> >Shows what I know. the only time I ever heard of bt was regarding the GMO > >issues. > > Just for clarification and information: > > Bt stands for Baccillus thurensis which is a bacteria which infects certain > target pests. There is one subspecies that targets mosquitos, one that > targets > gnats and flies, and another that targets the insect family Lepidopterae > (butterflies and moths). GMO corn has a portion of the Bt genetic code which > allows it to make the poison that the bacteria make that kills the bugs. Bugs > that chew on the plant get poisoned. Bt as a spray actually infects the > larvae > that eat it: it has a relatively short life span so it is only effective for > a > specific amount of time. As an infective agent, it is somewhat specific in > that it will infect only one genera of insects at a time. So Bt for > Lepidopterae does not kill aphids, for example...or predatory wasps, or bees, > or spiders, or other predatory critters. Bt for mosquitos does not kill > dragonfly larvae, skimmers, or other aquatic life. > Bt is a good biological control of many pests when used correctly and in > conjuction with an IPM program. > > Kelly
Won't the insects develop an imunity to the gmo bt coded corn?