Weeds
With respect to the weed control, the mechanical portion of our program is mowing. The Weed Department has a John Deere tractor with a flail type mower. A summer time college student runs the tractor. This year the equipment operator is Beau Pitt a local Lander Valley High School graduate attending U.W. This is Beau's second season with the city. Another Lander graduate, Bill Malcolm, handles the chemical control portion of our program; Bill was been with the city for three years. Bill operates the weed spraying truck and the four-wheeler. The city's biocontrol program is a joint effort with the Fremont County Weed and Pest. Nancy Webber is the supervisor and biological control technician for the county weed and pest. She has released Apthona Lacertoces (flea beetles) on Leafy Spurge within the city limits and city properties outside of the city limits. The larva of this beetle eats the hair roots off of the plant and plant dies. She has also released a new biocontrol agent (Mecinus Janthinus) a boring weevil on Dalmation Toadflax at the golf course. Nancy Webber is very dedicated to her position as the biological control technician for the weed district.

Mosquito Larva
We are very proud of our larvacide program. It in its self is an IPM program. The mechanical portion of the program is not what it uses to be. Years ago we use to try and drain a swamp to control the breeding sites. Now with the wetlands laws this is just about a thing of the past. Our mechanical control is now limited to asking people to keep away from having any standing water around their homes. Old birdbaths, kids pools and spare tires are all examples of prime breeding sites for mosquitoes. The largest chemical portion our program is the use of a juvenal hormone that prevents the larva from becoming adults. The biological control is a product that when eaten by the larva affects the gut of the larva and it dies. The product Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI for short) is a natural occurring bacterium found in most soils. I am hoping to work with the Wyoming game and fish and the City of Riverton to get the Colorado Killie fish planted into some of the golf course pounds.

Adult Mosquitoes
The Adult Mosquito program is a chemical based spray program. The adult mosquito control is started when the number of complaints from the citizens reaches an unacceptable level. The city is trying a new product called Anvil. Anvil is based on the natural occurring substance found in the casanthermum flower. The spraying will be done on Thursday nights and start at dawn and run until the city has been covered.

Mosquito that carries West Nile

Q&A ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF SPRAY
USED BY THE CITY

Just how much Malathion does the city spray on my lot? Let's figure this out. If we spray at 4.3oz. Per minute at a speed of 10 mph and we get a drift of 300 ft. then we are putting down 2/3 oz per acre. Let's check the math.

At 10 mph you are traveling 14.7 feet per second. So in 60 seconds you travel (60sec X 14.7ft/sec = 882 ft).

Now let's figure out the area covered in one minute of spraying. The ideal drift from a ULV spray is 300 ft. So if you take the length of travel times the width of the spray we will get the sq.ft. covered. Let's do the math.

822 ft. length of travel X 300 ft. width of spray drift = 264600 sq. ft. area sprayed
in one minute of spraying

Now just what does that mean? Well let's look at it this way. There is 43560 sq. ft. in an acre. So if we divide 264600 by 43560 you will get the number of acres sprayed in one minute of spraying. Math time again.

264600 sq.ft. sprayed / 43560sq. ft per acre = 6.07 acres let's just say 6 ok?

How many ounces does the city use per acre? In order to answer that question we need to do a little more math. Ok? We are spraying at the rate of 4.3 oz. per minute and if we divide that by the number of acres per minute we'll get the ounces per acre of spray.

4.3 ounce per minute / 6 acres per minute = 43/60. I think we can
call that 2/3 ounce per acre.

Now in order to answer that first question (how much) we need to figure out what part of an acre does your lot cover. The average lot in town is about 7500 sq.ft. So if we take the number of sq.ft in an acre and divide it by the number of sq. ft. in a lot we will get the number of lots in one acre.

43560sq. ft. per acre / 7500sq. ft. per lot = 5.808 lots per acre. Ok let's say 6

Now one more math problem and we will know how much Malathion per lot. If we spray 2/3 oz. per acre and your lot is 1/6 of an acre it should stand to reason that the amount of spray on your lot is 1/6 of the amount used on an acre. Last math problem I promise.

2/3 oz per acre / 6 lots per acre = 2/18 or 1/9 of and oz per lot.

Ok this is it the amount of spray the city uses on the average city lot. 1/9th of an ounce is equal to 3and1/3rd milliters or less then a teaspoon.