spares other pests may not be acceptable to pest managers dealing with crops under simultaneous attacks by multiple pest species. Many microbial insecticides do not exterminate insect pests rapidly, so these insects continue to feed, and thereby damage crops, for several days between infection and death.