New World Screwworm Facility Announced As Asian Longhorned Tick Reaches Iowa

2025-06-27

It’s the Ranch It Up Radio Show Herd It Here Weekly Report! A 3-minute look at cattle markets, reports, news info, or anything that has to do with those of us who live at the end of dirt roads. Join Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt, the Boss Lady Rebecca Wanner aka 'BEC' by subscribing on your favorite podcasting app or on the Ranch It Up Radio Show YouTube Channel. Ranch It Up Herd It Here: Episode 87 USDA to Build $8.5 Million Facility Announced to Boost U.S. Pest Control On June 18, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a new sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Airfield Base ...

Ranch It Up Herd It Here: Episode 87 USDA to Build $8.5 Million Facility Announced to Boost U.S. Pest Control

On June 18, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a new sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Airfield Base in South Texas. The $8.5 million investment aims to strengthen the USDA’s ability to detect, control, and eliminate the New World screwworm (NWS).

Border Closures Spark Action

On May 11, the U.S. suspended imports of live cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico after NWS was found 700 miles from the U.S. border. This followed an earlier closure in November 2024, which lasted until February 1, 2025.

Current Fly Production is Not Enough

The U.S. now relies on a joint facility in Panama producing 100 million sterile flies per week. But future eradication may require 400–500 million weekly, driving the need for domestic capacity.

What is the New World Screwworm?

NWS is a parasitic fly that lays eggs in wounds of warm-blooded animals. Larvae feed on live tissue, causing severe harm or death. The pest was eradicated in the U.S. by 1982, but recent cases near the border are raising alarms.

REFERENCES:

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/livestock/article/2025/06/23/usda-invests-8-5-million-texas-fly

https://www.morningagclips.com/new-usda-plan-to-combat-new-world-screwworm-northward-spread/

https://texasfarmbureau.org/usda-to-combat-screwworm-with-texas-sterile-insect-facility/

Asian Longhorned Tick Finds Its Way To Iowa

The Asian Long Horned Tick has been confirmed for the first time in Van Buren County, located in southeast Iowa. The Asian Long Horned Tick carries a protozoan parasite that infects red and white blood cells and causes bovine infectious anemia.

There are no approved treatments in the United States. The best way to protect livestock is through tick control methods and proper biosecurity to prevent blood-borne spread between livestock.

Reference: https://www.cattlebusinessweekly.com/articles/asian-longhorned-tick-finds-its-way-to-iowa/

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