"1 VS 500"... Why Winter Mosquito Larvae Must Be Caught

Yangcheon-gu Conducts Intensive Winter Mosquito Larvae Control to Prepare for Summer

"Catching one winter mosquito larva has the effect of eliminating more than 500 summer mosquitoes."

Yangcheon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) has launched a winter mosquito larva control operation to effectively reduce the number of summer mosquitoes by removing winter mosquitoes and larvae living in building septic tanks, underground spaces, and other areas.

Controlling winter mosquito larvae is a cost-effective way to reduce mosquito occurrence in advance. Eliminating one winter mosquito larva can achieve a control effect equivalent to eliminating more than 500 summer mosquitoes. Especially, due to rising temperatures from global warming and improved heating conditions, adult winter mosquitoes breeding hidden in building basements are increasingly active from early spring, making winter mosquito control even more important.

The site of mosquito larva control activities conducted last winter by the Yangcheon-gu Quarantine Task Force. Provided by Yangcheon-gu.

Yangcheon-gu is deploying the public health center’s pest control task force to conduct intensive control in 100 large buildings with septic tanks and sumps for more than 200 people, such as apartments and complex buildings. The winter mosquito larva control operation will continue until March next year.

The pest control task force will visit target facilities directly to check for mosquito larvae habitats and apply larvicidal agents to underground spaces, septic tanks, sumps, and other areas where many adult mosquitoes and larvae are found. After applying the agents, education on mosquito larva control methods will be provided to building managers to enable continuous management.

In addition, the district requests cooperation for winter mosquito control at 791 facilities subject to mandatory disinfection. Facilities such as schools, lodging businesses, and apartment complexes with more than 300 households, which require regular disinfection, will be actively informed about the need for winter mosquito control, and mosquito control will be conducted together during regular disinfection.

Meanwhile, besides pest control and disinfection activities, the district is making multifaceted efforts to prevent mosquito-borne infectious diseases by monitoring mosquito occurrence and pathogens inside mosquitoes through light traps (lights that attract mosquitoes), encouraging voluntary prevention practices by residents through a 98-member Village Love Pest Control Volunteer Group, and installing eco-friendly pest repellents in areas with high foot traffic.

District Mayor Lee Gi-jae said, "Unlike summer mosquito control, winter control focuses intensively on specific points that match mosquito breeding conditions, making it more effective and efficient," and added, "We will do our best to ensure residents have a comfortable summer through intensive winter mosquito larva control."