US government to release billions of flies into Mexico to stop flesh-eating insects from crossing border
The Trump Administration is leading the effort to prevent the spread of the New World Screwworm, which was eradicated in the US over 40 years ago but resurfaced in Mexico in late 2024.
According to US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the scientific name for the parasite, Cochliomyia hominivorax, roughly translates to 'man-eater.'
This parasite lays its eggs in the wounds of warm-blooded animals, causing tissue damage and often kills livestock within two weeks if left untreated.
Scientists will use a proven method called the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) in which male screwworm flies will be irradiated to make them sterile, then released by planes across southern Mexico and parts of Texas starting in mid-2025.
These sterile flies will mate with wild females, preventing reproduction and gradually reducing the population over time.
Edwin Burgess, an assistant professor at the University of Florida who studies parasites, said: 'It's an all-time great in terms of translating science to solve some kind of large problem.'
A breeding hub in southern Texas is set to open by the end of 2025, with a major facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to be completed by July 2026.
While a fly factory in Panama produces 117 million flies per week, the USDA is ramping up efforts, aiming for 400 million flies weekly by leveraging new plants in Texas and Mexico.
Leading the charge domestically, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is collaborating with Panamanian officials, Texas A&M, the University of Florida, Kansas State University, and Mexican authorities.
To support these ambitious goals, officials are investing $8.5 million in Texas and $21 million in Mexico to convert facilities into fruit fly plants.
Experts warn that the ripple effects of a screwworm invasion could be severe, resulting in mass livestock losses, skyrocketing beef and dairy prices, and deepening food supply instability.
Female screwworms can lay up to 300 eggs at a time, and more than 3,000 in their short lives. Infections can be visible as wriggling maggots on the surface of the skin.
The larvae bore into live tissue, feeding on the flesh and deepening wounds that quickly become infected.
The USDA describes the maggots as resembling 'tiny, white screws' that burrow deeper over time using hook-like mouths.
Officials warn that if the infestation spreads unchecked, it could devastate cattle herds across the southern US, especially in states like Texas, which holds 14 percent of the country's cattle.
The USDA stated in a press release: 'When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal.'
The US has also approved $165 million in additional emergency funds for enhanced surveillance, stockpiles, quarantine pens, and border safeguards.
SIT was first tested in the 1950s on Curaçao, then scaled for America's eradication campaigns of the 1960s through 1970s. This eco-friendly tactic succeeded without insecticide sprays.
Some experts caution that while SIT is species-specific and non-toxic, making it unlikely to be weaponized, it still carries risks.
The recent crash of a plane releasing sterile flies near Guatemala, which killed three people, highlights that even non-chemical methods carry serious real-world dangers.
According to USDA scientists, fly larvae in the wild drop from their hosts after feeding, burrow into the soil, and pupate.
In the lab, they are moved to sawdust trays where they mature into adults, each resembling a dark brown Tic-Tac mint before hatching.
But raising hundreds of millions of flies is not simple. Flies require precise conditions to reproduce. '
Cassandra Olds, an entomologist at Kansas State, said: 'You've got to give the female the cues that she needs to lay her eggs, and then the larvae have to have enough nutrients.'
'Feed typically includes egg powder, cattle blood plasma, and molasses,' she added.
The New World Screwworm first broke through containment in Panama's Darién Gap in 2022, an area where over 1.2 million migrants headed for the US crossed in recent years.
The same route may have helped transport infected livestock or injured animals that enabled the parasite to spread northward.
As of June 2024, screwworms have been found just 500 miles from the US border.
Models predict that by 2055, the parasite could infest Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, and even California, due to warming temperatures that allow it to survive year-round.
'Something we think we have complete control over, and we've declared victory over, can always rear its ugly head again,' said Burgess.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Canada races to build icebreakers amid melting ice and geopolitical tensions
For millennia, a mass of sea ice in the high Arctic has changed with the seasons, casting off its outer layer in summer and expanding in winter as it spins between Russia, Canada and Alaska. Known as the Beaufort Gyre, this fluke of geography and oceanography was once a proving ground for ice to 'mature' into thick sheets. But no more. A rapidly changing climate has reshaped the region, reducing perennial sea ice. As ocean currents spin what is left of the gyre, chunks of ice now clog many of the channels separating the northern islands. Canada's coast guard has an expression for this confounding phenomenon: less ice means more ice. 'Most people think climate change means that you won't need heavy icebreakers,' said Robert Huebert, an Arctic security expert at the University of Calgary. 'And the experience of the coast guard is: no, you need far more icebreakers.' To address the problem, Canada is building a new fleet of ships to fight through the once-impenetrable sea ice. It is not alone, with the prospect of new shipping routes opening up – and with them access to critical minerals in the Arctic – Russia, China and the United States are also rushing to build new icebreakers. At Seaspan's shipyards in north Vancouver, bound on one side by ocean and the other by mountains, teams have started cutting steel for a 520ft polar-class icebreaker that will operate in temperatures near -50C (-58F). The project is expected to take at least five years to complete and cost C$3.15bn ($2.32bn). When finished, the heavy icebreaker will be the centrepiece of Canada's recently announced national shipbuilding strategy that looks to further entrench its presence in the Arctic – and distance itself from decades of delay, bureaucratic fumbling and broken promises. The challenge of building an icebreaker is that the end result must operate in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth with little risk of failure, experts say. 'Shipbuilding is one of the older industries, but it's still it's one of the last industries to perfect, because the reality is, you're building a one-off floating city,' said Eddie Schehr, the company's vice-president of production. Walking through the hangar-like 'shops' where pieces are gradually welded with the aim of eventually crafting a hull, he likens the complex assembly to a costly, often error-ridden form of Lego. 'And so it's often not until the very, very end that you find problems. And you will find them.' Even the supposedly simpler parts require steel that often measures 60mm thick and requires special machinery to stress-test. 'Because of the strength and capabilities the ships needs to have, it's twice the thickness and really, twice the ship,' he said. 'You have to operate and think at a whole different level.' The ship will be a class 2 icebreaker, meaning it can operate year-round and push through ice as tall as 10ft. The last time Canada built a similar vessel domestically was in the 1960s and that ship, the Louis St Laurent, still remains the larger of Canada's only two heavy icebreakers. Canada first announced it would replace Louis St Laurent in 1985, but those plans were scuttled. It wasn't until 2008, when the prime minister, Stephen Harper, announced his government would build another replacement: a heavy icebreaker called the John G Diefenbaker. It too was never built, but Schehr recalls studying plans for the boat in university. 'Time's a big circle. Now I'm here and we're now actually finally building that very ship,' said Schehr. For sceptics, Seaspan can point to the Naalak Nappaaluk, an offshore oceanographic science vessel it recently finished that can operate in ice nearly 4ft thick and is tasked with 'identifying the true impact of climate change' when out at sea, says Schehr. Canada's federal government has also commissioned another company, Quebec's Davie shipyards, to build a second icebreaker, framing the decision as one that reflects the gravity of the moment: large icebreakers, incredibly slow to produce, are needed fast. In 2024, Davie purchased a shipyard in Helsinki. And in mid-June, the company also purchased a shipyard in the US, part of an effort to bring future production down south as a way around restrictive American legislation that prohibits foreign companies from building ships. 'If we were building two icebreakers and two shipyards, that's the surest way to make it inefficiently,' said Huebert. 'The coast guard is going to have to train on two different ships. And for the next 50 years, there will be little commonality in repairs and parts. If you asked me what is the most expensive and inefficient way of building more than one vessel, just look to Canada and its icebreakers.' Internally, Canada's historic inability to marshal the resources to build a new ship has become both a running joke and embarrassment. But the recently signed Ice Pact, a tripartite agreement between the Finland, Canada and the United States, could shift global production as Canada looks to revive its shipbuilding industry. Finland has already built 80% of the world's ice-capable ships operating in frigid waters. But the deal, announced during the Nato summit in Washington, will see as many as 90 icebreaker ships produced in the coming years, by the three countries. Both Seaspan and Davie hope to be a supplier to the US Coast Guard in coming years if they can successfully produce a heavy icebreaker. Russia is believed to have at least 50 icebreakers and more than a dozen can operate in the harshest climates. China probably has four that are suitable for the Arctic ice, though which seasons it can operate in is unclear. Donald Trump has signalled he wants as many as 40 icebreakers, suggesting allied Arctic nations are entering an arms race for the ships. Shipping experts say the president's interest in a fleet of icebreakers reflects a fervour in the multibillion-dollar shipping industry: clearing the North-West Passage of ice for more of the year could year could trim weeks off of shipping times between Europe and Asia. But it's not just about money. In recent months, Canada's federal government has pledged significant investment for the Arctic in a show of military force. 'We see the centrality of the Arctic for the Russians, and as the Russians become a much more aggressive state, the importance of that capability becomes much more clear,' he said. 'But if you're building icebreakers for sovereignty, it starts going beyond the icebreakers. Now you need to invest in satellite, radar and submarines. They're all part of a system. Icebreakers alone aren't enough.' Some are sceptical that the push for new icebreakers reflects a burgeoning arms race. 'We need Canadian government ships that can operate in the Canadian Arctic when there is other shipping there. There is no question about that,' said Michael Byers, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia. 'But politicians and pundits often escalate the concern: 'Oh my God, the Russians are coming,' or 'The Chinese are coming.' I see no evidence of that. The Russians already own half of the Arctic. They don't need any more.' Byers notes that Russia has a different, larger coastline it needs to maintain for year-round shipping, necessitating more ice-worthy vessels. Instead, Byers points to a reality in which more ships clamour for Arctic passage. 'With less ice in the Arctic, it actually becomes more challenging and risky.' When ships moving in open water encounter gale-force conditions and cold air temperatures, ocean spray can freeze on to the vessels and in some cases, accumulate so much it capsizes them. 'We'll always need icebreakers because the Arctic will always remain a dangerous place. And that's why we will always need the Canadian government to make or buy these ships.' This article was amended on 4 July 2025 to remove a reference to the name of the new polar ice-breaker, which has not yet been confirmed.
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
Text therapy: study finds couples who use emojis in text messages feel closer
The secret to a good relationship may be staring smartphone users in the face. A new study published in the journal Plos One found that using emojis in text messages makes people feel closer and more satisfied in their personal lives. Researchers at the University of Texas spoke to 260 people aged between 23 and 67 and asked them to read 15 text message exchanges that varied only in the presence or absence of emojis. Participants were instructed to imagine themselves as the sender of each message while focusing on the recipient's replies to evaluate responsiveness, likability, closeness and relationship satisfaction. The study revealed that people who send emojis combined with text are seen to be more responsive in their relationships than people who send text alone. It also found emojis serve as nonverbal cues that signal attentiveness and emotional engagement. Luke McGregor, 42, and Amy Thunig-McGregor, 37, say being able to use emojis helps their family communicate better. Luke said he wasn't a regular emoji sender at the start of their relationship and had to learn to start incorporating them into text messages to Amy. 'I traditionally didn't use emojis that much but when I first got [together] with Amy, I noticed them using them a lot, so there was a vulnerability or a hurdle I had to get over to start using them myself,' McGregor said. 'I wanted Amy to know that they were loved, and so to become a regular sender of emojis to Amy in order to communicate affection was at least initially a big deal for me.' Amy said emojis were a good tool to enhance their communication. 'We're both autistic as well for context … it helps us really be clear with tone and intention in a way that isn't possible with just written text,' they said. Senior lecturer in psychology at Central Queensland University Dr Raquel Peel, who was not involved in the study, said sending emojis can be a creative alternative when people are unable to see their partner face to face. 'I don't think we can replace face-to-face interactions because we are talking about intimate partnerships and relationships, but we have to be realistic that this isn't always possible,' Peel said. 'So if you can't meet face to face with your partner for whatever reason staying connected is important. 'Using emojis is then an effective alternative.' Her advice was to not underestimate the value of communication in a relationship and to always try and stay connected to your partner in whatever way you communicate. 'One thing that people also forget when I'm talking to them about relationships is the value of humour and having a bit of fun,' Peel said. 'So if emojis can serve a purpose that way, which we know they can, it adds to the element of fun and connection through humour and that is really important.'
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
US government plans to breed millions of flies to combat a pest in Texas
The US government plans to breed and release millions of sterile screwworm flies in Texas and Mexico to combat the re-emergence of the flesh-eating insect. The New World Screwworm lays eggs in the open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including livestock and humans, with the hatched larvae burrowing into flesh and potentially killing the host. The strategy involves breeding flies, irradiating them to induce sterility, and then releasing them so that sterile males mate with wild females, leading to unfertilized eggs and a reduction in the screwworm population. Screwworms were previously thought to have been eradicated in the US by 1966 using a similar sterile insect technique, but have recently re-emerged in Texas following an outbreak in Mexico. To support this new program, a breeding factory will open in southern Mexico next July, followed by a distribution center in southern Texas to manage the release of the sterile Flies.
