USDA Extends Sterile Fly Zone into Texas

As New World screw or moves alarmingly closer to the US border, new strategies are being rolled out to combat the threat R-CALF, United Stock Growers of America, CEO, Bill Bullard, weighs in on the latest developments

“More protection for the United States. And previously, the strategy was to release sterile, male screw worm flies in the midsection of Mexico to prevent the fly from moving northward. But most recently, what USDA did was shift the dispersion area even into the United States, 50 miles into Texas, not only to continue preventing the fly from moving northward within Mexico, but in the event that it were to cross the US border, any female flies would would only have access to sterile male flies, and no eggs would be fertile.”

These sterile flies have been dyed to glow in the dark.

“So, they've actually died the sterile male flies so that they could be identified in the US, in case some of these flies end up entrapped. But what they did was they did put some glowing light, lighted fluorescent dye within those flies so they can be readily recognized.”

Once again, R-CALF USA, CEO, Bill Bullard. With today's Line on Agriculture report, I'm Lorrie Boyer for the Ag Information Network.