06/04/2026
A case of New World Screwworm has been confirmed in Texas. If you don’t know what that means, I’ll tell you — it means ranchers, livestock owners, pet owners, and yes, even humans need to be paying attention.
But I want to talk about something bigger for a second.
People outside of agriculture don’t always see what we carry. Right now, cattle prices are the highest they’ve ever been — and that sounds like great news. It is. But it also means we’re trying to rebuild herds at prices we can barely afford. We’re fighting drought. Feed costs are through the roof. And now this.
It’s a lot.
Agriculture is not for the faint of heart. Life out here is fragile, and we are constantly battling something. Weather. Markets. Disease. Drought. Natural disasters. It never really lets up.
So here’s the silver lining I’m holding onto: awareness saves lives — animal and human. The screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. once before. We know how to fight it. But it takes every single one of us knowing what to look for.
What to watch for:
🐂Wounds that aren’t healing — especially on livestock, pets, or even wildlife
🐂Foul-smelling wounds with visible larvae (maggots)
🐂Animals acting off, lethargic, or in distress near a wound site
If you see something, report it immediately to your vet or your state agriculture department. Don’t wait.
To every rancher, farmer, and livestock owner out there — you are not alone in this. Keep going. We’ve weathered hard things before.
🐂 Share this so more people know. Awareness is everything right now.
