The sterile insect technique is a no-chemical, environmentally-friendly pest control method that has been around for over 70 years (developed during WWII). It is a way to suppress or eliminate pest insects without relying completely on chemical sprays. SIT practitioners use radiation to sterilize male insects and then release them in large quantities over a defined area to mate with wild females. The (mated) wild females subsequently lay eggs which don’t hatch, leading to a decline in the target population. SIT can function on its own as a pest control method, or be used in conjunction with existing control methods. Traditional SIT programs have utilized gamma radiation as their radiation source during the sterilization process, but working with nuclear isotopes can be a dangerous, expensive, and complicated process. Due to the high costs and dangers of working with gamma systems, the SIT method has only been an option for facilities with high resources. However recent studies have shown that x-rays are a suitable replacement for gamma systems, making the sterilization process easier and safer to conduct, and less expensive to procure. Due to the recent advances in x-ray technology, the SIT method is now available to a larger audience of pest control professionals and will be critical in the fight to prevent insecticide resistance of invasive pests.
