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With the early onset of heat this month, mosquitoes have started appearing ahead of schedule around Busan.
Normally, the mosquito population increases from mid-June, but due to the hot weather, there is a possibility of an earlier surge compared to last year.
The Busan City Health and Environment Research Institute reports that over the past five years, the mosquito population typically increased in mid-June when the average temperature reached around 22’C.
This month, Busan has already seen an average temperature of 21.6’C, with some days exceeding 23’C. If the current heat continues, mosquitoes are expected to become prevalent earlier than usual.
Experts note that mosquitoes thrive in temperatures between 25’C and 27’C, along with adequate precipitation.
Extreme heat, heavy rain, or drought exceeding 30’C can reduce mosquito activity. Professor Lee Dong-gyu from Kosin University explains that due to climate change, mosquitoes have been more active in June-July and September in recent years.
Additionally, the discovery of the Japanese encephalitis vector, the red house mosquito, in March raises concerns. Last year, alerts were issued for Japanese encephalitis as the red house mosquitoes accounted for 90.4% of the total collected mosquitoes in Busan. The City Health and Environment Research Institute plans to expand mosquito habitat surveys in Busan by November to address this issue.
