THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - On August 12, 1909, Georgia state leaders formally asked the U.S. Congress to award a $5 million prize to the first person to eliminate the boll weevil. Leaders were hoping to get rid of the pests before they got to Georgia.

The boll weevil was a major problem on farms across the country, especially on cotton fields. The first boll weevil spotted in Georgia was in Thomasville in 1915. At the time, cotton production was the backbone of Georgia’s economy, so these pests had to go.

Congress ignored Georgia’s cry for help. But later, in 1978, an eradication campaign was launched that almost completely got rid of the pest.

Luckily for us here in South Georgia in 2025, boll weevils only really persist in parts of Texas.

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