Scientists of ·the.Department of Agriculture (Bushland et al. 1955) recently announced the successful eradication of the screw-worm, Callitroga hominivorax, from the Dutch Island of Curacao. This was accomplished by releasing x-ray steralized males, which competed successfully with normal indigenous males for the females. After such matings the monogamous females deposited only sterile egg masses. Although several releases, Were necessary, eventually no fertile eggs Were detected at any of the.numerous observation points. Subsequent checks failed to reveal any live flies.
Because existing information concerning ecology and reproduction of drills appeared favorable, our group was encouraged to investigate this technique as a possible control method for oyster drills. The present paper is a report; of a· series of experiments which were designed to determine the lethal dose