Don't Worry South Dakota-The Screwworm Won't 'Screw' With Us!

There is a new dangerous flesh-eating pest that made its way to the United States recently in Texas. This tiny bug alone is a major agricultural threat that could do some serious damage.

In a previous post, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) put the agriculture community on high-alert. However, it appears that South Dakota farmers don't have to worry about these intrusive bugs...at least for now.

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So What Is A Screwworm and Why Should Farmers Be Worried?

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this New World Screwworm (NWS) "is a parasitic fly larva (maggot) that feeds on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals and humans. Female flies lay eggs in open wounds or body openings; the hatched maggots burrow into living tissue to feed, causing painful, foul-smelling wounds that can be fatal if untreated." The worst part? If left untreated this could be fatal for animals. Just imagine the devastation across the agriculture community.

Why Doesn't South Dakota Have To Fear The New World Screwworm?

KOTA Territory News in Rapid City, South Dakota sat down with South Dakota State Veterinarian Mendel Miller and Dr. Miller is easing any fears farmers might have about the screwworm. He has "no immediate concerns" thanks to certain containment strategies and South Dakota’s requirements for veterinary inspections and animal health records.

“The system’s in place to prevent it from getting here, provided everybody follows the rules and follows the system."

Dr. Miller adds a traditional boundary line for screwworm infections runs through central Kansas. This line separates the warmer, southern climates has a history of embracing insects like the New World Screwworm from cooler, northern climate.

A report from the USDA explains the New World screwworms haven't been in South Dakota since 1947 up until around 1950.

You can learn more from Dr. Miller's interview by clicking here. Sounds like winter is our best friend when it comes to fighting New World Screwworms! Thanks, Jack Frost!

17 Animals You Can Hunt All Year in South Dakota

South Dakota loves to hunt. It's not only one of the state's most popular pastimes, but it's also big business. Especially South Dakota's famous Pheasant season.

There are seasons for hunting deer, antelope, turkey, and even bison. Plenty of opportunities to get that freezer in the garage stocked up.

The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department is the place to go for info about hunting licenses and specific rules and regulations for hunting in South Dakota.

GET: South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook

Hunting most game in South Dakota is restricted to specific hunting seasons. Like deer and pheasant seasons in the fall.

But there are also animals you can hunt year-round in South Dakota.

There are still some rules to follow, like where exactly you can hunt. South Dakota has millions of acres of public and private land to hunt on. And you'll still need a hunting license.

So, always check with the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department for the latest information and regulations.

LOOK: South Dakota Is Home to the World’s Largest Pheasant [PICTURES]

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

20 Things You'll Find In Every South Dakota Home

We have so many things in our homes. Some things are junk or half-used but others have great sentimental value to us.

Regardless of what an item means to us at the end of the day, I bet that most South Dakotans have these twenty items in their home; or at least most of us do.