Cattle fever ticks once threatened the entire U.S. beef industry. They spread disease that’s often fatal to cows. The ticks are contained in South Texas through quarantine and observation. But scientists are moving toward developing another tool to combat the ticks.
Jason Tidwell, a microbiologist in Edinburg who studies cattle fever ticks at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, identified the ticks’ sex chromosome. He spoke to the Texas Standard about how that will help control their population.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:…