Overview
- The Texas Department of Agriculture says the pasture mealybug has been detected in at least 20 counties, including the Houston region, with some reports listing 22 counties that include Fort Bend.
- Heliococcus summervillei, not previously recorded in North America, is causing pasture dieback in forage grasses such as Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, sorghum–sudangrass, St. Augustine, and bluestems.
- TDA is coordinating a rapid response with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA APHIS while integrated pest management trials get underway.
- Producers are advised to check leaves, stems, soil surface, thatch, and under cow patties for small white fuzzy insects and to watch for rapid yellowing, reddening, stunting, and patchy dieback within a week of infestation.
- AgriLife entomologists documented significant pasture losses in Victoria County, and officials warn unchecked spread could reduce hay output and livestock capacity statewide.