Drones to Combat Pests and Inspections of Semi-Basement Homes: Checking 'Summer Preparedness'

[Anchor]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to utilize drones to prevent the mass emergence of "lovebugs" in the city this summer. Ahead of the monsoon season, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon inspected safety measures in areas densely populated with semi-basement homes, which are at high risk of flooding.

Here is the news from Seoul this week, reported by Yoon Na-ra.

[Reporter]

The *Plecia nearctica*, commonly known as the "lovebug," which blanketed the Seoul metropolitan area last summer, has appeared again this year.

With the peak of their emergence predicted between late this month and next month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched emergency pest control measures.

First, focusing on the fact that lovebugs lose their ability to fly and struggle to reproduce when their wings get wet, the city has decided to use water-spraying drones to target trees where the insects emerge.

[Song Eun-cheol / Head of Infectious Disease Control Division, Seoul Metropolitan Government: Lovebugs are vulnerable to water, so we will respond by using drones to spray water and knock down the adult insects.]

Additionally, the city has installed 4,800 traps using substances that attract lovebugs, a higher number than originally planned.

Seoul officials have advised residents to follow safety guidelines, such as reducing the use of outdoor lighting at night, checking door gaps and window screens, and cleaning up insect carcasses promptly before they accumulate.

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Ahead of the monsoon season, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited a neighborhood in Gwanak-gu densely packed with semi-basement homes to inspect safety measures and preparations for heavy rainfall.

The city has installed flood barriers, which prevent rainwater from entering homes, in approximately 17,000 households, and plans to install manhole fall-prevention devices in a total of 69,000 locations this year.

Radar-based water level monitoring facilities, which observe water levels during heavy rain and support resident evacuations, have also been installed in 45 locations.

[Oh Se-hoon / Mayor of Seoul: We will ensure thorough management to do our absolute best to minimize flood damage and any potential loss of life that could occur during the rainy season this year.]

Furthermore, to protect vulnerable residents living in semi-basement homes, the city plans to have 2,200 "companion partners" manage 900 households of individuals vulnerable to flood disasters, providing support for resident evacuation when flood warnings or advisories are issued.

(Video coverage: Joo Beom, Kim Heung-gi | Video editing: Kim Byeong-jik)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.