06/11/2026
There seems to be quite a bit of misinformation about the current situation with what is happening with screw worms being detected in South Texas. Some are trying to make this political, it is not. The USDA is working diligently as they have already released over 250 million sterile flies to combat this problem. Our great veterinarians are helping ranchers prepare and protect our herds.
Our plan of action is to vaccinate our cows, calves, bulls and yearlings with approved vaccines that protect them from infection, making sure they have no open cuts or scrapes, putting tags in their ears that keep flies off them and daily inspections. We are also actively controlling the feral hog population around our properties as they can carry larvae & spread screwworms.
Our steers that are in our beef program are in the panhandle of Texas currently far from this problem.
Please read the following information for a better understanding of the realities of screw worms.
Screwworm flies (New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax) are native to the Americas, including Mexico and Central America, where they were historically endemic and caused significant livestock and wildlife losses for centuries (or longer) before formal eradication programs. 
They were well-known and problematic in these regions long before 20th-century scientific documentation or large-scale control efforts. Populations in Mexico and Central America served as sources for seasonal northward migrations into the southern U.S. before eradication. 
Key Historical Timeline (Pre-Eradication Presence and Eradication Efforts)
• Pre-1950s/1960s: Endemic/native across much of Mexico, Central America, and parts of the southern U.S. No specific “first detection” date exists, as they were a longstanding pest. 
• U.S. eradication: Completed in the U.S. by 1966 (Florida in the late 1950s, Southwest by 1966), but flies continued overwintering in Mexico/Central America. 
• Mexico: Binational U.S.-Mexico eradication program began in 1972. Mexico was declared free in 1991 (last major outbreak in 1993). 
• Central America: Programs expanded southward starting in the late 1980s (e.g., Guatemala/Belize ~1987–1994, progressing through other countries into the 1990s–2000s). The region was largely declared free by the early 2000s, with a sterile fly barrier established at the Darién Gap in Panama (declared free ~2006). 
Recent Re-Emergence (Post-Eradication Detections)
• 2023: Outbreak began in Panama and Costa Rica, spreading northward through Central America. 
• 2024: Reached Mexico (e.g., confirmed cases in Chiapas and Campeche in November–December 2024). 
• 2025–2026: Continued spread in Mexico, with isolated detections advancing northward; cases also reported in humans and animals. 
In summary, they were long-established (native/endemic) in these areas rather than “detected” at a specific modern point. Eradication efforts temporarily removed them in the late 20th/early 21st century, but they re-emerged starting in 2023. For the latest official updates, check USDA APHIS or COPEG resources.
