As warm summer weather entices people to spend more time outside, state health officials are warning residents to be more aware of the big dangers that lie in wait in the tiniest of organisms.

Jason Stull, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ public health veterinarian, said that right now marks the tail end of prime time for ticks and just the beginning for mosquitoes.

Ticks are out in droves during the months of June and July, while mosquitoes thrive in July and August during dawn and dusk.

That means anyone spending time outdoors is exposed to an increased risk for three diseases: West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and Lyme disease.

The symptoms for both EEE and West Nile are very similar and are very close to the symptoms of the common flu. Those who come down with severe cases of either of these mosquito-borne illnesses can expect to have a pounding headache and fever lasting several days. They can even go into a coma. Both diseases can be fatal, especially EEE, Stull said.

“About 30 percent of people who contract EEE die,” he said.

There are about 47 types of mosquitoes in the state, but only a handful of those are capable of carrying EEE. There’s really no way of knowing which species has landed on your skin to take a bite.

Lyme disease, transmitted by the blacklegged tick – commonly called the deer tick – also comes on like a flu, with symptoms including fever, fatigue, headache and a skin rash starting at the bite area.

The lower part of the state is rampant with deer ticks, Stull said.

“In Southern New Hampshire, about 50 percent or more of the ticks that we sampled in 2007 were positive for Lyme disease,” Stull said.

About 892 people in the state contracted Lyme in 2007, he said.

The best way for individuals to protect themselves against ticks and mosquitoes is to wear insect repellent with DEET as well as protective clothing. Both mosquitoes and ticks love damp areas, so steering clear of wet areas is another precaution.

b>What towns are doing

While there is little municipalities can do to fight ticks, there are ways of diminishing mosquito populations – if the town can pay for it.

Estimates for mosquito prevention and spraying run around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on what the town does and how large the town is.

Many towns have started to adopt the practice of injecting catch basins and breeding grounds with larvicide. This is when a synthetic chemical, usually a common one called BTI, is poured into the standing water for the mosquito larvae to eat. This is typically done in the spring to get the mosquitoes before they hatch.

According to Salem health officer Brian Lockard, Salem uses larvicides in certain areas and, depending on state lab testing on mosquitoes, decides whether or not to spray later in the summer. It’s important to inject larvicide early on, said Lockard, because when the larvae get to their final stage, they stop eating.

If signs of EEE or West Nile show up, the town will consider spraying fields, woodlands and other public areas for adult mosquitoes, which is less environmentally friendly than the larvicide approach.

The entire program, from doing the larvicide, to trapping and testing mosquitoes and spraying for adults, can cost the town roughly $47,000, Lockard said. Rockingham County is considered a hotbed for mosquitoes, Lockard said, because of the amount of wetlands and thus prime breeding grounds.

“We’re getting into that period of time in the summer where you start to see the EEE showing up in mosquitoes,” Lockard said. “If we do find the virus, then we’ll consider doing the adult spraying,” he added.

The town of Salem has four state-installed mosquito traps, Lockard said, but is not at liberty to say where they are, due to public misunderstanding and possible overreaction.

Windham also uses the larvicide approach, and upon state results, the Board of Selectmen decides whether or not to spray. They have not decided to spray this year, but did last year and the year before, said Planning Director Al Turner. The areas typically sprayed are the edges of the woods around the schools and public parks, he said.

The biggest threat falls in the late summer and fall, Turner said.

Windham Town Administrator David Sullivan said it costs about $25,000 for the larvicide every year, and the spraying can cost about $5,000.

Pelham Town Administrator Thomas Gaydos said they have also taken the larvicide approach this year, and are monitoring mosquito trappings.

The town would prefer not to spray for adults, given the harmful effects the chemical contained in some of the sprays can cause in people, animals and plants.

“The town would prefer not to spray but will if the situation warrants it,” said Gaydos.

He emphasized the importance of wearing DEET-based insect repellent when outside. Both the proactive (larvicide) and reactive (adulticide) measures are expensive. That’s why a lot of towns choose not to do anything about the mosquito problem but keep the public informed of the hazards they need to avoid during the summer months.

Hooksett Town Administrator David Jodoin said money has never been put into the budget for something like that.

“It’s controversial for a lot of people. Some people want the spraying done, some think it’s only going to hit in secluded areas,” Jodoin said, pointing out the effects the sprays can have on the environment.

Auburn Town Administrator Bill Herman said the issue of spraying has never really been raised in town, but added the parks and recreation department is considering the feasibility of spraying some of the baseball fields near wetlands.

“Spraying in and of itself won’t accomplish a whole lot,” Herman said, adding the larvicide approach is the best way to deter mosquitoes. “The real effort should be getting it early in the spring, around the catch basins and breading grounds.

“It’s not inexpensive. At least at this point, I’ve been told a town of our size would be looking in about the $30,000 to $50,000 range,” Herman added, saying such funds are not in the budget.

The public tends to latch onto the spraying, Herman said, because that is a very visible means of killing the mosquitoes, requiring someone with a backpack full of chemicals to actually walk around and spray.

Dr. Vincent Greco, the health officer for Pembroke, said the town has not been doing too much in terms of larvicide or spraying this year.

“This wet weather has not been conducive. Everything will be washed away,” Greco said. Mary Hall, the health and welfare officer for Candia, said she tried to get funding, starting about three years ago for mosquito control into the town’s budget, when the information about EEE and West Nile first began to really surface.

She’s been unable as of yet to secure the funding, she said. The town did spray several years ago.

This year, she was able to get the money to apply for a state permit that would authorize the Board of Selectmen to make a decision to spray.

“It gives us the go-ahead to figure out what we’re going to do,” Hall said, adding she would try again next year to get funding set aside for mosquito control.