Screwworm Flies Add to Cattle Ranchers’ Woes

Article excerpt

Cattle ranchers across Texas and beyond face a perfect storm of threats this summer. Screwworm flies, parasitic insects that burrow into living flesh, are creeping northward from Mexico, reviving fears of infestations that devastated herds decades ago. Simultaneously, a severe drought has left pastures bare, forcing ranchers to sell animals to market months earlier than planned. One Texas rancher described the screwworm prospect as "the nightmares and the horrors," while others grapple with the dual squeeze of biological and environmental crises that threaten their livelihoods and food costs.