U.S. Plans Buggy Defense Against Flesh-Eating Maggots
The U.S. government is planning to air-drop millions of sterile flies over Southern Texas and northern Mexico to fight against a flesh-eating maggot outbreak threatening the country’s livestock.
Scientists will irradiate male flies to render them sterile, then release them so they mate with wild females whose eggs won’t hatch, gradually collapsing the screwworm population before it spreads further into the U.S.
The New World screwworm, which is a parasitic fly species, was believed to have been eradicated in the U.S. between 1966 and 1975. However, it resurfaced in southern Mexico in 2024. Since the larvae burrow into living flesh and kill animals within weeks, the USDA has warned infestations could result in up to $100 billion in livestock losses, besides endangering pets, wildlife, and even humans in rare cases.
To counter this, a $8.5 million sterile-fly production facility is under construction at Moore Air Base, Texas, set to produce up to 300 million flies per week by year’s end. A parallel $21 million facility in Metapa, Mexico will produce an additional 60 to 100 million flies weekly.
Experts say this method offers an environmentally safer and cost-effective alternative to chemical pesticides. The USDA also plans to enhance broader inspections, livestock monitoring and public awareness. The first sterile-fly waves are expected to begin later this year.
