Spring blooms brings us closer to the emergence of that pesky, hurtful, dangerous pest, the mosquito.

Many a barbecue deck and columned front porch will become lifeless except a single cook, braving the onslaught to create a genuine barbecue meal.

Last year, there was an article in your newspaper concerning mosquito control, certainly a huge oxymoron in itself. City officials stated in essence that mosquito control had become too “expensive;” they had been forced to use only one large drum of the spray, rather than two, due to the rise in cost.

But, they also claimed Natchez was still being sprayed on a regular basis. When does this spraying occur?

In the two summers I have lived here, I cannot recall seeing, hearing or smelling the spray or the truck. My neighbors, with whom I have spoken, also have no recollection of spraying, except in years past, when it was regularly executed. Now, it’s too expensive?

Is Natchez in such dire financial shape that it cannot afford this one procedure to help protect its citizens?

I realize it will not kill all the little vultures, but it should reduce them, if the spraying is done efficiently and frequently — once a month will not cut the mustard. Perhaps, we can then at least hold our own.

The West Nile Virus does kill, thankfully only in small numbers. However, many people contact the disease and do not die, but suffer greatly. Isn’t the life of even one citizen a year and the suffering of countless others worth that extra drum or whatever it takes, to get the mosquito control truck rolling and spraying again? We’ll soon find out.

Rolland Golden

Natchez resident