Cattle grubs, first-instar larvae of Hypoderma bovis (L.), were removed from nine slaughtered heifers. Two of these heifers had previously been treated with coumaphos, three with Ruelene, and two with trichlorfon. The remaining two heifers were not treated with insecticides and served as sources of control grubs. The grubs, after removal from the hosts and fixation in formalin, were incubated with one of the two cholinesterase substrates, acetylthiocholine iodide or 5-bromoindoxyl acetate. Cholinesterase was completely inhibited in the central nervous systems of the grubs whose hosts were treated with Ruelene. This inhibition was also virtually complete in grubs from heifers treated with trichlorfon and was usually complete in those from the heifers treated with coumaphos. This is presented as histochemical evidence that the three systemic insecticides inhibit the cholinergic enzymes in the grubs, thus causing them to die while still in the body of the host.