News

October is Firewood Month!

October is Firewood Month! Did you know every person who uses the Bridger-Teton National Forest plays a vital role in protecting the forest land we all love? Enjoying a campfire at the conclusion of a day’s activities could bring some unintended consequences. Invasive and destructive pests can be transported inside of firewood that is brought in from out of the area.

Your Property Taxes at Work

Teton County Weed & Pest Control District (TCWP) is a statutorily mandated special district funded through a dedicated property tax mill levy. Governed by a board appointed by the county commission, TCWP operates independently of the county general fund to carry out invasive species management and vector-borne disease prevention. TCWP’s mission is to protect and restore ecosystem health while safeguarding public well-being. In 2025, the district employed 9 full-time staff and 16 seasonal employees, whose efforts are essential to field operations, monitoring, and community programs. Together, this team works to support a healthy environment and empowered community across Teton County.

NISAW: Defending Our Health By Stopping the Spread

Invasive species are a worldwide threat, posing danger not just to wildlife and our environment, but to agriculture, economies, and our very health. National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) is an annual campaign led by The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) that’s dedicated to shining a spotlight on the widespread damage caused by invasive species and how we can work together to stop them.

Lab Safety

At TCWP, we have a BSL- 2 (Biological Safety Level 2) lab that allows us to test for various pathogens in common vectors, including mosquitoes within 24-48 hours of collection for West Nile Virus and ticks for Colorado Tick Fever Virus (CTFV), and more. As the workload on our lab and team increases, so do the hazards. We’re proud of the safety protocols we have in place that protect our team and the community. Learn more about how Lab Safety keeps our team and mission running responsibly.

Investigating Colorado Tick Fever Virus (CTFV) transovarial transmission in Dermacentor andersoni in Wyoming

Ever wondered about Colorado Tick Fever Virus pathogen transmission pathways and prevalence in our community? No Problem. We’ve got you covered. Check out the results from our team’s recent outing and research presentation, “Investigating Colorado Tick Fever Virus (CTFV) transovarial transmission (TOT) in Dermacentor andersoni in Wyoming!

2025 End of Year Report

"Our mission is to protect, manage, and restore ecosystem integrity through comprehensive invasive species and vector-borne disease management - for the benefit of both ecological and human health. While this may sound like a lofty goal, it’s one we pursue every day with dedication and purpose. At the District, delivering the highest level of service to Teton County isn’t just our mission - it’s what we do. In this report you’ll see the many ways our small but mighty team of nine full-time staff and sixteen employees works tirelessly to care for this community. Beyond our “regular responsibilities, we are also proud to have hosted the 81st Wyoming Weed & Pest Annual Conference in October, welcoming more than 150 friends and colleagues from across the state. We extend a special thanks to the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board and the Sustainable Business Leaders program for their generous support, which helped make this outstanding event possible. From integrated invasive species management and West Nile virus prevention, to coordinating with Working Dogs for Conservation in support of our longest-running program - the Snake River Project (est. 2001) - to launching our newest initiative, Tick Blitz, this report highlights the many ways TCWP is working for you. Our team is made up of passionate, driven individuals who care deeply about their neighbors and the ecosystems we all depend on. I’m proud to share their work with you and invite you to learn more, get involved, and discover how we can work together to make Jackson Hole healthier and more resilient today, tomorrow, and for generations to come." - Erika Edmiston, District Supervisor

How to #PlayCleanGo this Winter Season!

Winter recreation in Teton County is a way of life. From backcountry skiing and snowmobiling to fat biking and snowshoeing. But even when the landscape looks frozen and pristine, invasive species can still hitch a ride. Seeds and plant fragments from invasive weeds often cling to boots, skis, and snowmobile tracks, dogs, and vehicles. When snow melts and mud season begins, those seeds are deposited into vulnerable trailheads, parking areas, and wildlife habitat. Practicing PlayCleanGo year-round helps protect the places we love before damage takes root!

Diversifying the Capacity of the District’s Lab to Provide Genetic Identification of Invasive Plants

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.

Concerns of Impacts to Weed Biocontrol from Mosquito Abatement

Thank you to Mikenna Smith, Teton County Weed and Pest Entomologist, for her contributions to this article from her recent research presentation. Biocontrol and Mosquito Control: Are They at Odds? As an entomologist working in both biological control (biocontrol) of weeds and mosquito abatement, I often find myself in a unique position to explore how these two practices interact. When researching whether mosquito control affects weed biocontrol agents, I found surprisingly little direct research. However, there’s a lot of literature on how mosquito pesticides affect non-target insects in general. That’s what I’ve used to guide this discussion.

Detecting Tick-Borne Viruses in Wyoming: Better Testing, Better Protection

When ticks test negative for pathogens, how can we be sure the results aren’t compromised by degraded sample quality and technical errors? That question drove a recent project by our team to improve the diagnostic accuracy for tick-borne viruses—and it’s already making a difference for Teton County public health! Thank you to Kelsey Mitchell, Teton County Weed and Pest Biologist, and Mikenna Smith, Teton County Weed and Pest Entomologist, for conducting this research and in preparing this presentation that drives solutions for our community!