"Pesticides"? Herbicides, anyway. Robots to pick off insect eggs or larvae are harder to make.
Edit: "Editor’s note: While it’s generally true that pesticides are used to kill pests and herbicides are used to kill weeds, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines both agents for killing pests and weeds as “pesticides.” By the government’s definition, pests can be both bugs and weeds." Still. The EPA does not get to redefine English, outside their own publications.
Guessing your point is that "herbicide" makes it look like it ought not to affect us and other animals, and that is misleading because evidently they do? Fair enough.
My point, that there is no chance of robots eliminating the temptation to spray insecticides, remains.
Edit: "Editor’s note: While it’s generally true that pesticides are used to kill pests and herbicides are used to kill weeds, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines both agents for killing pests and weeds as “pesticides.” By the government’s definition, pests can be both bugs and weeds." Still. The EPA does not get to redefine English, outside their own publications.