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War on mosquitoes kicks off as Seoul districts launch pest control programs

Published: 01 Jun. 2025, 14:10

A drone carrying mosquito repellent smoke fly above the Daechi Reservoir Sports Park in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, spraying the repellent into the park on May 29. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Local governments are going all out against mosquitoes as warmer and damper weather leads to an earlier spawning period for the pests.

On the afternoon of May 29, a drone fitted with a 20-liter (5.3-gallon) mosquito repellent tank buzzed across Daechi Reservoir Sports Park in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. As the drone took flight, it sprayed a natural insecticide while sweeping over the sloped sections of the park.

“Although each flight lasts only about eight minutes, we can cover roughly 7,500 square meters [1.9 acres] with just four flights,” said Lee Sang-yun, an official with the Gangnam Public Health Center’s disease control division.

Gangnam District has been conducting “eco-friendly drone spraying” twice a week since April, targeting areas with high mosquito populations that are difficult for vehicles or personnel to access, such as riverbanks and sloped parkland. The district plans to cover a total of 200,000 square meters around Yangjae Stream and Tancheon through November.

Gangnam became the first district in Seoul to introduce drone-based mosquito control last May in response to growing complaints.

Seoul city officials spray mosquito repellent smoke in central Seoul on May 28. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“Comparing the areas where drone spraying was conducted with those where it wasn’t, the number of mosquitoes collected in drone-treated zones was about 30 percent lower,” said Park In, another official from the disease control division.

According to Seoul city data, 20,129 mosquitoes were captured from May 11 to 24 through the city’s monitoring system — a 20.9 percent increase from the same period last year, when 16,651 were recorded.

Seoul’s mosquito activity index for waterfront areas also remained at 100 — the highest level — for four consecutive days starting May 21. An index of 75 to 100 falls into the city’s highest alert level, classified as “unpleasant,” meaning five or more mosquitoes are likely to bite a person who stays in one place for 10 to 15 minutes.

Other districts have also launched mosquito control programs. Central Seoul’s Jung District resumed its “visiting pest control team” project last month. Residents can text a request to 010-8684-3404, and the team will disinfect mosquito breeding grounds such as storm drains and gutters. Private properties are excluded.

Gwangju city officials spray mosquito repellent smoke in northern Gwangu on Aug. 29, 2024. [GWANGJU BUKGU]

Introduced last year, the program received more than 2.5 times as many requests in its first year compared to the previous year.

On May 28, members of the team were busy spraying near Beotigogae Station in Sindang-dong. A public health official opened a manhole and inserted a handheld fogging machine, releasing smoke into the sewers. Within five minutes, mist began to rise from nearby storm drains, turning the alley into what looked like a hot spring.

“Because of the location near Mount Namsan, we get a lot of mosquito complaints here,” said Lee Hun, head of the infectious disease control division at the Jung-gu Public Health Center. “Each team handles about 20 complaints per day.”

Yongsan District is running a mosquito larvae control and consultation program through November, targeting homes with high mosquito activity. Professional disinfecting companies are visiting households to provide services such as on-site assessments and larvicide treatment of toilets and septic tanks. Seocho District has organized a “pest control squad” made up of 110 residents in their 20s to 80s, who conduct walk-by disinfections on foot.

Deagu city officials spray mosquito repellent smoke in southern Daegu on Aug. 8, 2024. [NEWS1]

The battle against mosquitoes is expected to intensify in the coming months. Mosquitoes tend to thrive in warm, humid conditions, and the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts above-average temperatures and rainfall in June.

“The optimal temperature for mosquitoes is around 27 degrees Celsius [81 degrees Fahrenheit],” said Lee Dong-gyu, a distinguished professor at Kosin University’s department of health and environmental science. “In recent years, extreme summer heat has slowed their activity, but they’ve become more active in early summer and fall due to climate change.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE YOUNG-KEUN [[email protected]]