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Mosquitoes have been a nuisance in Laramie this year with higher numbers than usual. The weather helped them to reproduce and hinder control efforts.
The cold and wet thunderstorms of spring and evening have created fertile ground for the insect. Mosquitoes like to lay eggs in wet areas.
Due to the growing number of mosquitoes, mosquito control in the city of Laramie is struggling to control this pest. The City of Laramie uses an integrated pest management program to target mosquitoes at the larval and adult stages. For the larval control stage, the mosquito control crew must move to waterbodies.
They use a tool called a ladle – a kind of cup at the end of a stick – to take samples in the water. If they can see the mosquito larvae, they release into the water an environmentally friendly bacterium called BTI. These bacteria specifically target and kill mosquito and black fly larvae.
But if larval control helps, fog is the most effective way to fight mosquitoes. Spraying a chemical that kills adult mosquitoes moves them away from the breeding pond, which is one of the most effective ways to reduce a population.
"For the control of adult mosquitoes, it was a difficult year with good conditions, because we have to be able to follow the label to be able to treat," said Tyler Shevling, supervisor of mosquito control. "And the label says we have to be above 50 degrees and the wind is blowing under 10 miles at the hour, which has been quite difficult in the Laramie Valley this summer. "
These constraints are largely aimed at ensuring that mosquitoes are effectively removed during spraying, otherwise it is virtually useless.
Shevling and the rest of the mosquito control team also monitor the number of mosquito traps even if they are unable to steam regularly. The number of mosquitoes in the traps around the city can indicate the total number of mosquitoes in the city.
"We make fog based on the number of traps and our thresholds, and now all the traps are over, and the fog rotation will continue until we get those numbers," Shevling said. "We are ready to go every night hoping for a better weather."
He is optimistic that they will soon start to fog up regularly.
"As the conditions improve, we will have better control of mosquitoes, we are really at a peak or just below the peak now, and with the best conditions we will have a better chance of getting out. to spray and the conditions will improve "I said.
In the meantime, to avoid being bitten, he said that everyone should stay indoors morning and evening, when mosquitoes are the most active. He also said to wear an EPA approved repellent, such as DEET, to protect himself when you go out.
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