Question

Suppose a large apartment complex is infested with cockroaches that have never been exposed to glucose-baited poison. a new tenant moves in and unknowingly brings along some stowaway glucose-averse cockroaches from her heavily-treated former apartment. these individuals escape the moving boxes and start reproducing in their new home, where they have to compete with the current resident cockroaches.

Answer 1

The success of the glucose-averse cockroaches in their new environment depends on the future use of glucose-baited poison in the apartment. If glucose-baited poison is not used, it is likely that the resident cockroaches will outcompete the new cockroaches, as the resident cockroaches will not exclude glucose-containing foods from their diet. However, the use of glucose-containing poison in the apartment will provide the new cockroaches a distinct selective advantage, as they will survive to reproduce, whereas the majority of the resident cockroaches will die.