For those struggling with Corn Rootworm, Bayer Crop Science has been working on a solution to curb the effects of these destructive insects. While competitor's products can offer middling protection by using BT proteins, Smartstax Pro from Bayer compliments its use of BT proteins with RNA Interference Technology which changes the makeup of the root, which when ingested denies an essential protein to the rootworm larvae, thus killing the insect before it can ravage the roots.

For many pests, winter temperatures are an important predictor of populations the following year, but the western corn rootworm is not one of them, say experts at Purdue University Extension.