Believe it or not, pests and insects can become resistant to the chemicals we use to scare them off. Read on to find out how this is possible.
Photos by: Freepik
Some people may assume that the pesticides we used today are the same ones we have ever used, with minor modifications to make them safer for humans. Unfortunately, the history of pesticide and chemical insect treatment has been a long and dirty road that had to be reinvented every few years. Due to several factors, an effective chemical against insects in one year can be out of date in subsequent years. There is no way of telling which chemical will cause this to happen, or for what of the following reasons, but the truth is: insects can and will become resistant to chemicals. This is how it happens
Mutation in the GSTe2 gene
The GSTe2 gene can act as a filter to break down some chemicals that get inside an insect's body. Most insects do not have much resistance to a pesticide, but some insects have a mutation in that gene that allows them to break down DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), one of the first synthetic insecticides. Although this product was invented in the 1940s, there was evidence that it did not affect all mosquitoes as early as the early 1950s. Certain mosquitoes would not be affected by this insecticide and would continue to bite, mate, and reproduce.
Survival of the fittest
While it may be difficult to imagine the difference between a healthier insect and a sicker one, there are variations. Because of age, damage from predators, or numerous other reasons, a beetle can weaken itself. This weakness can make it pass more easily than younger and healthier bugs. The safest insects are they still in their eggs. Many pesticides require a waiting period after the initial treatment so that the eggs have time to emerge and hatch. Your eggs try to protect many insect species from this most effective bed bug treatment until the moment they're out of the shell. However, the moment these bugs are no longer in their bodies, they are just as vulnerable as the rest of their species.
Species evolution
Combining the above two reasons, the development of a species plays a large role in insect resistance to chemicals. The insects that survive or are not affected by chemicals breed and produce more chemical-resistant insects. This incubation cycle can be quick because even a Colony of four hundred ants can quickly grow strong to over a million people in less than a year if left to their own devices. Of course, old pesticides will still affect a small number of them – but nothing like the first time the chemical was used.
Insects are surprisingly adaptable and malleable, despite the fact that they appear so simple. Because of genetic mutations or when they have not yet hatched, insects can avoid the chemicals we use to rid our homes of them. Hence, we need to be adaptable and inventive while making sure that nothing we use hurts our loved ones or us.
