The Texas Department of Agriculture plans to eradicate it

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Socorro residents struggling with a flour beetle infestation have seen some relief in months.

The Texas Department of Agriculture said it is close to beginning eradication of the pest.

“Right now we are setting up pheromone traps and trying to find the source,” said TDA Commissioner Sid Miller. “With the flour beetle, we discovered that there is more than one source.”

Miller shared his department's action plan.

“We may have to resort to upcoming quarantine areas,” he said. “We’re going to ask them to go in there and starve those heaps out. Fumigate and spray. First of all, at regular intervals – two to three days a week – until we can reduce the population.”

Miller said his team will have a prevention and eradication plan ready by early next week. He said the companies blamed for the outbreak will be responsible for implementing the changes.

The announcement was welcome news for residents struggling with the bugs.

“If they tell me they can never get rid of her, we might have to move,” Guadalupe Nevarez said.

Nevarez said she wants TDA to tell her who the source of the pest is.

“To pay my bills, my pesticide bills,” she said. “If they find out who caused this, I definitely want a refund.”

Other residents I spoke to said they just wanted to hear some answers.

“If we don't have a solution, the only question for us is, 'What can I do?'” Berenice Robles said. “It’s frustrating, I can’t do anything about it because I don’t know what I can do.”

Robles said she wouldn't even seek compensation from those responsible.

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“So that would be my question, just to see how we can solve this problem because it’s everywhere.”

Commissioner Miller highlighted previous cases of flour beetle infestation and explained how it could play out here.

“In Levelland, they came from California,” he said of a previous infestation in Levelland, Texas. “They ship truckloads of supplies, some of it was used as compost and that’s how we somehow ended up in the El Paso area. And they really like it.”

Miller said they aren't sure how the virus got to El Paso. Officials here just said it was pecan shells.

“We haven’t ruled anyone out yet. We will know more as we run our traps and see what is in our traps, and with this information we should be able to pinpoint the cause of the beetle problem.”

Miller told us they have made improvements since the last infestation.

“We have cleared everything up with the shippers from California. We require that these be fumigated and treated before they are shipped to Texas, and then we will inspect them when they arrive.”

Socorro authorities said they are working to set up food banks for residents affected by the pests.

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