Our office is closing at 12pm noon today, December 19th for our company Christmas party and will reopen on Monday!

Season’s Greetings!
As we celebrate the holidays, please note our adjusted office hours:

• Wednesday, December 24: Offices will close at 12:00 PM

• Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26: Offices will be closed in observance of the holiday

• Wednesday, December 31: Offices will close at 2:00 PM

• Thursday, January 1 and Friday, January 2: Offices will be closed

We wish you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Screwed Again? The Shocking Return of the Flesh-Eating Pest

By Cheryl Conley

Lake Creek Nature Preserve

Once thought to be eradicated, the New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) has now reached the doorstep of the United States. It was rediscovered late in 2025 just 70 miles south of the Texas border in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The animal that was at the center of the alarming screwworm discovery was a cow (specifically an 8-month-old calf or heifer). This resurgence has put conservationists and ranchers on high-alert, reviving nightmares of the 2016 Florida outbreak that nearly decimated the endangered Key deer population. Today, the threat looms even larger as the parasite rides northward on migrating wildlife.

Except for the outbreak in Florida in 2016, which was quickly eradicated, the United States has been free of the screwworm for 59 years. So, what happened? Why is it back? To keep the screwworm from entering the United States, a biological barrier, or “living wall”, was created. This is a geographically defined buffer zone where humans manipulate the environment to stop a species from spreading. In the case of the screwworm, the barrier was made by using the Sterile Insect Technique. Millions of laboratory-raised, sterilized male flies were released in the Darien Gap, a jungle region separating Panama from Colombia. This effectively kept the screwworm in South America. Statistically speaking, a female fly is almost certain to mate with one of them. Because females only mate once in their lifetime, she lays eggs that will never hatch. The cycle is broken and the fly population crashes. If the production of sterile flies drops, it leaves holes in the biological barrier. In 2023, the barrier failed. The flies traveled through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras, and north through Mexico. They are now knocking on Texas’ door.

The screwworm is an obligate parasite, which means that unlike common flies that lay eggs on decaying material, screwworms must have a living, warm-blooded host to survive and reproduce. The adult female fly targets any small opening on a host, laying her eggs in open wounds or sensitive areas like the nostrils, eyes, or mouth. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae immediately use their sharp, hooked mouthparts to burrow, or “screw”, down into the living tissue. This is how they got their name. As the maggots feed and the wound deepens, the infection quickly progresses and will almost always prove fatal if the animal is not treated immediately.

How do you tell the difference between a screwworm infestation or a wound infested with regular fly maggots?

1. Screwworms feed on LIVING tissue. They burrow deep into the tissue and are not typically visible on the surface. They are packed tightly together with heads down deep within the wound.
2. Check the appearance and smell of the wound. With screwworms, the wound will rapidly widen and go deeper. Usually there’s a thin, bloody discharge from the wound. The smell is very distinctive and foul. The smell is disproportionate to the size of the wound.
3. Watch the animal’s behavior. A screwworm infestation is very painful so the animal will show signs of distress. The animal may stop eating and separate itself from the herd. The animal may have a fever. Depression and lethargy are common.

A screwworm infestation requires immediate action. It’s extremely important to isolate the animal. Collect 5 to 10 of the screwworms in a container filled with 70% rubbing alcohol. If it’s a pet, contact your veterinarian immediately. If it’s a wild animal or farm animals, contact your state’s animal health officials. Federal officials will be notified.

Everyone should be concerned about the screwworm threat. It’s re-establishment in the USA would have significant effects on grocery prices, the health of our environment and our pets. A screwworm outbreak in cattle would cause a high mortality rate and would stop cattle imports from Mexico which is a major source of feeder calves. Regarding our pets, any small scratch or tick bite on a cat or dog could attract the fly. If not caught early, it could be fatal. The screwworm poses a risk to wildlife populations especially species like the Key deer and white-tailed deer. Billions of dollars would be spent eradicating the problem which ultimately would be paid by taxpayers through higher prices for beef, dairy and other affected products.

Although extremely rare, humans are susceptible especially if you have open wounds. On August 4th of this year, screwworms were identified in a human and was confirmed by the CDC. The patient had traveled to El Salvador.

Despite the threat posed by the screwworm's unexpected re-emergence, this biological “curve ball” does not overshadow the beauty and value that the natural world provides every day. While the danger demands our attention, it is simply a reminder of nature's complexity and power.

MAGNOLIA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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Magnolia Property Management has been in business since 1999, with the emphasis being on enhanced communications between the Board and the property owners.

With Magnolia Property Management's custom management style, the Board is in charge, of the management company, ensuring that their directives are carried out in an expeditious manner.

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