Widely Used Pesticides Cause Spider Mite Explosion
Some common insecticides alter plants' genetics, making them more vulnerable to tiny, destructive arachnids.
In 2005, New York City officials discovered Asian long-horned beetles in Central Park elms. To combat these pernicious pests, which can destroy entire forests, park personnel sprayed insecticides known as neonicotinoids on tens of thousands of trees infested by that beetle and another invasive pest, known as the emerald ash borer.
The treatment worked, but the spraying had an unforeseen effect: It led to an explosion of spider mites. These tiny arachnids, which weave small webs and puncture holes in plants to feed, sickened the trees, many of which began
