1w ago

US to dump billions of flies over Mexico in $30m fight against flesh-eating maggots

www.lbc.co.uk

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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2w ago

US to dump billions of flies over Mexico in $30m fight against flesh-eating maggots

www.lbc.co.uk /world-news/us-dump-billions-flies-mexico-30m-fight-against-flesh-eating-maggots/

79 comments

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
- 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.
  
  Worth noting that people still have no idea how much damage Trump and Republicans did the first go around.
- 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?
  
  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.
- That dog pic is actually a little tame. I've seen some nightmare inducing pics of screwworm infections.
- "MAGAts for maggots"
- 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
- It happened while Biden was president, though. Like 2022|23.
  
  I need to know who to blame, can I get a source?
Mexico is not "South American." Most of it isn't even "Central American." The person who wrote this needs some geography lessons.
- Update that no one will likely see but I said I messaged them so I figured I'd say the result. They updated the article to replace all instances of South America with North America.
  (Message was sent via the authors personal website, as I dont use X) https://www.danielledewolfe.com/
  
  Good for them.
- This article also makes this sound like a brand new endeavor, as if this hasn't been an ongoing project for 70 years now
  
  Well, where they're dropping them is recent, as the screwworm has been steadily moving north again.
  
  When you are not up to date on the topic, it sounds like a far-fetched dystopian alternate timeline.
  
  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.
- I sent them a message to see if they'd update it. Just out of curiosity.
- Europe's understanding of the geography outside its tiny landmass is utterly laughable.
  
  "Tiny landmass"? Tell me you have no idea of geography without telling me you have no idea of geography.
  
  what make you think I have good understanding of Europe and geography?
I'm surprised they're still doing it. I would have assumed the administration threw a fit about having Mexico pay for it instead.
- They are going to put a tariff on flesh eating flies imported from Mexico instead
Mexico
South American nation
Wat
- Don't you know, only USA is true north America. Canada is their "younger brother" 🤣
  
  America is Canada's gut.
  
  Believe it or not Canada is also South American. It's next to the country of Mattel. /s
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
- 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.
  
  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.
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
- Hey that's how I know about screw worms too
- The worm in Kennedy's brain will axe it for sure
Kurzgesagt did a show on this last month.
- I was gonna share that here if no one haven't
Screwworms are currently in negotiations with the Trump administration.
- Of course they are. They have connections through RFK Jr's brain worm.
  
  New meaning to the term "insider".
- “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”
Anyone wanna take bets on Trump cancelling the program to "save the budget"?
- 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.
Don't look up screw worms.
Relevant Kurzgesagt video
Get rid of the MAGAts in America first.
- Well if we don't deal with screw worms... they'll deal with us lol
Life, uh, finds a way.
Never seen mexico referred as south america before

79 comments