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Sheridan County Weed & Pest reports active season, finds West Nile–positive mosquito pools
Summary
Weed & Pest supervisor Walker Billings reported nine seasonals, extensive spray projects (including helicopter work), a large grasshopper program, and a few mosquito pools that tested positive for West Nile virus; county and city abatement efforts reduced mosquito counts in North Sheridan.
Walker Billings, supervisor of Sheridan County Weed & Pest, gave commissioners a quarterly update on Aug. 11 summarizing the office’s summer work and fall plans.
Billings said the office employed nine seasonal workers, used contracted crews and a helicopter for leafy spurge projects, and ran a sizable grasshopper spray program focused in Badger Creek, Cootan Creek and near Ash Creek. “We had 9 seasonals this summer… We had a crew of 5 spraying leafy spurge. They did 4 large projects on private fleets plus 1 special project,” Billings said.
He reported a small number of mosquito pools tested positive for West Nile virus this year — the first detection since 2023 — and the office partnered with the city on abatement in the north side of Sheridan to bring larval counts down. “We ramped up our program again… we were finding like 50 before and now we’re finding like 2 or 3,” he said, noting the city agreed to continue abatement north of city limits.
Billings also noted state funds received this spring will support remediation projects tied to the Elk Fire and that the office is planning a larger fall grass program and additional work on Badger and Remington fire areas.
