Integrated Pest Management Services for Ranchers

The summer season is here, and we have already been hard at work conducting integrated pest and mosquito management! Did you know that our team provides a variety of resources and services to support the community and ranchers in reducing populations of mosquitoes and the risk of mosquito-borne diseases?

What is Integrated Mosquito Management?

Many species of mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas are competent disease vectors in Teton County, meaning they can transmit viruses and bacteria when they bite that can result in disease in humans, wildlife, pets, and livestock. Standing water on your ranch or property provides breeding habitat for mosquitoes and can support the spread of vector-borne diseases such as West Nile virus. 

To prevent vector-borne diseases and protect public health, an integrated mosquito management plan that involves coordinating several control methods becomes critically important to minimize the impact vectors have locally. Integrated mosquito management includes surveillance of mosquito populations, chemical and biological treatments of mosquitoes, community education and outreach, virus testing, physical control through the manipulation of mosquito habitat, and insecticide resistance monitoring. Consistent monitoring, identification, and testing in our lab helps our team understand the dynamics of mosquito populations and mosquito-borne diseases in Teton County and the most effective methods of control. We rely on residents and ranchers in Teton County to conduct and participate in community-wide management by following the Resident’s Guide to Prevent Mosquito Breeding.

Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks. 

Vector-borne diseases are on the rise globally and in the United States due to many factors such as global trade and travel, changing land uses, and changing climate. As such, it is important to make scientific intervention measures before an outbreak occurs using continuous vector population surveillance and research for the protection of public health. 

To protect public health from vector-borne diseases like West Nile Virus, St. Louis Encephalitis virus , and Western Equine Encephalitis virus; routine mosquito larval surveillance, larval treatment, and management of flood areas becomes critical.

Why is Integrated Mosquito Management Important for Ranchers?

Vector-borne diseases can make livestock and horses incredibly sick. Fortunately for viruses such as West Nile, vaccinations are available for horses. Significant mosquito burden can also stress animals and affect weight gain. Integrated mosquito management on ranches can help support the health of livestock. 

Our team brings the expertise to support you on your ranch to limit mosquito breeding and protect Teton County from mosquito-borne diseases.

Learn more about how vector-borne diseases impact Teton County: https://www.tcweed.org/programs/mosquito/vector-borne-disease

Mosquito Services in Teton County

The Teton County Weed & Pest District conducts adult and larval mosquito surveillance, which involves our team testing adult mosquitoes for viruses, such as West Nile virus, that can be transmitted to humans and livestock, and monitoring for and treating individual properties for mosquito larvae. District mosquito services come at no cost to residents who participate in our program.

What methods are used:

-Larval Source Reduction: TCWP can provide information and strategies to reduce mosquito breeding habitat, such as the Resident’s Guide to Prevent Mosquito Breeding. 

-Larval Surveillance & Treatment: standing water is surveyed for mosquito larvae and pupae, and areas where mosquito larvae are found are treated with a microbial pesticide that is specific to mosquitoes, also referred to as a biological control pesticide. Mosquito management is most effective and has the least impact on off-target species when conducted during the larval stages.

-Adult Surveillance & Treatment: traps, including CDC CO₂-baited light traps, are set to collect adult mosquitoes. Collected mosquitoes are identified to species and counted, and vector species are tested for pathogens. Areas with high populations of adult mosquitoes, large numbers of vector species, or lab-confirmed presence of vector-borne disease may be treated with adulticides. Applications of adulticides are timed and calibrated to minimize impacts on off-target species.

-Insecticide Efficacy & Resistance Monitoring: mosquito populations are collected and tested for susceptibility to insecticides used by the District, agriculture, and other land managers. Routine testing allows for detection of early signs of pesticide resistance within mosquito populations and indicates what type of, if any, resistance is developing. If resistance is found within a mosquito population, the District can alter management techniques or recommend alternative techniques to land and ranch managers.

Read more on using pesticides and preventing pesticide resistance on our website: https://www.tcweed.org/programs/plants/using-pesticides

To request services on your ranch or property from our team, please fill out the one-time Landowner Permission Form in addition to a request for Surveillance Trapping or Habitat Inspection Request from the list below:

Landowner Permission Form to Access Property for Surveillance and/or Treatment:

https://www.tcweed.org/form/landowner-permission

Request Surveillance (Trapping) and West Nile Virus testing of mosquito adults on your property.

(If vector species are found, they will be tested for viruses.)

https://www.tcweed.org/form/adult-surveillance-and-west-nile-virus-testing-request

Mosquito Habitat Inspection Request for Standing Water:

https://www.tcweed.org/form/mosquito-habitat-inspection-request

Adulticide Request:

Check back on our website for current adulticiding information. No ULV adulticide treatments have been scheduled at this time. The District only conducts ULV adulticide applications on medium to large scales, such as an entire neighborhood rather than an individual property. In order to have a measurable impact on the adult mosquito population, larger areas must be targeted due to the short efficacy window of our adulticide products and large dispersal of mosquitoes in an area.

Work with TCWP for your Ranch Property

Teton County Weed & Pest is proud to bring integrated mosquito management to Teton County and to support the work of ranchers using scientific vector management strategies to protect public health and livestock. We are excited to work with you to support a healthy environment and the goals you have for your ranch and agricultural business.

-The Teton County Weed & Pest Team

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