ABSTRACT
The screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivurax, eradication effort employs the largest insect mass production program in the world. The Mexican eradication program achieved its goal of eliminating screwworm from Mexico west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepee in 1985 and switched from an eradication to barrier maintenance program. The larval stage is the most critical part of the screwworm life cycle for mass production. Gelled diet produces screwworm pupae of equal or better quality than hydroponic diet with less labor and diet. Use of the gelled diet will improve the environment on the larval rearing floor and reduce the amount of time workers must spend on the floor, thus improving the overall working conditions in the mass production facility. Processing the waste diet into livestock feed supplements or soil conditioners will provide a badly needed boost to the local economy and improve the agricultural output of the region.
