Screwworm’s Back at the Gate | Friggin’ Farm & Ranch Report June 4, 2026)

The New World screwworm is not just another fly. It is a livestock parasite that eats living flesh, nearly broke parts of the cattle business before eradication, and is now back in Central America, Mexico, and pushing hard against U.S. cattle country again. In this Friggin’ Farm & Ranch Report, Matt McKinley breaks down what screwworm actually is, why it matters, how bad it got before eradication, how the sterile insect technique changed the game, and what modern ranchers have now that their granddads did not: better wound treatment, systemic products, emergency approvals, surveillance, and a whole lot more science behind the response. We also talk cattle markets, feeder prices, corn relief, diesel, the sale barn picture, and why a Texas-scale screwworm establishment could mean hundreds of millions in producer losses and billions in broader economic damage. This is a bug your granddad hated and your kids have never seen. Let’s keep it that way. Topics covered: New World screwworm biology Why it targets fresh wounds, navels, castration cuts, dehorning stumps, and other injury sites Why newborn calves, lambs, and kids are at highest risk The old benzol-and-pine-tar treatment era How sterile insect technique helped eradicate screwworm from the U.S. Why the Panama sterile-fly barrier matters Modern treatment tools: topical larvicides, systemic products, emergency authorizations, and wound care Why a Texas-scale outbreak would be an economic wreck Cattle markets, feeders, grains, diesel, and sale barn reads Why ranchers should watch the situation without letting fear merchants run the show Full immersive version with transcript, charts, slides, and source appendix is available on Substack: burningdaylight.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices