Mosquito Management
Each year the City of Sheridan provides an Integrated Mosquito Management program for the community of Sheridan. The City of Sheridan Weed and Pest seeks to use a combination of methods to help prevent and control mosquitos that have the potential to spread viruses, such as West Nile. An integrated management program is based on an understanding of mosquito biology, the mosquito life cycle and the way mosquitoes spread viruses. The goal of the Mosquito Management program is to utilize methods that are both safe and scientifically proven to reduce mosquito populations.
The monitoring of mosquito populations is the foundation of a successful program. Each year the City of Sheridan Weed and Pest conducts mosquito surveillance practices to identify larval breeding grounds, to trap and identify adult mosquito species and to monitor potential vector species for West Nile Virus. These monitoring activities help the program decide if, when and where control activities are needed in the community. The City of Sheridan also maintains a Mosquito Hotline (307-655-8297) where citizens can call in to report potential larvae breeding grounds and heavy concentrations of adult mosquitos.
The most effective management strategy is to eliminate places where mosquitoes can lay eggs. Mosquitos lay eggs near water because larvae need water to survive. Removing standing water will reduce mosquito larvae before they can become the flying adults that are so bothersome. Reducing potential larvae sites is something that the entire community can participate in. Standing water in something as small as a bucket, tire or puddle can end up producing hundreds mosquitoes right in our own backyards. Looking for these potential sites, eliminating them from our homes and neighborhoods can play a big role in controlling the number of mosquitoes we come into contact with.
For areas where eliminating water isn’t feasible, the City of Sheridan utilizes a variety of larvicide products that target mosquito larva and prevent them from becoming adults. All of the products utilized are US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- registered. The larvicide products utilized by the City of Sheridan are not traditional insecticides. The larvicide products used are insect growth regulators and bacterium known as Bti. These larvicide products are more target specific than adult fogging. This allows the program to eliminate mosquitoes without harming other beneficial insects.
For More Information, Read the Resources Below
Insect Growth Regulators
Bti for Mosquito Control
Home Owner's Mosquito Control