As Temperatures Rise, "Lovebugs" Swarm Across South Korea: "Prepare Yourselves"

"The lovebug season is here. Prepare yourselves," and "I thought we'd see fewer of them this year, but they are starting to appear one or two at a time. Is this just the beginning?"

With the arrival of June, the month when the red-backed dark-winged fungus gnat—commonly known as the "lovebug"—typically emerges, online communities in South Korea are being flooded with posts expressing concern.

Because lovebugs are classified as beneficial insects, chemical pesticides cannot be used against them. Consequently, local governments are deploying eco-friendly pest control measures, while citizens are resorting to creative home remedies and self-help solutions.

Lovebugs are an invasive insect species known for flying in mating pairs. They primarily inhabit warm regions such as southeastern China and Okinawa, Japan, but began to be observed in South Korea in 2022 due to rising temperatures driven by climate change.

Although they are beneficial insects that do not bite humans and help the environment, they have been labeled as a major "nuisance insect" causing psychological distress due to their unsightly appearance, overwhelming numbers, and tendency to fly directly at people.

Last year, they appeared in massive numbers in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Gyeyangsan Mountain in Incheon and Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, causing disgust and discomfort.

Despite pest control efforts by local governments, including Seoul and Incheon, sightings of lovebugs are rising again as temperatures climb.

Online communities are seeing a steady stream of local sightings, with posts like "Lovebugs spotted in Songpa-gu," "Found lovebugs in Seocho-gu, probably because of Woomyeonsan Mountain," and "I'm in Incheon, and lovebugs have appeared here."

According to Google Trends, which measures search frequency on a scale of 0 to 100, the search index for "lovebug" reached 100 as of June 16.

A "Lovebug Map" website has also emerged to share the locations where the insects have been spotted.

The website operates based on user-submitted reports of sightings.

As of the morning of June 19, over 2,700 reports had been received, with approximately 55% confirmed as actual lovebug sightings.

Lovebugs are expected to spread further in the future due to rising temperatures.

In a report titled "Status of Epidemic Urban Pest Proliferation in Seoul and Countermeasures" published in April last year, the Seoul Institute stated, "The lovebugs that have recently appeared in large numbers are presumed to be an imported species, swarming for about two weeks immediately after the rainy season." It added, "If temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, some domestic studies predict that lovebugs will spread to all regions of the Korean Peninsula by 2070."

However, because lovebugs are classified as beneficial insects rather than pests, it is difficult to actively control them using chemical insecticides.

On its website, the Seoul Metropolitan Government explains that lovebug larvae enrich the soil by decomposing organic matter underground, while the adults contribute to the ecosystem's cycle by pollinating flowers.

In response, Seoul and its autonomous districts are taking action by installing traps and spraying eco-friendly pest control agents instead of chemical pesticides.

Following the deployment of high-altitude traps on Baengnyeonsan and Buramsan mountains, the Seoul Metropolitan Government installed an additional 1,300 attractant traps in parks across 19 districts.

It also conducted pilot sprayings of the eco-friendly microbial control agent *Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis* (BTI) over an area of 12,600 square meters around Baengnyeonsan Mountain in Eunpyeong-gu and Buramsan Mountain in Nowon-gu, where larvae are expected to hatch in large numbers.

A Seoul Metropolitan Government official said, "Each district is conducting pest control, and the city is overseeing the overall operations. Although they are classified as beneficial insects, they cause significant inconvenience to citizens, so we plan to continue our control efforts."

As lovebugs continue to appear despite government efforts, citizens are also taking matters into their own hands.

Various home remedies are being shared in online communities, such as using portable blowers or electric fans to blow them away, and spraying water mixed with vinegar or lemon juice.

However, the effectiveness of spraying water mixed with vinegar has not been officially verified.

Park Sun-jae, a researcher at the National Institute of Biological Resources, said, "We recommend avoiding bright lights and bright-colored clothing, and using water to wash them off."

Because official eradication methods like spraying chemical pesticides are difficult to implement in South Korea, methods used overseas, such as in the United States, are also being introduced.

In the U.S., lovebugs have become established, particularly in Florida, where they are classified as a "nuisance pest."

American YouTube channels and other platforms offer guides on removing them using a mixture of dish soap and water, or using insecticides.

Since forced eradication is difficult because they are beneficial to the ecosystem, a "wise coexistence" combining eco-friendly pest control by local governments and smart coping strategies by residents is required for the time being.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.