The average activity index of mosquitoes in Seoul has reached a record high of 100 for the second consecutive week.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday, the index of 100 between June 2 and 15 belongs to Level Four, “Unpleasant,” the highest on the mosquito forecast system.
A Level Four forecast is issued when the outdoor mosquito larval habitat is assumed to reach 50 to 100 percent, which means in dense areas around five to ten mosquitoes enter nearby homes in one night.
City officials said if a person stays outdoors at night, remaining still after exercising for over ten to 15 minutes, they will likely get bitten by at least five mosquitoes.
The average index stood at 65-point-six during the same period last year, which means this year’s index is around one-and-a-half times higher.
Sahmyook University’s Smith College of Liberal Arts Assistant Professor Kim Dong-gun, who oversees mosquito forecasts for the city, cited early spring precipitation and high temperatures as factors that helped to create the right environment for mosquito habitats.
