Screwworms were once widespread in Central America and the southern US, but government control efforts eliminated them from the US by 1966. They were eradicated in Panama by 2006. A biological barrier protected against their resurgence until 2022 when the flies crossed into Panama. The USDA developed the sterile insect technique (SIT) in the 1950s, using gamma radiation to sterilize males, which successfully diminished fly populations. With an impending threat, the USDA moved aerial deliveries to Mexico and initiated new control measures in Texas, indicating a need for additional strategies beyond SIT.
The main method to wipe out screwworms is the sterile insect technique (SIT), exploiting their life cycle weakness, as they tend to only mate once.
In the 1950s, researchers at the US Department of Agriculture discovered that gamma radiation could sterilize male flies while preserving their mating abilities.
The USDA shifted aerial deliveries to Mexico in response to the renewed threat from the advancing screwworm population.
Texas is implementing new bait, insecticides, and specialized feed to combat the screwworm issue, acknowledging that SIT alone is no longer enough.
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