The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee defines pesticide resistance as “a heritable change in the sensitivity of a pest population that is reflected in the repeated failure of a product to achieve the expected level of control”.
In other words, pests such as ticks acquire resistance through natural selection. The most resistant survive and pass on that resistance to their offspring.
Pesticide resistance is increasing worldwide. According to one source, more than 500 species of pest have evolved a resistance to a pesticide. Other researchers believe the number to be much higher.
The chemicals used to treat cattle against ticks are called acaricides. When cattle are dipped, the ticks clinging to them drop off or are killed, and the cattle should emerge from the tank free of these parasites.
This story is from the February 07, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the February 07, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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