Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe Listener Questions #17
15 snips
Aug 26, 2025 The hosts tackle listener questions about the invasive screwworm affecting livestock, sharing prevention tips and historical control successes. They ponder the quirky implications of a moonless Earth on evolution and life is without the celestial companion. Insights into synthetic blood reveal its potential and challenges, spiced with humorous culinary aversions. There's also a discussion on the balance between eradicating pests and ecological health, alongside insights into proactive retirement planning and the fascinating effects of hypothetical captured moons.
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Screwworm Life Cycle And Danger
- Screwworm larvae hatch from eggs laid in wounds and burrow into living flesh, consuming it as they grow.
- Females lay hundreds of eggs and can quickly create life-threatening infestations and secondary infections.
How Sterile Males Eradicated Screwworms
- Sterile insect technique used irradiation to sterilize male screwworm flies and then release them to suppress populations.
- By releasing many sterile males, females mate once and produce nonviable eggs, eventually eradicating the flies.
Eradication Success And Ongoing Monitoring
- The sterile-release program eradicated new-world screwworm from the U.S. by 1966 and from Mexico by 1991.
- Continuous monitoring and releases kept the pest confined south of the Panama Canal for decades.
