US is now scrambling to use aerial bombs of sterilized flies to halt the spread.
  • ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world
    87·
    13 days ago

    tl;Dr

    screwworms are a species of fly that lays eggs in open wounds or orifices, after which the larvae will feed on the hatching site, typically causing more screwworms to lay eggs. they were mostly eradicated via releasing millions of irradiated, sterile males into their population, a thing we still do every month, but for whatever reason, they broke through the biological barrier keeping them back and have made it all the way to Mexico.

    the infection of eggs and larvae is incredibly painful and horrifying, and while humans are much less likely to be affected, the agriculture sector will take an enormous hit to their livestocks if it keeps spreading.

  • JayleneSlide@lemmy.world
    421·
    13 days ago

    Holy. Fuck. I grew up on a farm. I’ve seen some shit; that just comes with the territory when livestock, heavy equipment, and farm implements are involved. Fly strike alone will have you napalming flying insects.

    That video of the myiasis infection in the dude’s nose… <shiver>. Clive Barker wishes he could make horror like that.

    Edit: I’m an idiot. Myiasis == fly strike. The species of fly is the variable.

    • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
      14·
      13 days ago

      +1 for Clive barker reference.

      The man is a master of creating disturbing and viscerally disgusting images with words. (He’s my fav author)

      To say it’s something even beyond him… I can’t begin to imagine how horrific it could be.

  • notabot@lemm.ee
    351·
    13 days ago

    I’m sorry, but this really is a ‘nuke the entire site from orbit’ situation. The loss of the southern US and Central America will, of course, be mourned as a terrible loss, but it’ll be worth it to make sure those things are dealt with. Permanently.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
    261·
    13 days ago

    Probably another area where the government will save money to finance more millionaires tax breaks.

  • hansolo@lemm.eeEnglish
    25·
    13 days ago

    Look, all you need to do is fill the hole where they burrow into you with Vaseline and cover it with duct tape for a couple days. Except for your pets, of course. For them you have to squeeze it like a zit and when you can see the face, grab it with a pair of pliers and slowly…gently…extract it.

    Or, maybe, like, have a functioning government.

      • hansolo@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        12 days ago

        I am apparently. I’m more familiar with them, had a dog with what I assumed was screwworm when I was a kid, but maybe it was botfly as well. I didn’t actually know there was endemic botfly in the Western hemisphere.

        • teamevil@lemmy.world
          1·
          12 days ago

          So it’s mostly in South America and Central America I think…in the long long ago a website Rotten.com had surgical pictures of a Bot Fly larvae being removed…(Gross in its own right) From a toddlers eye ball.

          I mean I am glad that kid who would be at least 35 now had removed and all, but HOW THE FUCK DID IT GET IN THERE‽

    • 0^2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      7·
      12 days ago

      I read it in full and watched the whole linked video. I do not recommend for the queezy, i was fascinated by it tho.

  • thingAmaBob@lemmy.world
    15·
    13 days ago

    This makes me glad that I immediately hunt down any fly I find in my home until it is dead. I had a sudden fly infestation years ago and have never been lazy about even just one fly in my home since.

    • GoodLuckToFriends@lemmy.todayEnglish
      5·
      12 days ago

      It is the reason I have one of those electric swatters. The fuckers get near my sink, I just start lazily waving the swatter over the area and get them all.

      • paperazzi@lemmy.world
        6·
        12 days ago

        Since you’re doing this in your kitchen, it may behoove you to know that the zippers actually explode the flies into bits, which will then obviously be dispersed all over your kitchen counters, dishes, food, etc. Just a thought.

        • GoodLuckToFriends@lemmy.todayEnglish
          1·
          12 days ago

          Yum, I guess. My sink is pretty far from food prep, and my body is in the way, so hopefully my insect intake is only going to be coming from poorly regulated peanut butter factories.