As screwworms continue spreading across Texas, Jason Sawyer, our chief science officer, says ranchers’ best move is to hold the line while sterile fly production scales up—a process he expects could take three to five years. Wildlife, especially the state’s booming deer population, remains a major unknown in how far and how long the parasite will persist. In the meantime, ranchers are returning to labor-intensive practices like careful wound inspection and treatment that many haven’t relied on since before eradication.
