Mosquito Abatement in West Central Wyoming

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.

Agriculture and Flood Irrigation in Wyoming

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.

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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.

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Mosquito Management in Wyoming

There are currently 59 entities managing mosquitoes across the state, but staffing and funding are limited or inconsistent. Many areas have no dedicated funding sources, relying instead on grants or emergency allocations.

To address this need, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture launched the Emergency Insect Management Grant (EIMG) in response to the emergence of West Nile Virus in the U.S. In 2003, the Wyoming Legislature passed the Emergency Insect Management Program Act, which supports supplemental funding to help manage emergency outbreaks of insect pests and disease vectors. The goal is to protect human health, livestock, wildlife, agriculture, and natural resources.

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Looking Forward

Across the state, mosquito abatement staff are stretched thin, with limited dedicated funding and, in some cases, only Emergency Insect Management Grant (EIMG) funds available. Historically, Wyoming has seen limited surveillance and testing for West Nile Virus.

The Wyoming Mosquito & Vector Management Association (WMVMA) is proud to be partnering with the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory (WPHL) to increase vector-borne disease surveillance throughout Wyoming. Specifically, this partnership will support mosquito abatement programs across the state to significantly increase WNV testing capacities. Teton County Weed & Pest is also partnering with the WPHL on special tick-borne disease surveillance projects. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with annual stakeholders to identify promising solutions that best serve our community and neighboring rural areas.

Get Involved

Want to get involved in managing mosquitoes on your own property? Contact our team to learn how to become a Neighborhood Advocate, or email our outreach coordinator, Lesley Beckworth (lbeckworth@tcweed.org).