West Kelowna city council has rejected the idea of a mosquito-control program.

Despite a staff recommendation to investigate the cost, several councillors blasted the proposal, with one calling it 害羞草研究所渞idiculous,害羞草研究所� another saying it would be 害羞草研究所渢hrowing good money after bad,害羞草研究所� and a third saying by the time the plan would come together this year, the mosquitoes will be dead.

Both Coun. Rosalind Neis and Coun. Duane Ophus suggested it害羞草研究所檚 too late in the year to look at such a program.

害羞草研究所淕oing down this road, at this time of year, would be ridiculous,害羞草研究所� said Ophus, calling any proposed mosquito-control program just for public property 害羞草研究所渢oo expensive and not efficient.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e have to draw the line somewhere,害羞草研究所� he said.

Neis said given that it is now the middle of June, by the time such a program would be up and running the mosquitoes will likely have died off for the season. She added she did not want to see money and staff time used on the program when so much is already happening in the city that needs staff attention.

Coun. Bryden Winsby said he feared the public would react negatively to a program that only dealt with mosquitoes on public, not private, land.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檒l say the city spent a pile of dough chasing mosquitoes trying to kill them and it didn害羞草研究所檛 solve my problem at all,害羞草研究所� said Winsby. 害羞草研究所淲e still have clouds of them.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 throwing good money after bad.害羞草研究所�

The Central Okanagan Regional District, which has operated a small mosquito control program in two areas of the city dating back to before provincial money was available for the task during the West Nile Virus scare 10 years ago, has estimated the cost of a city-wide program would be between $22,000 and $44,000 per year. Provincial money for mosquito control dried up in 2012.

Mayor Doug Findlater said he was concerned about getting into a regional program because it was 害羞草研究所渓ike Hotel California害羞草研究所攐nce you get in, you can害羞草研究所檛 get out.害羞草研究所�

After the motion to investigate the cost of the program was defeated, Findlater害羞草研究所攚ho moved it and voted for it害羞草研究所攕aid he would not shed a tear over its defeat.