Texas A&M to Host Live Screwworm Prevention Demo at O.D. Butler Field Day
As New World screwworm continues its alarming advance toward the Texas border, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is taking proactive steps to prepare livestock producers. The upcoming O.D. Butler Field Day on May 15 will feature a live cattle-handling demonstration focused specifically on screwworm prevention and detection.
The event, hosted at the Thomas Ranch in Anderson, comes at a critical moment. Recent reports confirmed screwworm detection just 60 miles from the Texas-Mexico border, prompting Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to declare an emergency and Florida to impose restrictions on livestock imports from high-risk Texas counties.
Karl Harborth, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension livestock specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science, will lead the working cattle demonstration. The session will provide Brazos Valley area producers with practical, hands-on training in identifying screwworm infestations and implementing preventive measures.
"This is about preparedness," Harborth noted in the event announcement. "Producers need to know what to look for and how to respond before screwworm becomes an active threat in Texas."
The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. The resulting larvae feed on living tissue, creating painful, potentially fatal infestations. Once established, the pest can cause millions of dollars in livestock losses and requires massive eradication efforts.
The O.D. Butler Field Day offers more than screwworm training. Attendees can also participate in sessions on coated fertilizer trials, forage pest identification, and laws and regulations updates. David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist and associate department head, will present on pasture mealybug and other forage pest identification.
For pest control professionals and agricultural applicators, the event provides three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units: one in laws and regulations and two general credits. Registration is $39.19 including credit card fees and lunch, with preregistration required by May 13.
The field day reflects broader USDA efforts to prevent screwworm establishment in the United States. Those efforts include construction of a $750 million sterile fly facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, and enhanced surveillance along the border region.
For livestock producers across Texas, the Anderson field day represents an opportunity to gain critical knowledge before the summer months, when warmer temperatures could accelerate screwworm activity. With the pest now closer than ever to Texas, education and early detection remain the most effective defenses.
Registration is available online through Eventbrite. Contact the Grimes County AgriLife Extension office at 936-873-3907 for additional information.
Sources
Texas Bug Slayers Editorial Team
Editorial Board
The Texas Bug Slayers editorial team brings together licensed pest control professionals, entomologists, and writers dedicated to helping Texans protect their homes and families from pests.
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