Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller is continuing the fight to keep New World Screwworm out of the United States. He recently announced new steps he is taking in the Lone Star State.
His department will be using a synthetic bait called “Swormlure Five,” which is engineered to smell like an open wound, attracting Screwworm flies to the bait. Once they reach the trap, they die.
Miller says prior tests using the new bait took out 90 percent of the flies within two to four weeks. He says the remaining flies are wiped out using sterile male flies in the same area.
The project with this new bait is an effort alongside USDA. They are also working with the Mexican government to do their part. Miller says, “We’ve beaten this before, and we’ll do it again,” which is in reference to when the pest was found in U.S. herds in the 1970s. He adds it will take all hands on deck this time around to keep it outside U.S. borders.
Marilyn Schlake with the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics joined us for a closer look at the evolving role of livestock sale barns.
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Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
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Wayne Cockrell with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association joined us to discuss preparedness, producer awareness, and the industry’s response to New World screwworm concerns.
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Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller joined us to discuss data center expansion, farmland preservation, rural economic impacts, and imminent cattle biosecurity concerns affecting agriculture today.
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January 16, 2026 09:57 AM
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Dr. Rosslyn Biggs with the Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine shares insight into biosecurity, preparedness, and animal health concerns facing livestock producers as New World screwworm outbreaks continue in Mexico.
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New World Screwworm cases in Mexico, including one within 200 miles of the U.S. border, are adding pressure to livestock markets and trade decisions.
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As markets anticipate a return to normal trading following the New Year’s holiday, the possibility of the southern border re-opening to cattle is capturing much attention.
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