Bugs

A decade ago, a federal task force announced a plan to help monarch butterflies along their great migration. The six-state effort along Interstate 35 didn't take off as expected, but some roadsides are blooming anyway.

The head of the oldest and largest cattle association in Texas said there is "no need to panic" over a screwworm outbreak in the state. Texas Public Radio's Brian Kirkpatrick reports on screwworm response. With summer here and more people spending time outside, Lubbock Public Health is warning residents about the West Nile virus. Our new student reporter Gabrielle De La Cruz has more on symptoms and prevention. Residents are encouraged to report mosquito breeding areas through Lubbock Vector Control.

Ticks are emerging earlier and staying active for longer. Experts in the central U.S. advise people to take precautions when spending time outside in wooded or grassy areas.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Election Day in the Texas primary runoffs. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reminds voters for in which party primaries they can cast ballots. With shorter, more mild winters, tick season is getting longer. Emergency room visits for tick bites were the highest in April than they’ve been in nearly a decade. Harvest Public Media’s Jess Savage reports on how to protect yourself from tick-borne diseases.

When beekeepers saw widespread honeybee die-offs last year, researchers at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center stepped in to help. The Trump administration now plans to close the facility, sparking concern among beekeepers and scientists.

An invasive insect called the rice delphacid was a major problem for some farmers in 2025. With low prices for their crop and a high cost of doing business, many are wondering how they'll make a profit in 2026.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new website to centralize information about the New World Screwworm. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports a case was detected this fall in a Mexican city less than 70 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. City departments will be closed this Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Our Sean Ryan says offices and community centers will remain closed until Monday, but libraries and museums will resume normal hours over the weekend. A new national survey finds that nearly half of the 1,300 participating small business owners experienced a drop in profits this fall.

Every fall, West Texans look to the skies for one of nature’s most remarkable journeys: the migration of the monarch butterfly. But monarch butterfly populations are declining due to threats like habitat loss, herbicide use and climate change.

Researchers hope data out of Texas will raise awareness about a type of infection commonly spread through kissing bugs. It's part of an effort to recognize Chagas Disease as endemic in the U.S.

This week, Lubbock County commissioners approved a budget plan, including $1.4 million cut for the Sheriff’s Department and $250,000 cut for volunteer firefighters. New World Screwworm was detected in a city in Mexico less than 70 miles from the border with Texas. Marian Navarro with Texas Public Radio reports the case was detected in the early larval stage.