Drones used to kill mosquitoes

[Anchor]

After the monsoon, mosquitoes become more active.

To catch mosquitoes, the unwelcome guests of summer, operations are being carried out not only on the ground but also in the sky.

Reporter Shin Ji-soo has the story.

[Report]

Every day, Lee Seung-hee runs along the park and riverside, and even in the hot midday weather, she has to wrap her face tightly.

This is because of the mosquitoes hiding in the rivers and grass.

[Lee Seung-hee/Gangnam District, Seoul: "A lot of bugs get in through my mouth, and they stick to me because they smell my sweat."]

These days, Lee is not the only one feeling this way.

Complaints about mosquitoes in this area have been increasing every year since 2022, nearing 2,000 cases a year.

Drones have been deployed to eliminate hidden mosquitoes.

They fly up to the trees and spray mosquito repellent.

They can disinfect an area the size of one-fifth of a soccer field at once and can catch mosquitoes living in places inaccessible to humans.

[Lee Sang-yoon/Seouls's Gangnam District Health Center Official: "Vehicles cannot enter the middle of rivers or forests. This is for those areas..."]

Kim Kyo-min, who has been unable to sleep due to mosquitoes, has five mosquito repellent products at home.

[Kim Kyo-min/Yongsan District, Seoul: "I keep that (mosquito repellent) on all day. There are a few that fly in from that room to this room, making it hard for me to sleep..."]

Starting this year, a pest control expert visits Kim's house.

This is 'precision pest control' that helps disinfect homes with a lot of mosquitoes.

["This is the pest control team from the Yongsan District Health Center."]

They put larvicides in the toilet and install nets in external septic tanks to prevent mosquito larvae from growing into adults and entering the house.

[Jang Seong-mi/Seoul's Yongsan District Health Center Official: "Experts visit homes directly to reduce mosquitoes and minimize exposure to infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes."]

With heat waves, heavy rains, and unpredictable extreme weather, the war against mosquitoes is becoming more intense.

This is KBS News, Shin Ji-soo.