This Texas Town Is Fighting Beetles With…Pecan Shells?

Socorro, Texas, has been under siege since August, and the culprits aren’t just any garden pests—they’re Red Flour Beetles. These tiny, persistent beetles have left residents scrambling for relief from a situation that could be described as…shell-shocking. But hope is here, and it’s coming in the form of an unexpected weapon: pecan shells.

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So What Are They Doing To Fight These Annoying Bugs??

On Monday, El Paso Water started transporting massive loads of pecan shells to the Clint Landfill, aiming to eliminate the beetles’ food source once and for all. It turns out, these beetles have been feasting on shells left on utility-owned property, making Socorro residents feel like they’re living in a scene from A Bug’s Life, but without the charm. Over 80 truckloads of pecan shells have already been hauled off, with many more expected as crews work to cut off the beetle buffet.

Wont The Bugs Just Come Back?!

El Paso Water didn’t just toss those shells into the landfill without some preparation. To avoid creating a five-star beetle resort, the shells were treated with pesticide for about two weeks. Afterward, the shells were tilled and thoroughly checked to meet the strict Texas landfill protocols before being loaded up and dumped. Once at the landfill, the trucks follow a well-coordinated routine where the shells are covered with either soil or a unique paper-mâché-like material approved by the State of Texas. Apparently, this is landfill code for “no bugs allowed.”

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Peter Ellsworth, a professor at the University of Arizona, has given his professional thumbs-up to this approach, confirming that spraying and burying the shells is the best way to eliminate the beetles and stop them from munching their way back into Socorro.

Almost Beetle-Free

While the community has suffered through quite the beetle battle, some Socorro residents are finally starting to see fewer unwanted visitors scuttling around their homes. El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin confirmed that the county has already distributed a thousand gallons of “Ortho Home Defense,” a Texas A&M AgriLife Department-recommended pesticide, to residents. This is twice what was initially estimated as needed, and as of now, the county doesn’t have plans for more pesticide distribution. But they will continue to monitor the situation closely, ensuring the beetles don’t pull off a comeback tour.

Thanks to a community effort and a whole lot of pecan shells, Socorro can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The Red Flour Beetle menace may soon be no more, proving that, sometimes, the best way to fight a bug is with a tough nut.