Pasture Mealybug Spreads Across Southern States

The invasive insect has moved from South Texas into Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida, damaging pastures and sugarcane.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Agriculture

Pasture Mealybug Spreads Across Southern States

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The pasture mealybug, first found in South Texas in 2022, has spread to Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida. The pest feeds on plant sap and injects a toxin that weakens grass, causing it to yellow, turn red or purple, and die.

Why it matters

Pasture and hay are central to cattle operations, and the pest's spread threatens forage across several states. Existing pesticides approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency do not fully control the insects.

Texas A&M entomologist David Kerns estimates the pest could cost Texas farmers and ranchers $2 billion a year. The estimate covers Texas alone, and the methodology behind it was not detailed in the available extraction.

The players

David Kerns

Kerns is a Texas A&M University entomologist who estimated the pest could cost Texas farmers and ranchers $2 billion a year.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is the federal agency that regulates pesticides in the United States and has approved several products for use against the pasture mealybug.

The details

Infestations can initially resemble white mold and are hard to recognize before grass shows damage. Florida farmers first identified the pest in sugarcane in late May, after most of that year's crop had been harvested, and still-growing cane showed rubbery, weakened stalks. In July, a hay mower released white smoke made of chopped pest insects, and a Central Texas cattle ranch reported dying pasture sections.

2022: The pasture mealybug is first found in South Texas.
Late May 2026: Florida farmers first identify the pest in sugarcane.
July 2026: A hay mower releases smoke from chopped pest insects.

Seasonal Patterns

The EPA has approved several pesticides for the pasture mealybug, yet none fully controls the insect, which favors hot, humid conditions and thick, tall grass. That gap leaves Southern pasture and sugarcane producers dependent on management practices beyond chemical controls.

Livestock producers and hay growers in affected states may face reduced pasture forage and higher feed costs if the pest continues to spread. Early recognition matters, because infestations can look like white mold before visible grass damage appears.

The takeaway

Scouting pastures for yellowing, reddening, or dying grass and inspecting for white insect colonies can help producers catch infestations early. Because no single product fully controls the pest, combining monitoring with management practices is the most practical approach.