UPDATE: Laramie Larvicide Application Postponed Until June 17

UPDATE: Due to supply chain issues, the granular Larvicide application that had been planned for June 10 has now been moved back to June 17.

The City Of Laramie will be dispersing a granular larvicide to rural areas adjacent to Laramie this week.

That's according to a post on the City of Laramie Facebook page.

According to the post, the application will start at daybreak on the 10th. The larvicide will be Bacillus thuringensis israelensis, a bacteria that is used to control some insect larvae. The bacteria is harmless to fish, amphibians, livestock, or other aquatic invertebrates. The granular form of the bacteria "is designed to penetrate heavy grasses and brushy foliage to reach water sources, especially in hay fields, where larvae are present"

According to the post, "Treatment areas include irrigated acreages along the Big Laramie River southwest of the city, flooded riparian zones in the Big Laramie flood plain southwest and north of the city, and acreages north and west of the city that are irrigated by the North Canal and the Pioneer Canal."

Some Mosquitoes Carry West Nile Virus

Beyond the obvious nuisance posed by mosquito bites, some of the insects can carry the West Nile Virus. That virus is carried by Culex Tarsalis mosquitoes, and was found in both the Cheyenne and Laramie areas last summer.

While most people infected with the virus don't develop any symptoms and never know they are sick. About one in five will develop mild symptoms like fever, headache and body aches. But a very small number can become seriously ill, including brain and spinal chord inflammation. Severe symptoms can include coma, disorientation, numbness and paralysis.