Scre\v«\jini laivae growing on meat-blood-waler mix- 

 ture in electrically heated vats. 



The .SeioriiiK ll\-reiiriiiK facility was com- 

 pleted on July 10, 1958. Within a short time, 

 50 to 70 million tlies per week were beinjr pro- 

 duced and dispersed. 



Larvae were reared on a mixture of ground 

 meat, blood, and water in shallow, heated vats 

 maintained at a constant temperature of 98" F. 



Approximately 80,000 pounds of meat, 4,500 

 uallons of blood, and 9, GOO gallons of water 

 were needed to rear 50 million larvae. Mature 

 larvae crawled from the vats and dropped into 

 trays of sand where they pupated. Pupae were 

 separated from sand and stored under optimum 



One of si.x cobalt-OO units lor sterilizing jnipae of 

 screwworm.s. 



temperature and humidity conditions. At 5'/2 

 days ±6 hours of age, pupae were sterilized 

 by being placed in a cobalt-60 unit where they 

 were irradiated with 8,000 roentgens of gamma 

 rays. After irradiation, pupae were packaged 

 in cardboard cartons. The cartons were first 

 stored for a day or two until the flies emerged 

 and then were transported to dispersal centers 

 and loaded in aircraft, from which they were 

 dr()i)ped over the screwworm-infested areas. 

 Twenty airplanes, each equipped with an auto- 

 matic carton-dispersing apparatus, were used 

 in this oi)eration. 



N H0216 



Pupae being separated from larvae by sifting. 



Pui)ae are automatically measured into cardboard 

 cai'tons. 



17 



