Insecticides foster 'toxic' slugs, reduce crop yields

Thursday, December 4, 2014 - 16:00 in Biology & Nature

Insecticides aimed at controlling early-season crop pests, such as soil-dwelling grubs and maggots, can increase slug populations, thus reducing crop yields, according to researchers. "Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world," said one expert. "Seed applications of neonicotinoids are often viewed as cheap insurance against pest problems, but our results suggest that they can sometimes worsen pest problems and should be used with care."

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