Tag Archives: US Department of Agriculture

New World screwworm versus the feral hog

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Who would win? Two of Texas’s most troublesome invasive species have much in common. They reproduce alarmingly fast, send shudders down the spines of Texas ranchers, and can traverse similar distances (about twelve miles a day). One is the feral … Continue reading →

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Time for another screwworm roundup

Posted on June 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start with a bit of positive news. Several drugs to treat animals during the Texas screwworm outbreak have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, including a generic medication for household pets such as dogs and cats. Dr. … Continue reading →

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A brief screwworm roundup

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The case count keeps increasing. As of Friday, eight cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed in Texas. The fly’s larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, wildlife and pets — and, in rare cases, humans. Left untreated, … Continue reading →

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More screwworms

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Raise your hand if you think these bozos have a handle on this. Three more cases of New World screwworm were confirmed in Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to five. … Continue reading →

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Here come the screwworms

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the country’s first case of New World screwworm — the parasitic fly poised to harm the state’s $15 billion cattle industry — in South Texas. The USDA … Continue reading →

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On dealing with hotter summers

Posted on May 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Inside Climate News, a report on how summers are expected to be hotter soon, and what we can do about it. Temperatures can vary across big cities like New York and Houston, depending on the landscape and the amount … Continue reading →

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Starve yourself the Brooke Rollins way

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I have a modest proposal here. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins took heat on social media [recently] over a comment that Americans can eat healthily for $3 a meal by consuming “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla … Continue reading →

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