What does the term 'resistance' refer to in pest management?

In pest management, the term 'resistance' specifically refers to the ability of pests to survive despite exposure to pesticides. This phenomenon occurs when pests undergo genetic changes, allowing them to withstand the effects of chemicals that would normally kill them. Over time, this can result in a population of pests that is largely insensitive to particular pesticides, making pest control efforts more challenging. Understanding this concept is crucial for developing sustainable pest management strategies, as it highlights the need for rotating different types of pest control methods and employing integrated pest management practices to mitigate resistance development.

The other options either do not accurately reflect the definition of resistance or describe different aspects of pest management. For instance, the inability of pests to reproduce refers to a different biological concept, while susceptibility to new pesticides and the ineffectiveness of pesticides over time do not directly define resistance in the context of pest survival against chemical treatments.