Greg Buenger's Update on Screw Worm Outbreaks

Texas Farm Bureau Director Greg Buenger gives us an update on the screw worm situation. Buenger describes the differences between the circumstances surrounding the screw worm outbreaks in the 1950's and '60's versus the current situation. The border is closed to Mexican beef. There are no plans that it be opened any time soon. Whenever that time may come it will assuredly be with preconditions of quarantine and dipping. At this point sterile flies are being brought up from Panama, and a buffer zone is being created within and along the Texas border. Other facilities for producing sterile flies will be available by the end of the 2026 summer and in 2027. The last reports had screw worms within 100 miles of the border. Those cattle were hauled to those locations from farther down in Mexico. The hot zone for screw worms is the feed lots in the Yucatan area, and the overall plan is to eradicate and drive the screw worms back below Panama. Buenger also explains the use of injectable Ivomec as a treatment.