Georgia's pastures, hay fields, and cattle ranches are facing a new threat, and the state needs to move fast before it spreads any further.

The pasture mealybug, a tiny insect native to Southeast Asia, turned up at a turf business in Decatur County this past August. First identified in Texas last October, researchers believe the pest rode in on storm winds from the Caribbean, where it has been present since around 2020. A single female can produce as many as 100 young at once, with three generations possible within a year. As they feed, the insects drain sap from grass, inject toxic saliva into the plant, and leave behind a sticky residue that encourages mold, weakening and eventually killing the grass.

This isn't just a lawn problem. Georgia's cattle ranchers, already squeezed by drought and rising fuel and fertilizer costs, depend on healthy grazing land to survive, and the nation's cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size since the 1950s. Beef generated $1.2 billion for Georgia's economy in 2024, and hay fields, sod farms, and grass-based crops like corn, wheat, rice, and sugarcane are all at risk too. Sod farms and turfgrass, together a $284 million Georgia industry, are on the line as well.

"Pasture mealybug is a serious threat to Georgia agriculture, and we're asking Georgia farmers and producers to stay vigilant in order to protect their operations," said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, according to the Georgia Recorder.

No pesticide has proven effective yet, so containment is our best defense. That's why I'm calling on the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Commissioner Tyler Harper to fund emergency pest research, issue clear farm biosecurity guidelines, and build a statewide containment plan before this spreads any further.

Sign the petition to demand Georgia fund emergency research and containment now, before the pasture mealybug costs our farmers their livelihoods.