Gwangmyeong City Declares War on "Lovebugs"... Launches Proactive Intensive Control from May

Preemptive Control of Larvae Habitats in May
On-Site Pest Control in Outbreak Areas from June to July
Formation of "Emergency Pest Control Task Force" and Interdepartmental Cooperation
Systematic Response to High Volumes of Civil Complaints

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province is launching a proactive response to the annual rise in citizens’ discomfort caused by the "lovebug" (Plecia nearctica, also known as the red-backed hairy fly).

Gwangmyeong City mobilizes all efforts for proactive response against 'Lovebug'... Focused control measures starting from May. Photo by Gwangmyeong City

On April 27, the city announced that it has designated the period from May to July as the "Lovebug Intensive Control Period" and will commence full-scale countermeasures.

With the recent temperature increases causing the appearance of the insects to occur earlier each year, the city is taking preemptive action starting in May—earlier than the peak outbreak period in June.

The city has analyzed the timing of lovebug occurrences over the past two years, held two joint meetings with relevant departments in October last year and on April 14 this year, and completed advance preparations by checking interdepartmental cooperation plans.

First, an "Emergency Pest Control Task Force" has been formed, centered around the public health center, with participation from the Safety Management Division, Garden City Division, and Resource Circulation Division, to enable a systematic response.

The public health center will oversee pest control, the Safety Management Division will provide manpower such as voluntary disaster prevention teams, the Garden City Division will manage forested areas where lovebugs mainly inhabit, and the Resource Circulation Division will be responsible for disposing of insect carcasses, ensuring close interdepartmental cooperation.

Field control will be handled by 16 pest control personnel from the public health center, organized into eight teams of two people each. They will work in cooperation with voluntary disaster prevention teams from 19 districts to conduct regular monitoring and control. In cases where a large number of complaints arise, the Emergency Pest Control Task Force will intervene.

Additionally, the city has secured pest control equipment and chemicals, including one motorized sprayer vehicle, 24 manual sprayers, 165 electric and solar-powered insect traps, 19 repellant spray boxes, and 1,396 liters of insecticide.

Pest control will be carried out in phases, tailored to each period. In May, efforts will focus on controlling larvae habitats by collecting fallen leaves and leaf litter from areas adjacent to forests and flower beds, and removing sediment from drainage channels to prevent larvae from settling.

From June, the focus will shift to strengthening field response in areas where adult insects appear. Once an outbreak is confirmed, intensive water spraying will be conducted immediately, and in the event of large-scale occurrences, chemical control measures using insecticides will be implemented concurrently.

In particular, given that the lovebug is not a legally designated vector of infectious diseases, the city plans to prioritize eco-friendly water spraying for pest control during normal times and minimize the use of chemical agents.

Furthermore, physical control measures such as sticky traps and night-time lure traps will be deployed, especially around forests adjacent to residential areas and hiking trails. The Forest Disaster Response Team will check the condition of traps and lure devices during patrols and install additional ones as needed.

Choi Hyemin, Acting Mayor (Deputy Mayor) of Gwangmyeong, stated, "To minimize inconvenience to citizens caused by lovebugs, we will respond proactively from the early stages of occurrence and further strengthen the on-site response system through interdepartmental cooperation. We will continue regular monitoring and systematic pest control activities to do our utmost in protecting citizens’ health and ensuring a safe living environment."

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