Control fall mosquitoes

Health authorities in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, are carrying out pest control operations at local parks, streams and public forests on Thursday in an effort to curb the city’s growing mosquito population.

According to the Suwon Public Health Center, the city’s average Mosquito Trap Index in August was 10.2, up by one point compared to the same period last year. The MTI measures the number of mosquitoes caught in a single trap overnight, providing a key indicator of population density.

Mosquitoes were once considered a nuisance confined to Korea’s hot summer months. But recent research shows they are increasingly active in the fall. Data from the Seoul Institute for Health and Environment revealed that 54.3 percent of all mosquitoes collected in the capital in 2024 were caught during the autumn season.

October recorded the highest number at 5,087, far outpacing July, which ranked second with 2,543.

Suwon will continue its mosquito control initiative until late October, according to a city health official.