"It's Hot but Can't Open Windows"…'Invasion of Insect Swarms' in Residential Areas

Love Bug Appears in Seoul's Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, and Goyang Areas... Eunpyeong District Launches Emergency Disinfection
Residents Continue to Suffer from 'Dongyang Harusari' on Namyangju Line... Pesticides Cannot Be Sprayed Near the Han River

Photo by Online Community

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Recently, residents in some areas of Seoul and around Goyang City have been experiencing discomfort due to the appearance of swarms of love bugs, also known as 'Love Bug'.

On social networking services (SNS), posts complaining about the damage have been appearing one after another, along with photos of love bugs stuck on window screens.

The love bug, an insect of the family Muscidae, is officially named 'Phlaeothrips niaktica' and is mainly found in Central America and the southeastern coastal regions of the United States. Both males and females fly in pairs even while flying and mating, which is why they are nicknamed 'Love Bug'.

Love bugs do not transmit diseases to humans nor are they toxic, but due to their unpleasant appearance and habit of flying towards people, they have become an object of aversion among citizens.

Resident A, living in Eunpyeong-gu, said, "Love bugs circle right in front of my eyes even when I walk on the street," adding, "I especially see them often at crosswalks and in densely populated residential areas."

As residents' complaints escalated, on the afternoon of the 2nd, Eunpyeong-gu Office announced, "Eunpyeong-gu is conducting emergency pest control for love bugs," and stated that they are carrying out emergency pest control using their own resources and mobilizing the Saemaeul autonomous pest control teams in each neighborhood.

The specific reason for the sudden increase in love bugs recently has not been confirmed. Some speculate that the humid weather following the start of the rainy season has had a significant impact. Love bugs are weak in dry weather and often die naturally.

Moreover, even if pesticides are sprayed, their effectiveness disappears when it rains, and the failure of the district office or health center to conduct timely pest control is also cited as a cause for the increase in the love bug population.

A swarm of Oriental mayflies flying onto the back. Photo by Namyangju City Official Website

Meanwhile, in Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province, residents' complaints about the 'Oriental mayfly' continue every year.

The adult Oriental mayfly is active from May to September. Although it is not a pest that transmits infectious diseases, it can cause discomfort to citizens because it appears in groups at night following bright lights.

For 16 years, nearby residents have suffered the pain of not being able to open their windows properly every summer due to the Oriental mayfly, but there is still no suitable eradication method. This is because insecticides cannot be used around the Han River, which is a protected water source area.

Furthermore, this year, temperatures are higher and rainfall is lower than usual, so the population is expected to increase, making urgent countermeasures necessary.

Accordingly, Namyangju City is employing various methods such as △shooting water cannons △installing sticky traps △releasing fish that eat larvae to control the pests.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.