June 2015

Welcome to the Teton County Weed and Pest District newsletter! We plan on updating subscribers monthly on useful information pertaining to Mosquitoes and Invasive Species.

 

In this edition you will find information regarding:

  • TCWP's mosquito program carries gold membership in pesticide environmental stewardship!

  • TCWP's Seasonal Smiling Faces
  • TCD's 11th Annual Cost Share - Update
  • Upcoming Events - Play, Clean, Go Day and National Mosquito Control Awareness Week

TCWP's mosquito program carries gold membership in pesticide environmental stewardship!

           Teton County Weed & Pest District's mosquito program is living up to its mission by providing superior noxious weed and pest control in Teton County, through environmentally sound integrated management practices and education. The District recently was recognized for its membership in the Gold Tier of the EPA's Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) since 2007. The EPA's website states the "gold membership is reserved for PESP's outstanding environmental stewards".  Marta Iwaseczko, Assistant Supervisor, has put in countless hours making the mission a reality by reducing pesticide risk through integrated mosquito management techniques. "This goal is not to be confused with eliminating pesticide use. It is strictly about being more deliberate and mindful in our use of pesticides. The more we know about the target species, the better enabled we are to take advantage of their particular vulnerabilities," states Iwaseczko.

A prime example of this approach is the program's focus on the use of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) for controlling mosquito larvae. "This ubiquitous soil bacterium generates proteins that are toxic to a very small subset of flies, including mosquitoes, which have receptors for these toxins in their gut walls. A mosquito larva ingests these proteins, loses gut wall integrity and dies, while most of the other organisms sharing its habitat go unharmed," she explains. Continue reading

TCWP's Seasonal Smiling Faces 

Summer started early in the valley this year, but luckily so did the TCWP seasonal crew! Our first crew members arrived in early May, and the last few trickled in last week. They are out and about larviciding for mosquitoes and treating invasive species. Despite less than ideal weather conditions, crew members have been troopers and are working hard.

 

They hail from Idaho, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and Georgia. We even have a few from Wyoming and even right here in Jackson. Some come to us with lots of experience in weed control from working on the family farm or in landscaping, but some are accounting and political science majors. Regardless, they are all eager to learn and are doing a fantastic job! We could not cover the entire county without them!

 

Give them a honk and a wave when you see them!
TCD's 11th Annual Cost Share Program Update

2015 marks the 11th year of the Teton Conservation District's noxious weed cost-share program.  Over the years many properties have changed quite a bit, and thus so has the weed "picture".  Recognizing this, we will begin re-mapping properties that have been consistent participants since the program's inception.  If you have received an emailing requesting permission to perform this service, please respond as soon as possible.  Never fear if you have not received this request, as it is anticipated that we will continue to update this mapping data each year.
 

Treated vs. Untreated
Oxeye daisy
While it may seem like summer has just begun,

now is the time to begin treating noxious weeds on your property to prevent seed production.  Common plants that are treated too late include: houndstongue, hoary alyssum, dame's rocket, and oxeye daisy.  Don't let your work be negated by allowing plants to produce seed!  Do you have neighbors that need encouragement to treat their weeds?  Mention this program to them - they will not only be provided a financial incentive (up to 25% off of treatment costs), but we will also provide a detailed weed map and management plan to them for their reference.  

 

As always, there is no need to re-enroll for this program if you have submitted an application in the past.  While treating your property this year, be sure to keep track of your treatments using our "Herbicide Application Record" excel sheet available at http://www.tcweed.org/TCD-Cost-Share.php. New this year is the ability to submit forms and records electronically...stay tuned for more info regarding this process.

 

Upcoming Events
Tonight: Tuesday, June 9th - Join TCWP, Teton Alchemy, and the LEED AP with Hershberger Design for Green Drinks at Lift form 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 13th - Play, Clean, Go Day! How will you Play, Clean, Go this summer? Don't miss our $50 giveaway on our Facebook page. Check it out!

June 21 - 27th, 2015 - National Mosquito Control Awareness Week will be filled with information to protect yourself from West Nile Virus. 
Thank you for subscribing to the Teton County Weed and Pest District Newsletter. We hope that you find the information useful! If there are any topics that would be of interest to you, please email me your suggestions. 

 

 

Sincerely, 

Amy Collett
Teton County Weed and Pest District
7575 S. Hwy 89 Jackson, WY 83001
307-733-8419

Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter