Texas, feds fight screwworm crisis with synthetic fly bait

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the Lone Star State would be working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on efforts to reintroduce an improved pest control method to the international screwworm response: Swormlure Bait.

“The New World Screwworm is not just a Texas problem. This is a nationwide crisis with potential massive implications for American agriculture, which could result in billions of dollars in economic losses and place a heavy burden on our agriculture, wildlife industries, and public health systems,” Miller said. “We cannot wait for sterile flies alone to turn the tide. That’s why we’re applying a little cowboy logic and bringing back Swormlure, now with an enhanced formula that’s more powerful and effective than ever.”

The NWS was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s but experienced an isolated outbreak in the 1970s. It was ultimately eliminated again through a coordinated response that included the release of sterile flies, deployment of the Swormlure-2 attractant, and application of the insecticide, Dichlorvos.

Just one week after plans to reopen U.S. ports to cattle, bison, and equine imports from Mexico were published, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins ordered the border closed again, on July 9, following a new report of New World Screwworm detected closer to the U.S. border.

Swormlure is a synthetic bait designed to attract adult screwworm flies and may be highly effective when combined with insecticides such as Dichlorvos in eradicating NWS. Miller has directed the TDA to lead development and deployment of this bait to enhance eradication efforts.

“Back then, we used this combination to help wipe out one of the nastiest parasites we’ve ever faced,” Miller said. “Swormlure-5, created using modern science and built upon previous versions, Swormlure-2 and Swormlure-4, is a potent synthetic attractant that mimics the scent of open wounds, drawing adult screwworm flies to the bait, where they die.”

Swormlure-5 bait, when used as an attractant and capture tool, is highly targeted. The attractant only impacts screwworm and blow flies and should pose no threat to beneficial insects such as honeybees, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators.

“Today, we’re doing it smarter, faster, and stronger. Swarmlure-5 bait will attract and trap flies, specifically screwworm and blow flies, which are both better off dead.” Miller continued. “In prior research and deployment, this method eliminated approximately 90% of the flies within a two-to-four-week period. The remaining 10% were eliminated with the release of sterile male flies in the areas where traps were deployed.”

This effort should reinforce existing sterile fly operations and supercharge early detection and suppression of screwworm fly populations, helping to protect millions of head of cattle, sheep, goats, deer, pets, and even people from the devastating effects of screwworm infestation.

This collaboration with the USDA and  Rollins emphasizes Texas’s leadership in agricultural biosecurity. The TDA will coordinate the deployment of specialized Swormlure-5 traps to monitor and control potential hotspots in collaboration with the USDA, the Government of Mexico, and other state and federal partners.

“We’ve beaten the NWS before, and we’ll do it again. But it will take all hands on deck,” added Miller. “We need another success story like we had in the ’70s, and I believe Swormlure-5 bait is the game-changer that will get us there.”