The Regional District’s mosquito control program has been in place since 1974. From April to August each year between 200 and 300 properties are checked for mosquitoes in Areas A, B, C, D, F, G, and H as well as Osoyoos, Oliver, Penticton and Summerland.

BC Ministry of Environment requires the preparation and submission for approval of a Pest Management Plan (PMP) in accordance with section 58 of the Integrated Pest Management Regulation. This PMP is in force for a five-year period from the date that a Pesticide Use Notice (PUN) has been submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment. Our current PMP is in effect until May, 2018.
The Regional District trains certified technicians to operate the program with oversight by the Public Works Projects Coordinator. They check stagnant water bodies for mosquito larvae and treat with larvicide granules as required. RDOS technicians check all properties likely to produce mosquitoes.

In accordance with B.C. Ministry of Environment habitat guidelines, the RDOS uses Vectobac and Aquabac 200G, a ‘non-toxic’, ‘organic’ pesticide.
The 2014 Budgeted expenditure was $132,700 of which $95,000 has been expensed. The 2015 proposed Budget is $134,543.

Although the number (20) of complaints registered in the 2014 season is relatively low, in areas adjacent to larval development habitat, mosquito populations can become extremely high. When this happens, quality of life for residents in the area can decrease because of limited outdoor activity. In some instances human and animal health can be impacted as some mosquito species are capable of transmitting illnesses such as Western Equine Encephalitis, Canine Heartworm and West Nile virus along with economic impacts such as reduced tourism, property values and losses in the cattle industry.

The time spent in the various areas is listed in the table below. The time spent listed in Column 4 is calculated with the actual helicopter time multiplied by a factor of five to obtain an equivalent backpack/hand spraying time. Helicopter spraying is efficient but expensive and saved for when most effective. Four flights were conducted in 2014.
*It is important to note that flood levels were lower in the 2014 season compared to previous years, leading to lower mosquito larvae numbers and less of the helicopter budget used.