Boll Weevil Eradication Program

In 1958, the National Cotton Council garnered the Congressional support to create the USDA Boll Weevil Research Lab.

After initial success, the USDA's APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) agency established an eradication plan.

Eradication is now complete in all cotton growing states except Texas, where problems along the Mexican border have halted the program there.

[4] USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provides technical support and limited Federal funds.

Three main techniques are employed over a 3-5-year period: pheromone traps for detection, cultural practices to reduce the weevil’s food supply, and malathion treatments.

The program has become more high-tech in recent years, employing GPS mapping technology and bar code readers that transmit trap data electronically.

In portions of its range, the program has been bolstered by the spread of the red imported fire ant, which attacks the larvae and pupae of the boll weevil.