Aerial view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) New World Screwworm (NWS) Dispersal Facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, on July 2, 2026.
In the open-air shelters, crews clean and dry of the emergence screens and sterile pupae coolers that are used to transport them from the production facility., while others heat and mixing a solution of water and nutrients in commercial kettles. The mixture is then pumped into trays and air cooled before going into a cold room to firm up into a translucent gel. Their dispersal rate will increase from approximately 60 million to a total of 80 million flies next week. New towers of racks have just arrived and are seen outside the facility.
The sterile fly program, built on decades of multinational cooperation, uses continuous aerial release to halt the spread of New World Screwworm by overwhelming wild populations with sterile males. With multi agency coordination—from CBP inspections to USDA documentation, facility processing, Texas National Guard training, and specialized aviation support—the operation demonstrates an intensive, international effort to protect livestock, wildlife, and communities across the region.
Videos are available at
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/NewWorldScrewworm
Photos are available in the USDA APHIS Collection https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/collections/72157625204032244/
Courtesy Media.
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2026 14:15 |
| Photo ID: | 9869841 |
| VIRIN: | 260702-P-D0001-9137 |
| Resolution: | 8192x6144 |
| Size: | 13.13 MB |
| Location: | EDINBURG, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 2 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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