Dept of Agriculture plans to breed millions of sterile flies and set them loose

Here’s one more reason to shut down the border.

To combat the flesh-eating larvae (maggots) of the New World Screwworm (NWS) that’s wreaking havoc among livestock along the U.S. Southern border, the federal government is planning to breed millions of sterile flies and set them loose.

The Department of Agriculture plans to distribute male flies that have been sterilized by radiation that will mate with females who will then lay unfertilized eggs in the wild. The process, if successful, will reduce larva numbers until the fly population dwindles away, Fox News reported.

My office is doing everything possible to keep the New World Screwworm out of South Texas. This week, my district joined the “Preparing for Screwworm” workshop in Kingsville to receive real time updates and discuss strengthening early detection and prevention efforts. pic.twitter.com/f1kPJoP1fG

— Rep. Monica De La Cruz (@RepMonicaDLC) June 30, 2025

It turns out, the New World Screwworm isn’t a new problem. The U.S. eradicated the nasty pests in 1966, but they have reemerged after a recent outbreak in Mexico, according to Fox News.

The U.S. and Mexico used the sterilization process between 1962 and 1975 to eliminate the flies.

“Due to the threat of New World Screwworm, I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on X in May when the pest reemerged, shutting down livestock imports along the southern border.

According to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the pest is native to Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and certain South American countries. Although typically found in forests and wooded areas, it frequently targets hosts such as cattle or horses in pastures and fields, as noted by the same source.

Female flies lay eggs in wounds or orifices of animals where the larvae burrow into flesh, causing damage and even death, Fox reported.

Republican Texas Rep. Monica De La Cruz praised Collins for taking decisive action.

If we don’t take action now, the New World Screwworm will devastate Texas livestock and wildlife.

Great to join @SecRollins today to announce $8.5 million to establish a sterile fly facility in Hidalgo County to stop the spread of the New World Screwworm! pic.twitter.com/5zVLHhQHtp

— Rep. Monica De La Cruz (@RepMonicaDLC) June 18, 2025

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