this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025

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363

US to dump billions of flies over Mexico in $30m fight against flesh-eating maggots (www.lbc.co.uk)

submitted 3 weeks ago by Stamau123@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

79 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The move comes as the New World Screwworm fly larvae continues to cause chaos as it infiltrates the US beef industry, affecting wider wildlife, pets and, in rare cases, humans.

According to scientists, the new batches of male sterilised maggots will be dumped over the South American nation and the US state of Texas in a bid to eradicate the vicious variety of flesh-eating larvae.

The US Department of Agriculture is said the male flies, which measure slightly larger than the average housefly, will be sterilised with radiation before being released.

The strategy, set out by scientists, will force the female screwworms to breed with the newly sterilised males.

The flesh-eating variety of the screwworm maggots were eradicated from the US in 1966, but the creatures appear to me making a comeback.

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[–] Stamau123@lemmy.world 156 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (6 children)

The article doesn't mention why this is suddenly an issue. They used to have a narrow choke point around Panama where they did this routinely to keep these things from ever getting into the US, but that was cut as part of the "government efficiency" fiasco, so now it's a widespread, growing, problem. Really the perfect example of why wildly cutting government spending without thought is not an 'efficient' approach to reducing spending.

There is also a picture of a screw-worm infected dog in the article, if you want to see what your republican sponsored future will be

[–] CaptainPedantic@lemmy.world 72 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It's worth noting that the current outbreak that's occurring north of Panama started prior to DOGE doing its bullshit. Apparently it began in 2022.

[–] evenglow@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Worth noting that people still have no idea how much damage Trump and Republicans did the first go around.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 14 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

I'm not saying they didn't do damage, but did they cut funding for this? There doesn't seem to be any evidence of that. There was an outbreak in Florida in 2016 before the 2022 outbreak

No concrete reason for the northward spread has been given, and Dr. Chancey said it is likely “multifactorial.” She noted that surveillance of NWS is limited in hard-to-reach areas across Central America, and livestock often are transported through unmonitored or insufficient checkpoints.

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[–] protist@mander.xyz 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

but that was cut as part of the "government efficiency" fiasco

I hate Elon, Trump, DOGE, and MAGA as much as the next comrade, but I have seen no evidence this is the case. Where did you get this from?

[–] Stamau123@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Your comment made me think again at my sources. Re-researching starting with the link from @CaptainPedantic@lemmy.world and eventually through this Atlantic article it seems as though pandemic supply chain issues finally caught up to the fly factory.

But as @evenglow@lemmy.world said, I'd still chalk that up as first term damage, and Trump and DOGE should get screwworms.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 8 points 3 weeks ago

But right after it mentions supply chain issues, it talks about unauthorized migration through the Darien Gap and the illegal cattle trade in Central America. Just saying, criticize where it's due, and Trump's due criticism for almost everything he's done, but this problem is complex and exists independently of him and independently of the United States

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[–] roscoe@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 weeks ago

That dog pic is actually a little tame. I've seen some nightmare inducing pics of screwworm infections.

[–] Wazowski@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

"MAGAts for maggots"

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

I read something different re: the cause.

It’s difficult to say how they made it past the Darien Gap, but there are several possibilities, Earl said. Monitoring and surveillance for screwworm was relaxed due to the COVID-19 pandemic several years ago, and an increase in illegal cattle trafficking in the region might also be helping to spread animals infected with maggots. The increase in human migration northward may also be playing a role, Earl said.

Source

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

It happened while Biden was president, though. Like 2022|23.

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[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 151 points 3 weeks ago (21 children)

Mexico is not "South American." Most of it isn't even "Central American." The person who wrote this needs some geography lessons.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 68 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

This article also makes this sound like a brand new endeavor, as if this hasn't been an ongoing project for 70 years now

[–] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

Well, where they're dropping them is recent, as the screwworm has been steadily moving north again.

[–] wulrus@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago

When you are not up to date on the topic, it sounds like a far-fetched dystopian alternate timeline.

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Dropping them in texas is alarming, though. The battle was originally to keep them contained in central america near the isthmus. If they’re in texas they can spread widely around the us south, creating yet another reason not to want to be there.

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[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

I sent them a message to see if they'd update it. Just out of curiosity.

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[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 62 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm surprised they're still doing it. I would have assumed the administration threw a fit about having Mexico pay for it instead.

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[–] eRac@lemmings.world 57 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Mexico

South American nation

Wat

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Don't you know, only USA is true north America. Canada is their "younger brother" 🤣

[–] generallynonsensical@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

America is Canada's gut.

[–] Wazowski@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

yeah. full of shit.

[–] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

And Florida is the nipple?

[–] AreaKode@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Limp dick, actually.

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[–] El_guapazo@lemmy.world 38 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

In a plot twist, the trump administration forgets to sterilize the flies before releasing them. And now they've accelerated the incursion into the US

[–] roscoe@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You joke, but there was some dude in Florida (I think) who was contracted to do this with fruit flies and he started dropping healthy ones to make sure the program never ended.

Source; I can't be bothered to look it up, trust me bro.

[–] Tollana1234567 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

he can also extend his time in between appointments to allow the fruit flies to recover to achieve the same results. fruit flies breed pretty fast. thats why they have to do it to mosquitos(mosquitos might be harder since theres multiple species that can spread different diseases) and screworms so frequently, they lay a ton of eggs at once.

[–] SabinStargem 34 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I am expecting the Trump Regime to cancel this program, and for EVERYONE to experience the consequences.

Kurzesaget: How Nuclear Flies Protect You from Flesh Eating Parasites

[–] Quadhammer@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Hey that's how I know about screw worms too

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[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Screwworms are currently in negotiations with the Trump administration.

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Of course they are. They have connections through RFK Jr's brain worm.

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago

New meaning to the term "insider".

[–] TragicNotCute@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

“Everyone’s saying screw worms are bad — WRONG! Screw worms are actually amazing for controlling pests. They SAVE livestock, save money, and keep our food supply strong. We should THANK screw worms, not attack them. Sad how people don’t know the facts! #ScrewwormSuccess #MAGA”

[–] DrakeAlbrecht@sh.itjust.works 27 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Kurzgesagt did a show on this last month.

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[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Anyone wanna take bets on Trump cancelling the program to "save the budget"?

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 24 points 3 weeks ago

Depends on how he hears about it. If somebody brings it up as being beneficial to everybody, he'll want to axe it, but if he just hears that we're dumping tons of gross bugs on Mexico, he'll probably be on board.

[–] caboose2006@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago

Don't look up screw worms.

[–] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago

Relevant Kurzgesagt video

[–] peaceful_world_view@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Get rid of the MAGAts in America first.

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[–] Iamsqueegee@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago

Life, uh, finds a way.

[–] blujan@sopuli.xyz 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Never seen mexico referred as south america before

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