U.S. to Breed Billions of Flies and Drop Them by Plane to Fight Flesh-Eating Pest

TOPEKA, Kan. – In an effort to protect livestock, wildlife, and even pets from a devastating parasite, the U.S. government plans to breed billions of flies and drop them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas.

The plan targets the flesh-eating larvae of the New World screwworm fly, a pest capable of killing cattle and severely wounding other animals. According to a detailed report from NBC News, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will breed sterile male flies, which will mate with wild females — resulting in eggs that don’t hatch.

A Scientific Strategy That’s Proven to Work

“This is an exceptionally good technology,” said Edwin Burgess, a parasite expert at the University of Florida. He called it one of the best examples of science solving a major agricultural crisis.

The strategy worked in the 1960s and ’70s, when the U.S. and Mexico eradicated the pest by releasing over 94 billion sterile flies, per USDA records. Female screwworm flies mate only once in their life, meaning one sterile pairing prevents reproduction permanently.

The USDA plans to have a new fly-breeding facility operational in southern Mexico by July 2026, and a distribution center in Texas ready by the end of 2025 to handle imported flies from Panama, where another facility currently breeds up to 117 million flies per week.

A Race Against a Deadly Pest

The New World screwworm fly lays its eggs in wounds or mucus membranes, and its larvae feed on live flesh, unlike most maggots that consume dead tissue.

“It’s fatal,” said Michael Bailey, incoming president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, explaining that a 1,000-pound cow can die in two weeks from an infestation. Humans are also at risk.

The fly has re-emerged in southern Mexico, prompting the U.S. to temporarily close its southern border to livestock imports. The USDA intends to increase capacity to produce up to 400 million sterile flies per week, with a budget of $8.5 million for the Texas facility and $21 million to convert an existing site in Mexico.

Raising Flies: How It Works

Fly farming at scale isn’t simple. According to USDA research, female flies must be given the right conditions to lay eggs, and larvae need protein-rich feed like dried eggs, honey, or cattle blood mixtures.

In facilities like Panama’s COPEG plant, larvae are raised in trays filled with sawdust. As they mature, workers separate the flies, sterilize them with radiation, and prepare them for airborne release.

Security is a top priority. “No fertile fly can ever escape,” said Sonja Swiger, entomologist at Texas A&M.

How Flies Are Released From Planes

Since the 1950s, scientists have experimented with different release methods — from dropping flies in paper cups to using machines like the “Whiz Packer.” Today, small aircraft loaded with crates of flies still perform these missions.

However, the process isn’t without risk. In June 2025, a fly-release plane crashed near the Mexico-Guatemala border, killing three people, as reported by AP News.

Experts caution that while past success is encouraging, relying on eradication alone is risky. “The pest can always return,” said Burgess. “We should never close these factories entirely.”

Do you support the U.S. investing in insect-based science to protect agriculture and wildlife? Share your thoughts in the comments at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.