Final answer:
In response to insect resistance to pesticides, traditional agency responses include developing new chemicals and increasing reliance on biological control strategies, such as the use of natural predators and bacteria like Bacillus thuringiensis.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an insect species shows signs of resistance to pesticides, traditional responses by agencies often involve integrating different control strategies. This multidimensional approach can include the development and use of new chemical pesticides, but increasingly, there is a focus on biological control methods and other innovative strategies.
One significant response is the introduction of natural predators or pathogens to reduce the population of the resistant insects. Agencies may also employ biological control tools such as bacteria like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces toxins harmful to certain insects but is considered safer for non-target species and the environment.
Farmers, for example, in Shandong, China, have pioneered the use of such methods, combining biological controls with other techniques to manage bollworm infestations that developed resistance to conventional pesticides