COMMISSIONER MILLER LAUNCHES NEW TRAPPING PLAN FOR THE NEW WORLD SCREWWORM (9/26/2025)

New World screwworm traps will be deployed at the Texas border and ports to protect the cattle industry

AUSTIN –Today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced that the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has launched a New World Screwworm (NWS) Trapping Plan to boost the state’s defenses against the spread of this harmful livestock pest. The strategy emphasizes early detection and quick response by placing traps in key high-risk zones along the Texas–Mexico border and around major port regions.

“The New World screwworm poses a serious threat to Texas livestock and rural communities,” said Commissioner Miller. “We are taking proactive steps to monitor, detect, and stop this parasite before it harms Texas agriculture. Our farmers, ranchers, and consumers depend on us being ready, and we will be.”

Under the plan, TDA will place traps in the following areas:

1. Texas–Mexico Border: From the Maverick/Webb County line just west of Laredo to Brownsville
2. TDA Export Pens: Brownsville, Del Rio, El Paso, Laredo, and Houston.
3. Port Regions: Surrounding areas in Galveston and Corpus Christi.

Traps, such as Red Delta Traps, Black Delta Traps, and black PVC traps, will be installed in accordance with the NWS Response Fly Surveillance and Site Selection Methods. Each trap will be documented and monitored, including photographic records of its condition.

Traps will be inspected weekly. Any flies collected will be sorted and initially identified by TDA personnel. Suspect samples will be packaged with the appropriate USDA form and sent for confirmation to the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) Parasite Identification Lab.

Reporting and oversight will consist of weekly trapping reports prepared by TDA regional staff members and sent via email to the NWS Task Force. This coordinated approach facilitates the quick exchange of information and enhances response readiness.

“The strength of this plan lies in its focus and precision,” Miller added. “By concentrating our efforts where the risk is greatest, we maximize our chances of early detection and eradication if necessary. Texas will not be caught off guard.