USDA Plans New Sterile Fly Facility in Texas to Combat Livestock Threat

The facility in Edinburg will produce millions of sterile male screwworm flies to help eliminate the parasitic pest.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have awarded a contract to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. The facility will produce sterile male screwworm flies that will be released into areas where the parasitic pest could appear, a strategy that has successfully eliminated screwworms in the past.

Why it matters

The New World Screwworm is a serious threat to livestock, wildlife, pets, and even people in rural Texas, as the larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The new sterile fly facility will strengthen domestic protection against screwworms and could eventually produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week.

The details

The sterile fly method involves scientists raising male screwworm flies and sterilizing them using radiation. When released into the wild, those sterile males mate with females, but the eggs they lay will not hatch, causing the population to collapse over time. This technique has been used successfully for decades and is considered one of the most environmentally responsible pest control methods available.

  • Construction on the Texas facility could begin later this spring.
  • The United States officially eliminated screwworms in 1966, but ongoing prevention is necessary to keep the pest from returning.

The players

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The federal agency that has awarded a contract to build the new sterile fly production facility in Texas.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The federal agency that is partnering with the USDA on the construction of the new facility.

Moore Air Base

The location in Edinburg, Texas where the new sterile fly facility will be built.

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What’s next

Federal officials say construction on the Texas facility could begin later this spring.

The takeaway

This new sterile fly facility in Texas is a critical step in the ongoing effort to prevent the return of the New World Screwworm, a parasitic pest that poses a serious threat to livestock, wildlife, pets, and even people in rural parts of the state. The facility's ability to produce millions of sterile flies per week will strengthen domestic protection against this harmful pest.