Texas skies are about to get crowded, but not with birds or drones. Instead, millions of sterilized flies are being released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a high-stakes battle against one of the most dangerous parasites to livestock: flesh-eating maggots.
The USDA’s target is the screwworm fly, a parasitic insect whose larvae burrow into open wounds of warm-blooded animals, feeding on flesh and potentially killing their hosts if left untreated, according to the Independent. Once widespread across the southern U.S., screwworms were declared eradicated in 1982 after an aggressive multi-decade campaign. But that fight isn’t over.
To keep the pest from returning, the USDA continues to release sterile screwworm flies along the southern border, particularly over Texas. These specially bred male flies are irradiated to render them infertile, then dropped from planes in massive quantities—about 25 million per week. The idea is simple: When sterile males mate with wild females, no offspring are produced, collapsing the population over time.
This technique, known as the sterile insect technique, has been one of the most successful biological control efforts in U.S. history.
It's a quiet operation that few Americans know about, but it plays a critical role in protecting the nation’s multi-billion-dollar livestock industry. A single outbreak could devastate cattle, deer, and other animals, especially in a state like Texas, where ranching is a way of life.
The USDA partners with Mexico to create a buffer zone south of the border, releasing the sterile flies in coordination to stop re-infestation before it crosses into U.S. territory. Without the program, the economic and animal welfare impacts would be catastrophic.
It may sound like science fiction, but dumping millions of lab-raised flies from the sky is a vital part of keeping flesh-eating maggots from returning to Texas pastures, and it’s working.
Related: Surprising Truth About the Scorpions Creeping Into Your Home
Weird Way USDA Combats Flesh-Eating Maggots in Texas first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 6, 2025
