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The way mosquito control expert Anthony Texeira puts it his toolbox for fighting potentially deadly mosquitoes is empty. So everyone needs to be extra careful.

On Friday, Middleboro was declared at critical risk levels for Eastern equine encephalitis after a horse died from the virus. The state Department of Public Health ranks EEE at five levels: remote, low, moderate, high and critical when risk has been determined to be excessive.

The death of the horse was the first indication EEE was in Middleboro, but Texeira, who is superintendent of Plymouth County Mosquito Control, believes the virus has been in town all summer even though it didnt show up in any samples.

Its like fishing, he said. Just because you dont catch a fish, doesnt mean there arent any fish out there.

Texeira said now that Middleboro has reached critical status, neighboring towns such as Lakeville and Plympton should take notice and consider that they are at equal risk.

In past years, planes were contracted to be on standby to apply a pesticide when EEE reached the critical risk level. But thats not an option this late in the season and residents cant rely on ground spraying to knock down the killer mosquitoes either.

Spraying is done between dusk and dawn, and Texeira said now its too cold for either method to be effective because mosquitoes arent flying when its below 60 degrees.

This is that time of the year we dont have anything left in our toolbox to go after them, Texeira said.

And that leaves the responsibility for keeping safe up to the individual.

Middleboro Health Officer Jeanne C. Spalding advises all outside events end before the high risk-times between dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are more active.

Read more:
Mosquito experts defenseless against EEE