The USDA uses the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to release irradiated screwworm flies over Mexico and Texas to stop the spread of New World screwworms—a parasite that lays eggs in open wounds of animals. This pest poses a major threat to livestock. To combat it, the USDA has invested $30 million to expand facilities and scale up sterile fly production as the threat nears the U.S.–Mexico border.
New World Screworms!
