flies

Other familiar model organisms include mice, fruit flies and baker's yeast.

They say this flies in the face of cultivating an organic and friendly atmosphere, which the company said was their latest goal with the launch of the “Green Apron Service” training models in July.

The scientists noted that flies can be attracted to animals due to factors like their smell, shape, movement, colour - as well as how they polarise light, which black and white stripes do.

The agency also said it would build a sterile-fly production facility at Edinburg, Texas, which is close to the Mexico border, and would be able to produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week.

“It’s quality at-bats, quality outs, moving guys over, getting sac flies, bringing defenses in if you move them over,” Freeman said.