"As of July 15, the Oklahoma Boll Weevil Eradication Organization, headquartered in Hobart, has mapped and placed traps on almost 152,000 cotton acres across the state.
"This is a 13 percent decrease in mapped acres from 2007 and is representative of decreases in acres across the belt as cotton continues to compete with corn and soybeans. Acres reflected on our eradication manager program will vary during the season as some fields are abandoned and transferred to inactive status while others are identified and added to the system.
"Trapping protocol for 2008 requires the placing of one trap per 40 acres of cotton with traps to be checked ever three weeks. Two complete cycles have been run and no boll weevils have been caught anywhere in the state.
"A critical feature of the trapping effort is a comprehensive quality assurance program coordinated by Asst. Dir. John Henderson. The program, used belt-wide, provides assurance that trappers are bringing in suspect insects for positive identification and that traps are properly placed and in good repair, being checked on time and contain current pheromone lure and insecticide strips. Because finding boll weevils, even a "hitch-hiker" that may ride into the area on a vehicle, is essential to the continued success of the eradication program. Henderson encourages anyone who thinks they have found a boll weevil to take it to the nearest OBWEO office in Hobart, Altus or Frederick for positive identification.
"District supervisors this season include Brenda Osborne, Altus, who is responsible for Jackson, Harmon and Greer counties, Cindy Dugan, Hobart, who has central and northern Oklahoma and John Lamb, Frederick, who has Tillman, Cotton and Comanche Counties.
"During the off season, the state office in Hobart was relocated from the old Eugene Field school building, 810 S. Main to the former police station next door at 800 S. Main. Although this bulding is smaller than the old school house, it is adequate to our current needs as well as being in a much better state of repair. And we have experienced a tremendous decrease in monthly operating costs.
"As previously reported, the assessment for 2008 has been set by the OBWEO board of directors at $4 per acre of cotton harvested and sold. Additional information on the assessment or any other aspect of the boll weevil eradication program can be obtained from the OBWEO sebsite www.obweo.org, or by calling the Hobart office at 1-800-246-8401."
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