Rather Than Slaughter Crop-Killing Straight Moths, Scientists Turn Them Gay

“Codling Moths lay their larvae on apple and pear trees and the worms can ruin entire harvests by tunnelling through the fruit. Previously, the only way to prevent them killing crops was spraying fruit with pesticides, which had the effect of killing other harmless insects and disrupting the food chain. Instead, scientists at Sainsburys have discovered a method to coat the larvae with female pheromones, which are usually used by females to attract males. The method means that males are attracted to other males and females remain unfertilised, preventing reproduction.” Who’s going to be the first to scream unethical? [PN]