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accrualyesterday at 7:03 PM3 repliesview on HN

This topic always leads me back to reading about the Darién Gap [0]. When eradication was working successfully, they had managed to push the screwworm population all the way back to the Gap and keep it out of major population/agriculture areas. There were (or are) yearly efforts to perform the sterile insect technique [1]. Expensive to perform, but worth it for all the damage they'd otherwise cause if left unchecked.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_Gap

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique


Replies

beached_whaleyesterday at 7:09 PM

Not expensive at all. 10s of millions of dollars a year is my understanding.

show 1 reply
chasilyesterday at 9:57 PM

I had confused botflies for screw worms, but they are different.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botfly

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochliomyia