How to Help Protect Pets and Livestock from Screwworm

New World Screwworm is a serious concern for animal health. The good news is that it’s largely preventable because the fly behind it needs open wounds to cause trouble. If you deny screwworms easy access to these wounds, you can dramatically reduce risk.

For Dallas-area animal owners, whether pet parents or ranchers, the steps are largely the same. Here’s what you need to know to keep your animals healthy.

Check for screwworms, especially wounds

With screwworms, the most important thing you can do is to regularly check for them. Screwworms are drawn to fresh injuries. The animals most at risk are ones with:

• Cuts, scrapes, and recent bite or tick wounds
• Healing sites from procedures like branding, dehorning, or castration
• A newborn's drying navel
• Any sore, abscess, or irritated patch of skin

Check your animals daily and pay attention to any wounds you see. If you find wounds, treat them promptly and follow the advice of your vet on how to cover and treat them. Healing wounds are a lot less hospitable to screwworms than ones left open.

Know the warning signs of screwworm & know who to call

If you catch screwworm early, a veterinarian will likely be able to help your animal. 

Signs you should contact your vet include:

• Wounds that don’t seem to be getting better
• Unusual foul odors
• Visible larvae in tissue
• An animal is restless or off its feed

For livestock in Texas, suspected cases should also be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission at 1-800-550-8242.

Since you are already thinking about screwworm prevention, remember that screwworm doesn’t spread animal-to-animal. It’s not a contagious disease. It requires a fly and an open wound. It’s also not a food-supply concern and no cases have yet been found near Dallas.

Reduce the fly population on your property

There is no replacement for wound checking and veterinary care. But you can help improve the local environment around your animals as one part of a larger plan to better protect their health.

Our perimeter and barrier treatments help reduce flying-pest activity around a property. It's not a replacement for vet care or daily checks, but it still helps. Fewer flies mean fewer screwworms, and that means fewer opportunities for your pets to get sick. And as a rule, early prevention costs less than reacting after a problem appears. 

Why Trust Mosquito Squad of Dallas - Lake Highlands?

We're local, and we deal with the same clouds of flies on our own properties, so we don't have to guess what you’re dealing with. We’ll tell you honestly what a perimeter treatment can and can’t do, and we’ll send you to your vet for anything we cannot handle for you.

Want to talk about reducing fly pressure around your home, barn, or pens? Mosquito Squad of Dallas - Lake Highlands backs every visit with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and we'll get your first treatment done within 48 hours, or it's free. Call (214) 506-2823 to get started. 

Federal updates live at screwworm.gov.