Article Summary: Climate change isn’t a distant issue—it’s affecting farms here and now, especially in terms of biosecurity. Warmer temperatures and shifting weather are enabling new diseases, pests, and weeds to spread into grazing areas that were once safe. In this article, we examine how these emerging threats, from ticks expanding their range to novel livestock diseases appearing, can impact your farm. We also discuss the increased frequency of extreme weather events (like floods or droughts) and how they can trigger disease outbreaks or biosecurity breaches. Importantly, you’ll get practical tips on preparing your farm: improving surveillance, working with vets on emerging disease vaccines, using technology for early warning, and adopting resilient grazing practices. Adapting to climate change is now part of farm biosecurity, and with the right strategies, you can protect your livestock against these evolving risks.
New Climate, New Threats: Why Biosecurity Is a Moving Target
Our planet’s climate is shifting – we see it in unpredictable weather, warmer winters, and changes in wildlife patterns. For farmers, these aren’t just abstract environmental issues; they directly affect day-to-day operations. One often overlooked impact of climate change is on-farm biosecurity. As temperatures and weather patterns change, diseases and pests that affect livestock are changing, too. Germs that couldn’t survive in your region before might now find it hospitable. Vectors like insects and ticks are extending their range. Even plants (weeds) and wildlife populations are on the move, potentially introducing new health challenges to your farm.
In fact, among the top animal diseases important to farmers, more than half are climate-sensitive – meaning their spread or severity is influenced by climatic factors. We’re already seeing evidence of this: areas that never had to worry about certain tick-borne diseases or mosquito-carried viruses now face those threats as the climate warms. So, biosecurity isn’t something you can set once and forget; it’s a moving target that requires vigilance as conditions evolve.
Let’s break down some specific emerging threats tied to climate change and, crucially, how you can adapt your farm management to stay ahead of them.
Warming Winters and the March of the Pests
One of the clearest ways climate change influences biosecurity is through pests and parasites. Warmer average temperatures, especially milder winters, allow many pests to survive in greater numbers or expand into new territories.
Take ticks and mosquitoes: traditionally, colder winters kept certain ticks (like the Lone Star tick or certain tropical tick species) out of higher latitudes or elevations. Now, warmer winters mean more ticks survive and push into new areas. Ticks carry diseases like babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Lyme disease (for livestock and humans), and even a virus causing something called Heartland virus in cattle. Similarly, mosquitoes that carry Rift Valley Fever or other diseases could migrate as their habitable zone grows. Ranchers in parts of Europe have seen bluetongue virus (spread by midges) move northward where it never existed, due to warmer conditions allowing the biting midge to thrive; vaccination became necessary in countries that never used to need it.
Even internal parasites (worms) might get more challenging – in cooler climates, winter freezes kill off many worm eggs on pasture, giving farmers a clean slate each spring. If those freezes diminish, more parasites overwinter and infect animals earlier and in greater numbers the next year.
Weeds and invasive plants are on the move, too. Plants that couldn’t grow in your area before may establish now, some of which might be toxic to livestock or serve as hosts for pests. For example, the spread of tropical soda apple weed into the southern US brought a plant that not only is invasive but can harbour viruses that hit crops and possibly harm animals that graze it.
What can you do? A multi-pronged approach is needed:
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Stay Informed Locally: Keep in touch with local ag extensions or animal health departments for alerts. If there’s news of “this tick species now found in our state” or “new cases of X disease reported nearby,” take it seriously. It means you may need to start monitoring for those pests or vaccinating for those diseases. Subscribe to newsletters or join farming groups where such information is shared.
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Adjust Parasite Control: Don’t assume old parasite patterns hold. If you’re in a region that’s getting milder winters, consider treating for parasites later in the fall (or autumn) since more might survive, and begin monitoring earlier in spring. Work with your vet to possibly modify deworming schedules or add vaccines (like a lungworm vaccine, for instance, if those become more prevalent with wetter conditions).
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Invest in Pasture Management: This ties back to the previous article on grazing systems – good pasture rotation and avoiding overstocking become even more critical if parasite burdens increase. It’s a sustainable way to counteract the climate boost that pests get. For external pests, look into biological controls too (like guinea fowl for ticks, or wasp parasites for flies, etc.).
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Invasive Species Watch: Make weed scouting a regular activity. If a new plant shows up that you can’t identify, get it checked out. Early eradication of invasive weeds is far easier than letting it spread. Some regions have “weed watcher” programs that alert landowners to new invasive threats. Participate if available.
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Use Predictive Tools: There are climate-based forecasting tools for certain diseases – for example, models that predict a high risk of fly strike in sheep based on humidity and temperature or liver fluke risk forecasts tied to rainfall. These can guide you on when to implement extra precautions. Technology like Pasture.io’s data could also help indirectly by tracking pasture moisture and growth, which correlates with pest conditions. Remember, as climate change continues, such predictive models will become invaluable for staying a step ahead.
Extreme Weather: Floods, Droughts, and Disease Outbreaks
Climate change isn’t just about gradual warming – it’s also about more extreme and erratic weather. You’ve probably noticed more intense downpours or longer dry spells, maybe even both in the same year! These extremes can create biosecurity issues in several ways:
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Flooding and Heavy Rains: When land floods, it can spread contaminants far and wide. A flood might wash manure from one farm into pastures of another, dispersing bacteria or intestinal parasites. After floods, we often see spikes in diseases like leptospirosis (spread via water contaminated by rodent or wildlife urine) or outbreaks of foot rot in livestock because everything is muddy and bacteria thrive. Standing water post-flood becomes mosquito breeding heaven, raising risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Additionally, floods can bring in weed seeds from other areas – you might find strange plants growing where floodwaters receded. And if carcasses were caught in the flood, that’s a disease risk too until properly handled.
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Drought and Heatwaves: Conversely, drought stresses animals and can lead to management changes that pose risks. In a drought, you might import hay from far away, potentially importing weed seeds or fungus (like mold in hay, which can cause botulism in cattle or introduce new spores). Wildlife might encroach more on your watered pastures when their natural water sources dry up, increasing contact. Some diseases actually flourish in dry conditions – for example, dust can carry pathogens like Q fever or viruses, and animals bunch around limited water, facilitating the spread of diseases like TB at shared troughs. Heat stress also lowers animals’ immunity, making them more susceptible if exposed to something. And when rains finally come after drought, a flush of plant growth can include toxic plants that animals hungrily eat (not exactly infectious disease, but a biosecurity aspect of keeping animals safe from toxins).
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Storms and Wind: Strong winds can carry pathogens and pests over surprising distances. We’ve seen bird flu spread by windborne particles between poultry farms. In an open country, a windy day could theoretically blow vesicular stomatitis virus or even a Foot-and-Mouth virus a fair distance from an infected premise (these viruses can aerosolize). Hurricanes have been known to disperse mosquito populations hundreds of miles. Storms can also physically damage fences, allowing the mingling of animals that shouldn’t mix.
So how to buffer against these climate extremes?
Flood Prep and Response: If you’re in a flood-prone area (or an area that didn’t used to flood but now occasionally does due to heavy rain bombs), have a plan. Try to store manure or chemicals where floodwater can’t reach. After flood events, assume pastures are contaminated: don’t rush animals back onto flooded fields until they dry out, and, ideally, you’ve had some sunlight (UV light kills many pathogens). If you suspect water sources got contaminated, test and treat them or use alternative water till they’re clean. Keep an eye on foot health after floods – maybe schedule a hoof inspection or footbath for your herd to preempt foot diseases. And definitely scout for new weeds in flood-affected areas later on.
Drought Strategy: In drought, you might consolidate animals or feed in confinement to save pastures. In those cases, treat it like a feedlot biosecurity scenario – more intensive cleaning of feeding areas, more vigilance for respiratory disease due to dust, etc. If buying hay, source from reputable suppliers and inspect bales for mould or strange weeds. Consider vaccinating for clostridial diseases like botulism (some regions do this when feeding high-risk hay). For wildlife encroachment, maintain fencing around any precious few water points you have, so only your stock use them. Provide multiple small water sources rather than one big one so animals aren’t all drinking from the same pond, reducing nose-to-nose contact.
General Resilience: Build flexibility into your biosecurity. For example, maintain an emergency reserve of supplies (disinfectants, extra fencing materials) so you can react if a storm or flood hits. Have relationships with neighbouring farms – in a disaster, sharing resources or space can be a saviour (you house their animals when their farm floods, and vice versa in another event). Also, consider insurance and disaster programs that can help you recover without cutting biosecurity corners (like being forced to sell or move animals quickly, which could spread disease – it is better to have support to keep things stable until the crisis passes).
New Diseases and “One Health” Perspectives
Climate change doesn’t just amplify known problems; it can contribute to brand-new problems. As species distribution shifts and humans, wildlife, and livestock intersect in new ways, we’re seeing an increased emergence of novel diseases, many of which are zoonotic (can affect both animals and humans). For example, the tropical virus African swine fever has been on the move globally (though its spread is more due to human movement of animals and products, warmer climates can help the tick vectors). Another scenario is that as habitats change, wildlife might migrate or concentrate near farms, creating hotspots for diseases to jump species.
Experts often talk about the One Health approach – meaning the health of people, animals, and the environment are all linked. Climate change highlights this: a change in the environment (climate) affects animal health, which can, in turn, affect human health (through food supply or zoonoses). We saw with avian influenza that wild bird migration patterns changed slightly with climate; they brought flu to poultry, and occasionally, it even infected a person. Or consider bat populations shifting (bats are reservoirs for many viruses) – they might introduce new bat-borne viruses to livestock as they seek new roosts, etc.
All this is to say, as a livestock farmer, keeping an eye on the broader picture helps. If there’s news of a strange new disease in wildlife or a spike in an endemic disease in a nearby region, it could be climate-related and could be at your doorstep next.
Proactive steps for emerging diseases:
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Vaccination & Veterinary Guidance: Maintain an updated herd health plan with your vet that includes vaccines for diseases that, while maybe not common historically in your area, are becoming issues in similar climates. For instance, if you’re in northern regions and hear that a certain clostridial disease or Bluetongue (midge-spread virus) is creeping your way, discuss vaccinating ahead of time. Vaccines are one of the best defences if available. As climate change brings more disease unpredictability, having broad immunological protection helps. According to the UK government's advice, vaccination is the only sure way to protect against some climate-driven diseases like Bluetongue when risk is high. Don’t rely on neighbors’ vaccinations to protect you—each farm should take its own action.
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Enhanced Surveillance: Increase the frequency of herd checks during high-risk seasons. If summers are now longer and hotter, maybe do an extra round of tick checks on animals mid-summer. Use tools like trail cameras at water points to monitor what wildlife visits (you might capture feral pigs or deer frequenting your pasture at night without realising – which could mean higher disease risk like pseudorabies or TB).
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Rapid Response Plan: If a new disease is reported in your broader region, have a mental (or written) plan: restrict movements, clean vehicles that have been to meetings or livestock sales more thoroughly, and maybe temporarily halt unnecessary visitors. Essentially, ramp up biosecurity until you know more. It’s similar to how farms locked down during the initial COVID uncertainty – though COVID wasn’t livestock-affecting, the concept applies: if something unknown is out there, err on side of caution until its transmission is understood.
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Diversify and Build Resilience: This is more strategic, but diversifying your farm enterprises can reduce the impact of any one disease or event. If climate change brings a cattle disease that hits your beef herd hard one year, having a side sheep enterprise or some crop income could buffer you. Also, preserving genetic diversity in your herd can help – some breeds handle heat or parasites better, for instance. Sustainable farming in a changing climate often means not putting all eggs in one basket.
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Environment Stewardship: Interestingly, sustainable practices like maintaining healthy ecosystems around your farm can help buffer disease. For example, preserving bat habitats away from your barns might keep them from roosting in your barn (reducing disease chances while still letting them eat insects that benefit you). Planting trees or hedgerows can control flood impacts (reducing runoff) and also provide habitat for predatory insects that eat pests. Sustainability and biosecurity can work hand in hand. By taking care of the environment, you often reduce the stressors that lead to disease spikes (like rodents proliferating when ecosystems are out of whack).
Farming Smarter in a Changing Climate
Adapting to climate change for biosecurity isn’t fundamentally different from good farming – it’s about being observant, flexible, and forward-thinking. In essence, farming smarter. Some final tips to tie it all together:
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Document Changes: Start a farm weather and disease journal if you haven’t. Note each year what unusual events happened – e.g., “Nov 2025, found ticks on cattle 1 month later than usual” or “2026: very wet spring, outbreak of calf scours.” Over time, you’ll see trends tied to climate.
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Community & Knowledge Sharing: Climate change is uncharted territory for everyone. Be active in farmer networks discussing these issues. Share your experiences and learn from others. If you try a new pasture grass that handles heat better and it also seems to reduce parasite load, spread the word. If you encountered a weird weed or disease, alert others. Our best resource is collective knowledge.
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Embrace Innovation: We talked about tech in the previous article; climate change makes those innovations even more handy. Remote sensors can monitor for conditions that breed disease, AI tools might predict outbreaks from climate data, and so on. Don’t shy away from using these advanced tools if they can give you a leg up against emerging threats.
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Policy and Support: Keep an eye on agricultural policies related to climate adaptation. There may be new programs offering support for things like improved water infrastructure, shelterbelts, or research on climate-resilient livestock. Engaging with these can provide resources to bolster your farm’s biosecurity (for example, grants to build a better manure storage that won’t flood, or funding to test your herd for an emerging disease).
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Mental Preparedness: Finally, cultivate a mindset of adaptability. The days of relying on “it’s always been this way” are fading. Instead, be open to change. If that means altering your lambing season to avoid a new late-winter disease risk, so be it. If it means switching breed or adjusting your pasture species mix, it could pay off. Adaptation is the name of the game in sustainable farming under climate change.
Climate change poses serious challenges, no doubt, but it’s not an insurmountable doom. By proactively adjusting our biosecurity practices, we can cushion our farms against many of its effects. We might even find that some changes (like better water management, diversified pastures, etc.) make our farms more productive and resilient overall, even aside from disease prevention. In essence, responding to climate-driven threats is an opportunity to improve our systems.
The take-home message is: stay alert and stay adaptable. Your farm is a living system intertwined with the environment. As that environment shifts, keep learning and tweaking to keep your animals safe. It’s the essence of sustainable farming – working with nature’s changes, not against them. By doing so, you’ll continue to thrive in the face of emerging biosecurity threats, ensuring that your grazing livestock remain healthy and your farm business remains strong for generations to come, even on a warming planet.
Until we meet again, Happy Biosecurity!
- The Dedicated Team of Pasture.io, 2025-03-04