The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service updated its treatment options for pasture mealybug in a fact sheet with science-based recommendations for using Centric 40WG to control the pest.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, recently approved the insecticide for emergency use in Texas pastures, giving producers their first effective tool against the invasive pest threatening pastures statewide.

Dozens of field trials in infested pastures around the state showed Centric 40WG provided consistent, strong control of the pest, said David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist and associate head in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, Bryan-College Station.

Based on that research, AgriLife Extension filed for an emergency exemption label allowing the use of that product in pastures, and the EPA granted a crisis emergency exemption label for application in Texas.  

“This has been the top performer in all our trials and the product we focused our label emergency exemption effort toward,” said Kerns. “We’re glad Texas producers now have an effective tool against this devastating pest.”

About pasture mealy bug

First identified in Texas in July 2025, pasture mealybug has been identified in 79 Texas counties and imminently threatens dozens more.

This pest is associated with a syndrome termed “pasture dieback,” a condition that kills patches of pasture grasses. It is identified by reddening or yellowing leaves, stunted growth and root reduction.

Pasture mealybugs have been found to damage a range of forage grass species, including Bermuda grass, Bahia and bluestem, as well as turfgrasses like St. Augustine.

Texas leads the nation in both cattle inventory and hay production, and pastures and rangelands make up most of the state’s roughly 126 million acres of farmland. AgriLife Extension economists estimate that, depending on how far the infestation spreads and the severity of damage, pasture mealybug could cost Texas producers $100 million to more than $1 billion annually in lost forage and grazing value.

Fact sheet updates give new options, best practices

To help forage producers and ranchers respond, AgriLife Extension’s updated pasture mealybug fact sheet provides use recommendations for Centric 40WG along with other identification guidance, monitoring recommendations and information on other approved treatment options.

The pest spreads via contaminated haying equipment and possibly hay bales. Producers moving equipment between pastures are encouraged to clean machinery, vehicles and boots when moving between infested and clean areas.

Kerns suspects early life stage pasture mealybugs could also be dispersed by prevailing winds, given how widely it has spread.

Monitoring, research and collaboration continues

AgriLife Extension specialists continue to work closely with the Texas Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and local producers to evaluate new management strategies, study potential biological controls and provide updated recommendations to mitigate the pest’s impact.

Kerns said AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialists conducted numerous research trials since pasture mealybug was first identified in Texas, and that his team provided expertise related to the exemption. The Texas Department of Agriculture also provided supporting toxicology and environmental data supporting the registration. 

“We’ve conducted a great deal of research and provided expertise to justify the exemption, with great producer support in the form of letters,” Kerns said. “We finally have an effective tool for managing pasture mealybug.”

Producers in counties where infestations have not been confirmed should contact their local AgriLife Extension office if they suspect pasture mealybug in their pastures.            The updated fact sheet can be found at https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/tag/beef-cattle