Strain: Boll weevil eradicated in La.

State Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said the boll weevil has been eradicated in Louisiana.

“When our administration took office in January of 2008, we set a goal of completely eradicating the boll weevil by 2012,” Strain said in a news release. “Looking at the numbers, we believed that goal was very realistic and have actually been able to accomplish full eradication one year ahead of schedule.

Strain said boll weevil traps monitored by the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Boll Weevil Eradication Program captured one boll weevil in the state in May of 2010. No boll weevils were trapped in 2011.

“The success of the program is due to the hard work of the employees in the Boll Weevil Eradication Program, as well as continued support for the program from the cotton producers, Boll Weevil Eradication Commission members, Louisiana Boll Weevil Technical Advisory Committee members and state legislators,” the news release says.