• International Services
 /  
• Sterile Fly Release Programs

Sterile Fly Release Programs

APHIS International Services (IS) helps fulfill APHIS' mission to prevent the spread of pests harmful to U.S. agriculture. IS focuses on the New World screwworm fly, (Cochliomyia hominivorax), which can injure and kill humans, pets, and livestock; and the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens), which interfere with and harm fruit and agriculture production. IS co-sponsors foreign pest reduction programs using sterile fly release facilities in Mexico, Panama, and Guatemala to lower the risks of flies entering the United States. These programs have successfully reduced the populations of all three pests, stabilizing agricultural trade and lowering their threat to the United States.