26 May 2015, Taroudant, Morocco - Closeup of hatched larvae at Domaine Elboura's insectarium. The sterile insect technique, or SIT, is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of pest control that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize male fruit flies that are mass-produced in special rearing facilities. The sterile males are systematically released mainly by air into fly-infested areas, where they mate with wild females that consequently do not produce offspring. As a result, if systematically applied over larger areas, this technique can effectively and sustainably suppress pest populations.