Seoul moves early to stop swarms of lovebugs before summer invasion

“After swarms of lovebugs blanketed parts of Seoul last summer, clinging to apartment walls, sidewalks and hikers across the capital, city officials are racing to stop the insects before they return in force. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it would begin preemptive, eco-friendly pest control measures targeting mass outbreaks of Plecia longiforceps, commonly known as lovebugs, and oriental mayflies ahead of the peak summer season. The city said it would launch daily monitoring and coordinated response systems across all 25 districts while expanding field technologies, including large-scale insect traps, water-spraying drones and biological larvicide treatments. Although the insects are not known to transmit infectious diseases, city officials said their sudden population surges have caused widespread public discomfort. According to a 2025 survey of 1,000 Seoul residents conducted by the city, 90.7 percent of respondents said they felt disgust toward insect outbreaks, while 88.2 percent said they experienced psychological discomfort. Another 89.8 percent said stronger pest

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