"September Most Dangerous"... Risk of Fatal Accidents If Careless

[Anchor]

As the heat subsides, many of you are probably going out for trips or hiking. With Chuseok approaching, the number of people visiting family graves is also expected to increase. However, September is the month with the highest number of snakebites and bee stings throughout the entire year.

Reporter Jang Seon-i shares what you need to watch out for.

[Reporter]

Woraksan National Park in North Chungcheong Province.

This is near a gravesite just a few steps off the hiking trail.

A snake reveals itself among the grass.

When the camera gets close, it raises its head straight up and charges forward.

The "mamushi" viper, which accounts for the most bite accidents in South Korea, and the "tiger keelback," which is mistakenly known to be non-venomous, are both venomous snakes inhabiting this area.

It is especially dangerous in autumn, including September.

[Song Jae-young / Senior Researcher, Korea National Park Service: Around August and September, mother snakes carry their young inside their bodies. They give birth around September and October. Because of this, the snakes themselves can become more sensitive, and their activity increases in autumn as they prepare for hibernation.]

This is also confirmed by the numbers.

Over the past five years, about 4,200 people were rushed to 119 ambulances after being bitten by snakes. Among them, September had the highest number at 886.

If bitten, treatment can take up to a month, and it can even be fatal.

While lingering heat remains, it is easy to encounter snakes in shaded forests, and they are not easily spotted with the naked eye.

Snakes have poor sight and hearing.

Instead, they feel vibrations in the ground.

Therefore, when entering grassy areas, it is best to tap the ground like this to give the snakes time to get away.

We visited a house near a mountain.

A hornet's nest was built under the eaves.

Bee sting accidents are also concentrated around this time of year when outdoor activities increase.

In September of last year alone, about 2,100 people were taken to hospitals for bee stings.

That averages out to 70 people a day.

[Hong Jong-tae / Head of Songgye 3-ri Village, Jecheon: Asian giant hornets are numerous around gravesites. Because graves are formed by landscaping where the soil is soft and not compact, Asian giant hornets frequently inhabit those surrounding areas.]

Hornets attack just from vibrations and the presence of people, even without being touched.

If a swarm of bees attacks, you must not lie down and should instead get away as far as possible.

You need to put a distance of at least 20 meters or more between you and them.

Experts recommend inspecting the area around the gravesite for 5 to 10 minutes before mowing grass around graves (beongcho).

(Photo courtesy of Gang Si-woo | Video Editing: Kim Yun-seong)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.