"Off to a Troubling Start This Year" Swarming Already... Lovebugs Overrun Gyeyang Mountain, Authorities Take Action

Larvae Found Densely Populated Above 300 Meters Elevation
Eco-Friendly Pest Control Agent Trials Also Conducted

Large-scale pest control experiments are underway at Gyeyang Mountain in Incheon, which experienced a massive outbreak of the so-called "lovebugs" (red-backed plant bugs) last year that caused significant inconvenience for local residents.

On May 15, Yonhap News reported that the Incheon city government and the National Institute of Biological Resources plan to install 100 "attractant-based collection traps" around the 395-meter summit of Gyeyang Mountain by early next month.

Yonhap News Agency

These collection traps use an agent based on aromatic compounds that emit a specific scent to attract and capture adult lovebugs. The National Institute of Biological Resources initially planned to install 30 collection traps, but the number was significantly increased due to last year’s surge in the lovebug population at Gyeyang Mountain. Additionally, two "high-altitude collection traps," each measuring 3 meters in height and weighing 200 kilograms, will be installed at the summit. These high-altitude traps use special lighting to attract the lovebugs, which are then drawn in by suction.

To facilitate the installation of the collection equipment, the Incheon city government is also considering using the summit’s helipad for material transport. Given the large size of the equipment and the need to install it at the mountain’s summit, the city is moving forward with plans to contract a private helicopter company to assist with transportation. A city official stated, “Since the traps must be installed at the summit, we have decided to support the transport of materials,” adding, “We plan to enter into a contract with a private helicopter company.”

While lovebugs do not directly transmit infectious diseases to humans, their habit of flying in pairs in swarms and attaching themselves to residences, hiking trails, and vehicles during mass outbreaks causes discomfort and disruption to daily life for local residents. Since 2022, the population of lovebugs has noticeably increased, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area, resulting in repeated complaints from citizens.

At the end of June last year, the summit of Gyeyang Mountain in Gyeyang District, Incheon, was covered with lovebugs (red-backed plant bugs). Photo by Yonhap News.

In particular, a massive outbreak of lovebugs in the Gyeyang Mountain area in June last year caused significant inconvenience for hikers and residents. The number of lovebug-related complaints received by Gyeyang District rose sharply from 62 in 2022 to 472 last year, the highest among Incheon’s 10 districts and counties. Authorities are using Gyeyang Mountain as a key test site for various pest control measures aimed at reducing the lovebug population. Previously, on April 22 and May 6, Incheon city and the National Institute of Biological Resources conducted "on-site pilot experiments to reduce the lovebug population" in the Gyeyang Mountain area.

During these experiments, an eco-friendly control agent utilizing microorganisms was sprayed over an 8,100-square-meter area at the summit to target lovebugs at the larval stage. A survey of lovebug larvae distribution at Gyeyang Mountain found that in areas above 300 meters in elevation, approximately 300 larvae per square meter were present. Accordingly, the authorities are focusing on both capturing adult bugs and controlling larvae to prevent mass outbreaks in advance. Incheon city and Gyeyang District plan to implement additional measures such as deploying spraying drones and installing sticky traps. They also intend to contract separate cleaning services to handle the disposal of large numbers of lovebug carcasses following mass collection operations.

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