Mapo District Takes Preemptive Action for "Mosquito Eradication" Amid Severe Cold

Larval Survey and Control Conducted at 290 Non-Mandatory Disinfection Sites

Mapo District in Seoul (Mayor Park Kangsu) will implement a “Winter Mosquito Larvae Control Project” from this month until March next year to address the occurrence of mosquitoes during the winter season.

Park Kangsu, Mayor of Mapo District, conducting disinfection work on the Concentrated Quarantine Disinfection Day. Provided by Mapo District Office.

Due to rising temperatures and the expansion of heated spaces within large buildings, changes in living environments have led to the appearance of mosquitoes even in winter, causing increased inconvenience for residents. The Culex pipiens complex, which accounts for most mosquitoes in the Seoul area, has a tendency to overwinter in places such as septic tanks and boiler rooms in the basements of apartments and large buildings, resulting in a growing number of cases where mosquitoes enter indoor spaces.

The district has selected 290 sites, including multi-family housing with fewer than 300 units and office or mixed-use buildings under 2,000 square meters that are not subject to mandatory disinfection, to carry out intensive control measures. Applications will be accepted until the 31st of this month, after which the public health center’s quarantine team will visit each site to survey larvae density. If larvae are detected, eco-friendly biological larvicides will be applied immediately.

If adult mosquitoes are found in underground sewage pipes or other areas, both residual spraying and fogging disinfection will be conducted in parallel to enhance the effectiveness of control measures. In addition to the 290 designated sites, immediate disinfection will be carried out upon receiving resident reports of mosquito larvae habitats or suspected locations. Reports can be made to the Health Administration Division (02-3153-1673).

Meanwhile, for 679 facilities subject to mandatory disinfection, such as multi-family housing with 300 or more units and large buildings of 2,000 square meters or more, the district has sent official cooperation letters requesting self-control measures, guiding them to conduct larval control during regular disinfection.

The district expects that eliminating a single mosquito larva can reduce the number of adult mosquitoes by 500, and therefore anticipates that this winter’s larval control efforts will have a tangible effect on reducing the mosquito population in the summer of next year.

Mayor Park Kangsu of Mapo District stated, “As climate change extends the active season for mosquitoes, it is more important than ever to control overwintering mosquitoes at the larval stage during winter,” adding, “Through proactive and systematic control measures, we will prevent infectious diseases and create a pleasant living environment.”