How do insect populations evolve resistance to pesticides?

Question

How do insect populations evolve resistance to pesticides?

Answer 1

Most pesticides nowadays are designed to interact with specific body functions and genes in the targeted insects. The insects that don't get killed have a genetic mutation that naturally defeats or lessens the effect of the pesticide. When the survivors breed with other survivors, this mutation is reinforced. It's basically the same with any organism, including humans. Keep in mind that thousands of Indians died from chicken pox when the Europeans first came over, yet it only gave Europeans a bad fever.

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