Reports started trickling in to our inbox and social media feeds on Saturday night that planes had begun buzzing parts of Wellesley, including the Westgate Road area, to spray for mosquitoes.

Indeed, the town issued the following memo on Sunday:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Agricultural Resources have announced plans for additional aerial spraying to combat mosquitos carrying the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus.

Communities that are scheduled to be partially or fully sprayed beginning on Sept. 10 and into next week include:

• Norfolk County: Bellingham, Franklin, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Medfield, Walpole, Wrentham, Foxborough, Sharon, Norwood, Westwood, Dover, Needham, Wellesley
• Middlesex County: Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, Sherborn, Framingham, Natick, Wayland, Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, Hudson, Marlborough, Weston
• Worcester County: Berlin, Boylston, Northborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Grafton, Upton, Milford, Hopedale, Mendon, Blackstone, Millville, Uxbridge, Douglas, Northbridge, Sutton, Millbury, Auburn, Oxford, Webster, Southborough, Bolton, Clinton, West Boylston, Worcester, Charlton, Dudley, Leicester, Harvard

According to the town:

While the Town of Wellesley remains at a low risk level for EEE, a portion of the Town is located in the defined spray path and will be sprayed at night, between the hours of 7:15 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., sometime within the next five to six days. The specific areas impacted will be in the 02482 zip code and the western edge of the 02481 zip code. Morses Pond and Lake Waban, both open bodies of water, will be excluded from spraying as will Fuller Brook and other tributary streams.

Here’s a map showing which part of Wellesley will be in the spray zone. You can plug an address into this interactive map to get more specific spray coverage info.

The town of Wellesley issued an update on EEE on Monday, saying it had no plans to spray but that things could change based on risk levels. Concerned citizens had been circulating a petition/letter urging town officials to spray sooner than later.

Residents with specific questions and concerns about EEE and aerial spraying should contact the Massachusetts DPH 24-hour hot line at 617-983-6800.

The Town of Wellesley has updated its guidance regarding Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), while concerned residents have been circulating a letter and petition they plan to send to the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health.

Testing has shown low mosquito counts in Wellesley and no EEE-infected ones, so Wellesley remains at a low risk level for EEE even as Sudbury, Sherborn and other communities have been affected. But the Health Department on Monday recommended that “residents take additional precautions by staying indoors during peak mosquito times and continuing to use insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites.”

The town issued an earlier update on the EEE threat in late August.

Outdoor activities such as sports games and practices that occur in the later evening or early morning hours may need to be restricted or rescheduled, according to the town.  WPS home games and practices are generally finished before 6 p.m. and the district is continuing to work with neighboring communities to reschedule away games if needed. Town playing fields remain open.

The town has no plans to spray for mosquitoes. But if the risk level is elevated, it will consider doing so. The Health Department, Natural Resources Commission (NRC) and Department of Public Works have a pest management program to limit the use of pesticide spraying.

A letter circulating among residents and that had dozens of accompanying signatures as of Monday afternoon reads as follows:

We are writing to express our concern over our children’s potential
exposure to EEE when playing sports in town during the late afternoon
and evening when mosquitos become most active. As you are aware, EEE
infected mosquitos have been found in communities increasingly close
to Wellesley. Given that symptoms don’t show up until three to ten
days after a bite, exposure has become widespread well before anyone
is diagnosed and a town’s risk status is elevated.

We believe that Wellesley should respond proactively to this growing
threat with immediate and widespread spraying, with a particular focus
on the playing fields.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

To date, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has confirmed 7 human cases of EEE in the Commonwealth this year.