Pesticide resistance

Pesticide resistance refers to the built-up tolerance in a species of pests that impairs the effectiveness of pesticides to control or eradicate it. It is a natural, biological response that tends to occur in populations repeatedly subjected to one particular kind of pesticide over a period. Pesticide resistance develops due to a process known as 'survival of the fittest' where the pests that survive a pesticide application are likely to have a genetic makeup that is resistant to the chemical. Due to their increased survival chances, these pests pass on their resistance genes to successive generations, thereby making the whole population more resilient against that particular pesticide. This is a key barrier in the world of pest management, especially for pest control companies like Rentokil and Orkin, necessitating the usage and development of diverse and more potent pesticides.