What exactly is the Sterile Insect Technique (‘SIT’)?
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an environment-friendly, species-specific method of insect control, which has been described as ‘birth control for insects’. SIT works by releasing sterile insects of a target species. The sterile males compete with the wild males for female insects. If a female mates with a sterile male then it will have no offspring, thus reducing the next generation’s population. Repeated release of insects can eventually reduce the insect population to very low levels and hence reduce the damage or spread of disease. SIT has been used very successfully in agriculture for over 50 years but is currently restricted by the need to irradiate the insects to sterilize them. For some species, for example mosquitoes, the dose required to sterilize the males also damages their fitness to the extent that SIT cannot be used.
