Teton County Weed & Pest: Guardians of the Ecosystem

Historically, the Teton County Weed and Pest Lab served primarily the vector surveillance side — the PEST side — of Weed & Pest. A vital component of any effective vector surveillance program is, of course, species identification (microscopy). At one point, that was the lab’s primary function. As my colleague Mikenna Smith, Entomologist at TCWP, likes to say, the lab was once “a closet with a microscope.” But over time, Mikenna transformed that closet into a functioning laboratory — evolving it to meet the growing needs of a modern vector surveillance program. This included adding qPCR-based pathogen testing and implementing a tick surveillance program.

Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote and hold public office. It is also home to Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the U.S. With just 590,000 residents, Wyoming remains the least populated state in the country. Its second nickname, “The Cowboy State,” reflects its long-standing ranching history.Much of Wyoming’s landscape is well-suited for livestock production. More than two-thirds of the land is dedicated to grazing, with cattle being the dominant livestock, followed by sheep and hogs to a lesser degree. The state also produces large quantities of hay.While crop production is less common than grazing, Wyoming farms grow sugar beets, dry beans, seed potatoes, and grains such as wheat, barley, oats, and corn.Wyoming is a rural and arid state, with most of its precipitation falling as snow. In the summer months, water stored in rivers becomes vital for irrigating agricultural lands. Of all irrigated land used for agriculture in Wyoming, flood irrigation accounts for over two-thirds of irrigation practices. However, flood irrigation creates ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes—especially across large acreages that are often adjacent to small communities. Many of these areas lack formal mosquito abatement programs, posing challenges to both public health and agriculture.

We’re often asked: what’s the difference between weeds and invasive plants? They’re both unwanted, often tough to remove, and we offer tips for control and extermination for both. With so many overlaps, it can be confusing to tell the difference. We’re here to help spell out what makes a weed a weed, what makes an invasive plant an invader, and how to tell the difference.

For this Weed of the Month, we’re laying bare skeletonleaf bursage—bones and all. Although it’s a native, it competes with crops and can cause severe allergic reactions. We’ve got the tips and tricks to managing and eliminating this pest.