Is USDA providing you Ivermectin tubs for voluntarily letting them scratch?
Screwworm is here...
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Last: 27 min ago by BlueSmoke
Centerpole90 said:
Is USDA providing you Ivermectin tubs for voluntarily letting them scratch?
Tubs are inconsistent. I inject Dectomax. Zero issues. Sure I allow them to scratch. But guv jobs are dependent on successful guv programs. I've not had a tick since I volunteered to get on program. It also keeps my herd safe from flies.
Now I do purchase Dectomax on my own and inject on same timetable when the cattle are not in the tick quarantine pasture.
Is it a bad thing that they scratch at will? I also allow tick riders on the place as well as Border Patrol, Game Wardens, DPS. I get Corp of engineers coming thru to clean up our road between 83 and their river road. Fair trade to me to have LEO come thru and maybe reduce the flow of exchange students and amateur pharmacist through my place.
ttha_aggie_09 said:
I'm hoping Uvalde but am not sure.
If they were found on LaPryor you can pretty well guarantee Uvalde is getting boxes dropped
Being in TexAgs jail changes a man……..no, not really
Infected calf in Zavala County.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/06/us-confirms-second-texas-screwworm-case.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/06/us-confirms-second-texas-screwworm-case.html
Curious why y'all are not using the pour-on Exzolt instead of the injectable?
Interesting that the 12 week dog treatment Bravecto has the same active ingredient, Fluralaner, as those approved for cattle. As there is a 12 week dosage like I give my 115 pound dog, I don't see why we can't figure out a deer dosage. Dart gun application maybe?
Interesting that the 12 week dog treatment Bravecto has the same active ingredient, Fluralaner, as those approved for cattle. As there is a 12 week dosage like I give my 115 pound dog, I don't see why we can't figure out a deer dosage. Dart gun application maybe?
I know that Dectomax injectable works, and if it ain't broke. Pour on not much faster. I'm sure you could dart inject a wormer, I've darted antibiotics. It's a long process. One dart typically scatters deer like a rifle report does.
Are the tick guys setting out corn feeders with Ivermectin (I think they're using ivermectin). They have been filling those on our lease for several years (outside of deer season).
And before they can clot that dart hole a screwworm fly comes in and lays down a thousand eggs on that spot. Brilliant
Joking aside, I don't think the measures they're taking right now are going to stop the spread. Maybe slow it down a little bit. The math doesn't math on the strategy stopping it here.
Joking aside, I don't think the measures they're taking right now are going to stop the spread. Maybe slow it down a little bit. The math doesn't math on the strategy stopping it here.
Yea they have two feeders for free choice corn down by river. I'm going to expand one pen and put in cottonseed as well but their pens are only about 15' diameter. Can't help but wonder how many deer won't enter that small exclosure.
flashplayer said:
And before they can clot that dart hole a screwworm fly comes in and lays down a thousand eggs on that spot. Brilliant
Well I'd imagine that would be like one of us taking a long drink of Drano. May seem like a good idea at first.
My dad was a tick inspector for a couple years when he was in his early twenties. We've been dealing with them as long as I can remember. He ran cattle on the river in Webb county from the 60's through the 90's.
Yep. Me too on using the Pneu Dart gun. After a couple of shot might as well forget it. No way in heck you can dart enough deer to make a difference. Maybe everyone put out medicated feed instead of feeding corn during the heat….which is detrimental to whitetails anyway.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
hillcountryag86 said:spieg12 said:
I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I hope it knocks back the deer population. Damn overgrown rodents are just pests and cause so much damage to crops. Hopefully people can keep it out of their cattle.
What a terrible statement. I hope you were completely ignorant when you wrote this trash.
Billions of dollars could be lost. People's livelihoods can be wiped out. People can go broke. Ranches and farms lost.
You have no idea how ignorant your statement is.
Not to mention the horrific manner in which the animals affected by this die. It's like wishing human population decline by hoping cancer spreads like crazy because you are mad at the crowds at Yosemite.
Also, who the hell are the 7 up voters to this statement?!
Obviously, these reports will continue to mount up until they aren't of note; but this one is interesting.
There is a calf in La Salle county reported this morning which isn't a big surprise, but a pooch in Andrews County, that was recently traveling in Mexico, has been reported as a confirmed case. The latter is going to get someone's a** chewed at an inspection station.
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/columns/washington-insider/article/2026/06/08/2-nws-cases-confirmed-including-dog
There is a calf in La Salle county reported this morning which isn't a big surprise, but a pooch in Andrews County, that was recently traveling in Mexico, has been reported as a confirmed case. The latter is going to get someone's a** chewed at an inspection station.
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/columns/washington-insider/article/2026/06/08/2-nws-cases-confirmed-including-dog
Quote:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed Monday that a calf had been infected in La Salle County, Texas, which is in the adjacent county to where last week's cases were reported.
APHIS also reported a dog was infected in Andrews County, which is in the Texas Panhandle.
"A veterinarian in Andrews County submitted the samples from the infested dog. Details on this case will be shared as they are available, but early reports indicate the dog was recently in Mexico," APHIS stated in a news release.
The case of a dog traveling from Texas to Mexico and back will raise more questions about USDA's surveillance of the screwworm and protocols for animals crossing the borders between the countries.
Last week, USDA confirmed two cases of calves in Zavala County, both calves and both roughly 6 miles apart and about 60 miles from the Mexico border.
DannyDuberstein said:
If you think your job sucks, just think about the person who has to use a tiny little hand to confirm the flies are sterile
Reminds me of the story of the Aggie who won a scientific award for removing the terrible smell from moth balls. When they asked him what was the hardest part, he said it was prying their tiny little legs apart.
Deerdude said:Jason_Roofer said:
So, these areas where they are found are quarantined, and while this will be bad for the Texas beef side, it looks like these will be tough to spread too far north. Here in the hill country and gulf coast, the ground doesn't get cold enough to kill them, but that's not the case further north. It's still a ton of area of cover, but it seems they can get this controlled if they can get the sterile flies going ASAP.
What worries me is that cattle in our area are loaded to the gills with *****ly pear and mesquite in the pastures. So these animals ALWAYS have lesions and open wounds all the time. If this is the case, it seems nearly impossible to control. I know for us, being able to effectively treat all of our animals weekly would be quite difficult if not impossible. If this becomes a thing, I'd probably be reducing my heard by a LOT in order to make it manageable for two people. We are a two person show.
If you have a chute it's not difficult. We are a two man show and monthly run them thru and inject. My cattle respond well to a feed bucket and come to a horn honk.
That's great if you have 50 head in a section pasture. Not so good with 1000 in a few thousand acres.
I don't know anybody running several thousand head by themselves or with one partner.
Heck, my tightwad cousin is running 400 pairs and has a dozen hands helping.
Heck, my tightwad cousin is running 400 pairs and has a dozen hands helping.
Andrews and La Salle confirmed cases now as well.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-two-additional-cases-new-world-screwworm-united-states
Calf raises n La Salle and a DOG in Andrews. Seriously what kind of person neglects a dog long enough for this to happen!? Confirmed nonetheless.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-two-additional-cases-new-world-screwworm-united-states
Calf raises n La Salle and a DOG in Andrews. Seriously what kind of person neglects a dog long enough for this to happen!? Confirmed nonetheless.
Jason_Roofer said:
Andrews and La Salle confirmed cases now as well.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-two-additional-cases-new-world-screwworm-united-states
Calf raises n La Salle and a DOG in Andrews. Seriously what kind of person neglects a dog long enough for this to happen!? Confirmed nonetheless.
It doesn't take long for a fly to lay eggs in a scratch.
Basic monthly wormer most likely would prevent that. If not we all in trouble
Gunny456 said:
Yep. Me too on using the Pneu Dart gun. After a couple of shot might as well forget it. No way in heck you can dart enough deer to make a difference. Maybe everyone put out medicated feed instead of feeding corn during the heat….which is detrimental to whitetails anyway.
So is there medicated feed already out that can be fed?
Deerdude said:
Basic monthly wormer most likely would prevent that. If not we all in trouble
I think you are way overvaluing the efficacy of regular wormers against the fly.
TAHC is putting free choice Ivermectin corn out along tick quarantine zone by Rio Grande River. Seems ranchers could get hold of that. But like any feeding, it's not consistent. Some deer are feeder pigs and some rarely hit a feeder. I don't eat any venison on my Encinal place. Lyssy and Echol was putting something in their ration and it was put out. No telling how much some deer may intake, I ain't eating that stuff. .
Deerdude said:
TAHC is putting free choice Ivermectin corn out along tick quarantine zone by Rio Grande River. Seems ranchers could get hold of that. But like any feeding, it's not consistent. Some deer are feeder pigs and some rarely hit a feeder. I don't eat any venison on my Encinal place. Lyssy and Echol was putting something in their ration and it was put out. No telling how much some deer may intake, I ain't eating that stuff. .
We get regular doses of ivermectin when pouring it in our cattle. So far so good. No colds. No Covid. No personal screwworms to date.
"There is one major problem. At this time, a dry Ivermectin premix is not available to feed manufacturers in the United States. The USDA has access to a dry premix for their fever tick control program, but this premix is not available to feed manufacturers. We need prompt FDA and USDA authorization todrred4 said:Gunny456 said:
Yep. Me too on using the Pneu Dart gun. After a couple of shot might as well forget it. No way in heck you can dart enough deer to make a difference. Maybe everyone put out medicated feed instead of feeding corn during the heat….which is detrimental to whitetails anyway.
So is there medicated feed already out that can be fed?
use the dry Ivermectin premix to take a critical step forward in protecting our livestock and wildlife"
Deerdude said:
I don't know anybody running several thousand head by themselves or with one partner.
Heck, my tightwad cousin is running 400 pairs and has a dozen hands helping.
Big ranches out here do have multiple hands, but not enough to gather really big pastures without hiring day help. Doing it monthly would be expensive, the alternative of checking those pastures multiple times a week is also daunting. That's just one of the reasons we need to nip this thing in the bud quickly
USDA also says a goat in Gillespie Co (Fredericksburg) per Texas Tribune.
TAMU regent Bellinger to be the new senior adviser for New World screwworm preparedness.
Tribune article
TAMU regent Bellinger to be the new senior adviser for New World screwworm preparedness.
Tribune article
UPDATE: New World Screwworm is no longer contained to Texas.
— Jonathan Richie (@JRichieTX) June 8, 2026
USDA says that the infested dog announced earlier today lives in Lea County, New Mexico and will be reclassified as the first detection in that state.
And now a goat in Gillespie County, TX, has also been confirmed. pic.twitter.com/KkEYGPTTZZ
kosmostx said:
USDA also says a goat in Gillespie Co (Fredericksburg) per Texas Tribune.
TAMU regent Bellinger to be the new senior adviser for New World screwworm preparedness.
Tribune article
This writer is lost. Lasalle county is East of Zavala county
Wouldn't cydectin (moxidectin) be a better choice than ivermectin for deer? Longer effect, less restriction on consumption before slaughter.
Some encouraging results out of connecticut
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370923697_Experimental_oral_delivery_of_the_systemic_acaricide_moxidectin_to_free-ranging_white-tailed_deer_Artiodactyla_Cervidae_parasitized_by_Amblyomma_americanum_Ixodida_Ixodidae
Recipe they used is bottom of page 3 and 4 (not that I would ever need that), pictures on page 7 tell the story better than the text does imo.
Some encouraging results out of connecticut
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370923697_Experimental_oral_delivery_of_the_systemic_acaricide_moxidectin_to_free-ranging_white-tailed_deer_Artiodactyla_Cervidae_parasitized_by_Amblyomma_americanum_Ixodida_Ixodidae
Recipe they used is bottom of page 3 and 4 (not that I would ever need that), pictures on page 7 tell the story better than the text does imo.
Anybody with historical experience with NWS want to weigh in on whether I should be worried about this white tail in far western Comal County? I haven't gone back to count, but I am pretty sure this deer has had this black spot on it for at least a couple of weeks now. I had assumed it was from rubbing a fence or maybe fighting with another deer, but the NWS positive in a Gillespie County goat has me worried. We have ~20 goats on the property in addition to the WT and Axis deer.
txags92 said:
Anybody with historical experience with NWS want to weigh in on whether I should be worried about this white tail in far western Comal County? I haven't gone back to count, but I am pretty sure this deer has had this black spot on it for at least a couple of weeks now. I had assume it was from rubbing a fence or maybe fighting with another deer, but the NWS positive in a Gillespie County goat has me worried. We have ~20 goats on the property in addition to the WT and Axis deer.
If it's not getting bigger or deeper it's PROBABLY not NWS infested, but is a prime spot to get infested if it is raw or bleeding. I bears closer inspection.
FishrCoAg said:txags92 said:
Anybody with historical experience with NWS want to weigh in on whether I should be worried about this white tail in far western Comal County? I haven't gone back to count, but I am pretty sure this deer has had this black spot on it for at least a couple of weeks now. I had assume it was from rubbing a fence or maybe fighting with another deer, but the NWS positive in a Gillespie County goat has me worried. We have ~20 goats on the property in addition to the WT and Axis deer.
If it's not getting bigger or deeper it's PROBABLY not NWS infested, but is a prime spot to get infested if it is raw or bleeding. I bears closer inspection.
Thanks. I would say if anything it has gotten better recently. The deer looked to be in very poor shape when I first noticed it and I was wondering if it had been shot and didn't die from it. Its body condition is still pretty skinny, but it doesn't look as bad as it did previously. There have been some does fussing at each other all spring and I think this may be one of them. I am hoping it is just a hoof wound that is almost done healing, but I will feel better when I see that scab go away and leave some clean skin behind.
FishrCoAg said:txags92 said:
Anybody with historical experience with NWS want to weigh in on whether I should be worried about this white tail in far western Comal County? I haven't gone back to count, but I am pretty sure this deer has had this black spot on it for at least a couple of weeks now. I had assume it was from rubbing a fence or maybe fighting with another deer, but the NWS positive in a Gillespie County goat has me worried. We have ~20 goats on the property in addition to the WT and Axis deer.
If it's not getting bigger or deeper it's PROBABLY not NWS infested, but is a prime spot to get infested if it is raw or bleeding. I bears closer inspection.
I've probably posted this before, but my dad talks about deer walking out into tanks in an attempt to drown the larva. He says that there we be dead deer and nearly every water hole.
96ags said:FishrCoAg said:txags92 said:
Anybody with historical experience with NWS want to weigh in on whether I should be worried about this white tail in far western Comal County? I haven't gone back to count, but I am pretty sure this deer has had this black spot on it for at least a couple of weeks now. I had assume it was from rubbing a fence or maybe fighting with another deer, but the NWS positive in a Gillespie County goat has me worried. We have ~20 goats on the property in addition to the WT and Axis deer.
If it's not getting bigger or deeper it's PROBABLY not NWS infested, but is a prime spot to get infested if it is raw or bleeding. I bears closer inspection.
I've probably posted this before, but my dad talks about deer walking out into tanks in an attempt to drown the larva. He says that there we be dead deer and nearly every water hole.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough rain the last 5 years out there for there to be any water deep enough for them to wade into at least on our property. After the rains a few weeks ago, we had water that was maybe 18" deep, but I am sure it has mostly dried up by now. We have a number of water troughs of various types for them to drink from, but unless it goes down to the Cibolo or somebody nearby is pumping groundwater to fill a stock tank, I don't think it will find anywhere to go wading.
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