Overview

• Viral videos from June 28–29 captured clouds of lovebugs blanketing Mount Gyeyang trails and public platforms, driving a spike in resident complaints.
• The insects emerged as early as mid-June and multiplied under the urban heat-island effect, surpassing infestation levels from previous summers.
• The Seoul Metropolitan Government has logged record complaints and advises water spraying, light traps and dark clothing to remove bugs without harming other organisms.
• Environmental teams are testing fungal-based pesticides and promoting natural predators such as magpies and sparrows to curb lovebug larvae with minimal ecological damage.
• Adult lovebugs live only three to seven days before laying eggs, ensuring swarms collapse naturally about two weeks after their emergence.