BEEVILLE, Texas (RFD News) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is receiving reports of pasture mealybugs as the invasive insect raises concerns about damage to pastures and hay production.
Danielle Sekula, an Extension program specialist with the Texas A&M University Department of Entomology, said the pest was confirmed in Texas in fall 2025, though researchers believe it has been present since 2022.
“They’re a soft body insect that likes to feed on lots of different grasses here in Texas. It’s a new pest, the pasture mealy bug for Texas. It was confirmed back in the fall of 2025, but we believe it’s been here since 2022. When you have that high humidity in those certain conditions, high humidity, high temperatures and moisture, we had some rain from previous months, that creates an environment for them to reproduce very quickly.”
Sekula said infestations can wipe out entire pastures, including grasses used to produce hay for cattle and horses.
“It’s a very severe pest. Like I said, they will take out whole pastures of different grasses. Popular ones are coastal Bermuda and I think Tifton 85 or something like that. That’s your hay production for your cattle, for your horses and things of those animals. If you don’t have hay, how are you supposed to feed them?”
The pest has also caught the attention of Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who said reports are coming from more counties across the state.
“This one is the pasture mealybug, which affects our hay meadows, mainly Bermuda grass, Baja, sorghum. Louisiana’s even got it in their sugar cane down there. We have a lot of counties, 254 counties, and it’s already in 95 of them, mainly in South, Central, and East Texas. It’s moving rapidly. We add four or five counties every week, it seems like.”
Miller recommends monitoring fields closely, keeping grass cut low and waiting several days before moving freshly baled hay to another field.
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz of Texas said she has heard concerns from South Texas farmers and that lawmakers are looking for solutions.
“They see patches of grass that seem dead or harvests that seem dead, but it’s actually the mealybug that is affecting their crops and unknowingly, they are transporting it with their machines from one piece of land to another without even knowing that they’re spreading it. So this is a big concern. I also spoke with Secretary Rollins concerning the mealybug. It is on her radar and we’re working together to find solutions.”
Sekula said producers also have insecticide options, including Centric, which received an emergency use label in August. Heavy cattle grazing can also help control populations.
Producers who see pasture mealybugs can report infestations to state agriculture departments or APHIS.
