Entomology Research Branch, InsectsAffecting Man and Animals Section, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Photograph “Loading an Irradiation Chamber with Screw-Worm Pupae.” Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library. Accessed June 13, 2026, https://www.nal. usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/items/show/7333.
Footprints of Fayette
The Screwworm’s Last Waltz Across Texas
The screwworm routinely screwed with the Texas economy prior to 1959, with Southwestern producers losing $50 to $100 million a year. The pest is a fly that lays its eggs in open wounds and body openings such as the eyes, ears, nose, mouth or genitals. The egg hatches into a parasitic maggot that feeds on living tissue or flesh. Livestock is particularly vulne…
